Juan Siis, a young man, encountered a group of Chols in the bush and rallied his friends to confront them. Using magic, Juan turned into a tree and captured a Chol, sparking a battle. Afterward, they agreed to a contest of tricks. Juan’s impressive feat of climbing a tree head downward intimidated the Chols, and when they refused further tricks, he transformed them into trees.
Source
Ethnology of the Mayas of
Southern and Central British Honduras
by John Eric Thompson
Field Museum of Natural History
Anthropological Series, Pub.274, Vol.17.2
Chicago, 1930
► Themes of the story
Trickster: Juan Siis embodies the trickster archetype, using cunning and magic to outwit the Chols during their encounters.
Cunning and Deception: The narrative centers on a contest of tricks, where both Juan Siis and the Chols employ cunning and magical feats to outdo each other.
Divine Punishment: When the Chols refuse to continue the contest, Juan Siis punishes them by transforming them into trees, reflecting a form of retribution for their non-compliance.
► From the same Region or People
There was once a young man called Juan Siis (Kekchi for the pisote or coati). One day in the bush he came across a party of Cheil (Chol in Kekchi). He got all his friends, and they went off to try and kill all those Chols. When Juan Siis got close to where the Chols lived, he turned himself into a tree. Soon a Choi came along close to the tree. Juan Siis put out his arms and caught the Chol. The Chol called out, and all the other Chols came running up. Soon a regular battle was going on between the Chols and Juan Siis and his friends. The Chols were armed with bows and arrows, boomerangs and top slings. After fighting some time, the Chols begged for peace.
► Continue reading…
“All right,” said Juan Siis. “Let us see who can do the best tricks.”
The Chols then went to a big gombolimbo tree (tsikqa) and climbed up it. Then they turned till they were head downward, and in that position climbed down the tree.
Then Juan Siis went to the tree and climbed both up and down head downward, and the Chols were afraid of his magic, and refused to do any more tricks. Juan Siis told them they must, and as they still refused, he turned them into trees.
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Dreamtime Whispers 