Resumen

CANO CONTRERAS, Eréndira Juanita. Approaching the notion of Kaqchikel personhood. Alteridades [online]. 2023, vol.33, n.66, pp.21-33.  Epub 01-Dic-2023. ISSN 2448-850X.  https://doi.org/10.24275/czhg3887.

There are several studies that attest to the characteristics and the spiritual components that make up the person among Mesoamerican groups. This aspect of Mesoamerican groups has been widely addressed in the Mayan area, except for groups settled in Guatemala, among which the work regarding their notion of a person is scarce. Because of this, in this investigation we set as an objective to state the main characteristics of the Kaqchikel body and spirit. In the framework of this collaborative and ethnographic work conducted with ajq’ijab (calendar specialists) in the Chimaltenango and Sacatepéquez departments since 2015, in 2020 we focused on registering and analyzing the main entities that constitute the Kaqchikel person. We present a description of the spiritual entities as conceived by Kaqchikel ritual specialists, among which their characteristics display their profound relationship with calendar elements associated with Cholq’ij (the 260-day ritual calendar).

Palabras llave : Q’ij alaxïk; Maya worldview; Guatemalan highlands; Cholq’ij; ajq’ij; souls.