Prophecy, Speech and Interpretation. The Itzaes, Avendaño and the 8 Ahau Katun

Abstract

The conquest of Petén Itzá in Guatemala took place on March 13, 1697, under the orders of Martín de Urzúa, governor of Yucatán. Prior to this, there were several unsuccessful attempts to evangelize the region guided by Franciscan friars. Fray Andrés de Avendaño y Loyola made two entries to the Petén area in 1695, with the hope of achieving the peaceful conquest of the region. As a negotiation strategy, in his dialogue with the itzaes, Avendaño made reference to the prophecy of 8 ahau katún, the katún of war, conquest and change, and what would happen between 1697 and 1717, but he failed.

In this text I aim to analyze the phenomenon of prophecy in general and that of 8 ahau katún in particular, aside from the differences and similarities between European and Mayan thoughts, as well as the way in which all this misfired to avoid war.