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Quiche
The Quiche Maya people live in Chichicastenango, Chichi for short, in the part of Quiche located in the Western Highlands of Guatemala. The usual trip to Chichi is from the south, over the highway from Sololá, which is part of the garden country around lake Atitilan, a total trip time of about three hours. The boundaries of Sololá and Chichi are discretely determined by use of tall posts beside the road, a little north of Los Encuentros. Although the landmarks are discrete, the change of countries is no surprise. The housing, land, even the air is different between Los Encuentros and Chichi. Before the next town though, there is a barranco, a deep gash in the plateau, almost a thousand feet deep. After crossing the muddy path, one finally reaches a town the Quiche call siywán tinimít which means “town of the barrancos”, which is fitting as there are barrancos on three sides of the village. The plaza has an elevation of 6,900 feet with a tropical-like climate. There are two seasons, the dry season called “summer” (verano) from November to April and the wet season, called winter (invierno) from April to November. The rainy season begins at the end of April or beginning of May with consistent rain during the afternoons, and then in midwinter there is a period of heavy precipitation (el temporal) when it rains steady for days.
The dress of the Quiche women has remained consistent for the last century. The skirt or corte is treadle-loomed cloth of double ikat (tie dye) or jaspeado cotton threads, generally about six yards long. It is wrapped around the body, sarong-style. A distinguishing factor of cortes in Chichi is its short length, typically thirty-six inches or one width. The blouse or juipil is made up of three lengths of back strap woven cloth, sewn together by hand. The underarm seams are not joined. Women wear black and white narrow wool belts, designed by the men. The huipile is worn tucked into the corte and held in place by the belt or faja. The men traditionally wear black wool suits with sort jackets, knee length pants with intricate stitch design, a red sash, and a brightly designed headscarf. The cofradia (male costume) is worn only on special occasions and remains one of the most striking. Traditional western clothing with a tzute (belt) or some other customary piece is usually added to reflect the costumbre. Religion plays a major role in the lives of the Quiche people. The following is an excerpt from a contemporary prayer of the Quiche Maya Shamans, translated into English: Make my gilt banish, heart of the sky, heart of the earth; do me a favor, give me strength, give me courage, in my heart, in my had, since you are my mountain and my plain, may there be no falsehood and no stain, and may this reading come out clear as dawn, and may the sifting of ancient times be complete in my heart . . .
The Quiche people believe that there are turning points in life that deserve ceremonies such as birth, baptism, marriage, initiation, and death. Other events such as planting and harvest, the sale of land, and the building of a house also have ceremonies, but are less extravagant. The famous Church of Santo Tomás is located in Chichi, where Catholicism has remained crucial for several years. Here, at this historical church, the people have blended the native’s pro-Columbian and Catholic rituals. The mix of rituals is showed to tourists, or those interested, upon request while the Maua priest (chuchkajau) is doing a pagan ceremony inside the church, in front of the altar, while the catholic priest offers an official service. Death of a Quiche man is treated differently that the death of a Quiche woman. When the father of a house dies, all of the men meet without the women. The men then go to get the coffin and supplies for the funeral while the women are to gather the funds for the ceremony. The family and friends of the dying man then stay with him all night in his house. As soon as he passes on, his children call all of the relatives. To those who come they give coffee and aguardiente (alcohol) and drink away their sorrow.
The Quiche Maya community is renowned for largest markets in Central America that come to life every Thursday and Sunday morning in the central plaza. Chichi has been the central place of trade for centuries because of the frequent dispute among the Quiche, Cakchiquel, and Tzutuhil Maya people. Preparation for the big market days starts the night before. The sales begin around nine or ten in the morning and end in the late afternoon, or when the marketers leave. Aside from the interesting religion and beautiful scenery, the Quiche people of Chichi have a wide range of Maya art from vases to intricately designed sculptures. The Museo Popol Vuh has on display the largest collection of this class of urns in the world (over 100, of which as least twenty are of the large size). The Jagar God of the Underworld is displayed on the lid handle of a giant Quiche urn and many more artifacts with detailed historical backgrounds to better understand the Quiche culture and history. They also have textiles, ceramics, carvings, basketry, wooden chests and traditional masks that are often sold at the market place.
Additional Reading
Quiche Maya
Guatemala Indigenous People
Mayan Languages
Maya Civilization
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