However, more than forty years ago, the Tutulxiu Family, along with Samurai and commoners, launched a rebellion that utterly destroyed the great Mayapan, renaming it Tutulxiu and establishing the new Capital City, Mani. The Kokom Family thereafter dwindled and dispersed, their main branch leading the remnants of their tribe southeastward to build a new small town. And a branch like mine ended up scattered everywhere, becoming rchants and ordinary folk.
Ever since then, my family could only roam in foreign lands, relying on the mathematical and astronomical knowledge passed down through generations, taking risks on boats and plying trade between different kingdoms. Other Mayan rchants, respecting my bloodline, made the leader of their rchant group. Over the years, although it seems we carried rich baggage and led a comfortable life, in reality, we lived day to day, our fate hanging on the whims of the privileged,"
At this point, Tikalo lowered his head slightly and closed his eyes. Recalling the glory of his ancestors and his own plight, a mix of emotions overwheld him, and his nose tingled with the onset of sadness.
Xiulote was at a loss for words for a mont. He truly had not expected the Mayan rchant before him to have such a glorious ancestral heritage.
In that case, the sacred Kokom Family possessed a ruling history over Tutulxiu-Mayapan. They are the forr rulers that the current Maya Lords cannot tolerate but are the most suitable agents for the xica!
The young man pondered for a mont, a smile on his face as he looked at Tikalo with increasing admiration.
Next, Xiulote continued to inquire about news from afar. Tikalo, with his upper-class Mayan knowledge and having traveled far and wide, knew much about the vast world.
"The great Corn people sailed aboard the largest oar-and-sail vessels, heading south through the dense Rainforest. From the hands of the locals, they exchanged bundles of cotton for bags of Turquoise and pepper, profiting tens of tis over. Following the lengthy coastline to the southernmost point, we reached the Chibcha region. There, amid the countless scattered tribes, we could trade for cheap salt, Gold, and gemstones, likewise making a tenfold profit,"
Xiulote pondered in his mind; the Eralds of Guatemala, the pepper of Honduras — these were rare and expensive goods. Broadly speaking, there are about 700 species of plants in the pepper family in Arica and more than 300 species in Southeast Asia. Among them, Jamaican pepper, native and renowned for its aromatic spiciness, also known as allspice, was most notable. In the age of the great voyages, these gemstones and spices ant wealth that would drive Europeans crazy.
Further down past Panama lies Chibcha, the future area of Colombia. The Maya encountered coastal tribal peoples but did not travel up the long Magdalena River, missing out on the powerful Muysca Kingdom deep within the Jungle — the origin of the legend of the Golden Country.
The Muysca were also a salt-producing people, rich in salt, Gold, and gemstones. Their cultural beliefs beca the historical roots revered by the future nations of Colombia. The popular Colombian spear-throwing sport of tejo originated from the Muysca ga of Turqué.
As for the further distant Inca Empire, with its mountains, Jungles, and ocean barriers, it remained just a mythical tale. But with Mayan seafaring skills and Xiulote’s predictions about directions, a preliminary contact between the two great civilizations was achievable.
Xiulote’s heart swelled with joy as the unknown world once again unfurled before him. In the midst of prosperity was the lost brilliance, and within the Wilderness lay potential hope. He had a guard bring up fine wine, and he drank deeply with the rchant, toasting to the world, until the setting sun disappeared and its afterglow lit their eyes.
"To the east, the sea is vast and stretches to the horizon."
The young man harbored the world in his breast, his thoughts soaring at this mont, gazing into the endless future!
Through the window, he gazed toward the distant East. There, the lake of Texcoco was shimring like a vast sea, twinkling with the glitter of waves.
User Comments
0 comments from readers