Wak Chanil Ajaw Facts for Kids

Lady Six Sky (also known as Lady Wac Chanil Ahau or Wak Chanil Ajaw) was a powerful Maya queen. She was born in Dos Pilas and became a very important ruler in the city of Naranjo. She lived in Naranjo from 682 CE until her death around 741 CE.

During her time in Naranjo, she acted as the city's main leader. However, she was never officially called the "Holy Lady of Naranjo." Instead, she kept using the special symbol (called an emblem glyph) of her birth city, Dos Pilas, throughout her life.

Her full name in ancient Mayan is hard to read today. Because of this, experts usually call her Lady Six Sky. This name helps everyone know who they are talking about.

Several ancient stone monuments, called stelae, mention Lady Six Sky. These include Naranjo stelae 3, 18, 24, 29, 31, and 46. They tell us a lot about her life and rule.

Lady Six Sky's Life Story
A Powerful Queen and Warrior
Rediscovery in Modern Times
See also

Lady Six Sky's Life Story

Lady Six Sky was the daughter of Bʼalaj Chan Kʼawiil, the king of Dos Pilas. Her mother was a woman named Lady B'ulu. Lady B'ulu held a very important title, showing she had a lot of political power.

In 682 CE, Lady Six Sky moved to Naranjo. Her father sent her there to start a new ruling family. This was part of an arranged marriage between Dos Pilas and Naranjo. The goal was to make Naranjo part of an important alliance with Calakmul and Dos Pilas. This move might have been a response to Tikal's recent victory over Calakmul.

We don't know much about her husband. He might have been a relative of the previous king, K'ahk' Xiiw Chan Chaahk. This king had been defeated by Caracol a few years earlier, leaving Naranjo without a strong leader. Lady Six Sky's husband's name appears on Naranjo Stela 46, but it's still being studied.

Lady Six Sky likely ruled Naranjo during her time there. She gave birth to a son, Kʼakʼ Tiliw Chan Chaak, on January 6, 688 CE. He would later become the king of Naranjo. His birth was a very important event, recorded on stelae 24 and 29.

For a long time, experts weren't sure if K'ak' Tiliw was truly her son. But in 2017, Stela 46 was found. It clearly states that they were mother and son.

Their relationship might have been a bit difficult. Lady Six Sky continued to put up monuments that showed her as the main ruler, even when her son was an adult. This suggests she might have been competing with him for power. When K'ak' Tiliw Chan Chaak died, Lady Six Sky seemed to support a new ruler, Yax Mayuy Chan Chaak. He might have been K'ak' Tiliw Chan Chaak's younger brother.

A record from February 10 or 11, 741 CE, mentions a ritual at Dos Pilas that might be about Lady Six Sky. This date is possibly when she died, but it's not fully confirmed.

A Powerful Queen and Warrior

Even though she was never officially called the "Holy Lady of Naranjo," Lady Six Sky ordered many monuments to be built. These monuments show her performing important rituals. For example, Stela 29 describes a burning ritual she did just three days after arriving in Naranjo in 682 CE.

She also played a role in how the Maya counted moon phases. During her time, the way moon phases were recorded became very consistent across the Maya lands. She liked to celebrate special calendar endings, like those on March 1, 695 CE, and November 17, 714 CE. Both were recorded on Stela 29.

Lady Six Sky also oversaw the creation of beautiful pottery. This tradition continued with her son, who was known for supporting the arts.

Unusually for a woman, monuments show Lady Six Sky acting like a warrior-king. She is shown standing over defeated captives. For example, Naranjo Stela 24 (from 699 CE) shows her standing on a captive from a place called K'inichil Kab. Stela 29 (from 714 CE) also shows her standing on a captive, but the details are worn away.

Besides K'inichil Kab, she was involved in attacking at least nine other cities. She also led a successful war against the Komkom city in April 726 CE, as told on Stela 18. Her son, K'ak' Tiliw Chan Chaak, and future leader Yax Mayuy Chan Chaak were also part of this war.

On Stela 24, Lady Six Sky is shown wearing the net skirt of the maize god. This was also very unusual for women. She may have chosen the name "Six" because it was linked to the maize god. She also highlighted her connection to the moon goddess. By combining symbols of both the maize god and the moon goddess, she might have been showing that she could handle both male and female roles as a ruler.

For instance, Stela 24 says she was "portrayed as the first god." This means she was seen as a living vessel for this god. On the side of Stela 24, this ritual is described in more detail. Here, the god is called the moon goddess, even though she wears the male net skirt. This ritual happened on April 17, 699 CE. Stela 47 also says she acted as the moon goddess on February 9, 726 CE, which was the Maya new year.

When her son K'ak' Tiliw Chan Chaak was about 13, Lady Six Sky publicly celebrated an important calendar event. She put up Stela 24 on October 11, 721 CE. This suggests she was acting as his regent, meaning she ruled for him while he was young. However, she might never have been the official head of government. Stela 24 calls K'ak' Tiliw Chan Chaak the 38th head of Naranjo's government. If Lady Six Sky had been officially counted, he would have been the 39th.

Rediscovery in Modern Times

Tatiana Proskouriakoff was a pioneering scholar who first identified Lady Six Sky's name in the 1960s. She was studying the historical writings of the Maya. Proskouriakoff first called her "Lady of Tikal" because of a specific symbol she used. Later, experts realized that more than one city used the same symbol.

Wak Chanil Ajaw facts for kids

Contents

Lady Six Sky's Life Story

A Powerful Queen and Warrior

Rediscovery in Modern Times

See also