QUICHE, the most important Indian nation in Guatemala at the time of the Spanish conquest. To-day the Quiche tongue, a Maya dialect, is spoken by about 275,000 pure-blooded natives throughout the Departments of Quiche, Quezaltenango, Totoni capan, Retalhuleu and Sacatepequez.
Quiche history and tradition are preserved in a book known as the Popol Vuh, written by a native shortly after the Conquest.
It relates four attempts to create a satisfactory world and people it. On the last attempt the gods made four men : Balam-Quitze, Balam-Agab, Mahucutah and Igi-Balam. Of these the first three became the ancestors of the Quiche. As first constructed these men had too many divine attributes to suit the gods, so their wits were dulled, but in compensation they were given wives. At this time the other Indian tribes were created and they all went to Tulan Zuiva to receive their household gods. The Quiche god, Tohil, then made the first fire by striking it from his sandal, while the other Indians learned the art from the Quiche. To gain this end, with one exception, they were tricked into giving human hearts in sacrifice. All then started to migrate to Guate mala, and when they arrived the first sunrise took place. Then the four leaders withdrew to the woods, and, after the Quiche had successfully fought a war, these holy men died. They were succeeded by their sons who immediately departed on a mystic journey to the East where they received the insignia of temporal power at the hands of the great king, Nacxit, whd also taught them the secret of writing.
Upon the return of their leaders the Quiche settled in stone wrought cities, and from this point the Popol Vuh assumes a definitely historical character. It describes the reigns of many kings and pictures in detail their wars with neighbouring nations. The apogee of Quiche power was reached under Kicab, who made tributary all his neighbours, but these conquests were never con solidated into a kingdom. Fighting continued with varying for tunes until the arrival of the Spaniards.
In 1524 Pedro de Alvarado, the lieutenant of Cortes, entered Guatemala. The Quiche had received warning of his coming and of the strength of the Spanish arms from the Aztec emperor Montezuma. They had hastily made peace with warring neigh bours but were unable to unite them in a common defence. Their preparations to repel Alvarado were impeded by the death of their king, Tanub. His successor, Tecum Umam, met the
Spaniards with a huge army upon the plains of Zelahuh near the modern Quezaltenango. There followed a series of desperate actions in which the Indians failed to withstand the Spanish cavalry and artillery, backed by a force of native allies. Finally Tecum Umam personally attacked Alvarado and of ter unhorsing him was slain. Then the Quiche retreated to their capital, Guma caah, leaving innumerable dead along the banks of a stream to this day known as Xiquiguel, the river of blood. However, the Quiche were not yet conquered, and the new king, Chignauivcelut, endeavoured to entice Alvarado into his capital, so that he might burn the houses over the Spaniards' heads while his men cut off their retreat over the narrow causeway by which the city was entered. Alvarado discovered this plan, captured the Quiche by stratagem and hanged the king. Thus the opposition was broken.
At the time of the conquest a king ruled the Quiche in regal style. He was surrounded by 24 councillors who gave the ruler their advice and acted as judges and revenue collectors. The prin cipal towns were governed by appointed lieutenants who, how ever, had no jurisdiction over the nobility. Each governor had his council organized in the same fashion as the king's. All these officials and others down to the rank of door-keeper of the council were drawn from the nobility who took great care to preserve the purity of their blood.
To-day the Quiche live in small villages in the highlands of Guatemala, for the most part on various coffee plantations where the Indians are held in a state of peonage. Some of the towns, however, particularly Chiquinula, Nahuala and Chichicastenango, have maintained a semi-independence and run their affairs with little interference from the Central Government. Chichicastenango is of peculiar interest because its inhabitants claim descent from the Quiche nobility, and recognize one of their number, Manuel Ajanel, as king.
BIBLIoGRAPHY.—Domingo Juarros, History of the Kingdom of Guatemala (1823) ; J. L. Stephens, Incidents of Travel in Central America (1841) ; Brasseur de Bourbourg, ed., Popol Vuh 0860 ; Karl Sapper, "Der gegenwartige Stand der ethnographischen Kenntnis von Mittelamerika," Archiv. fiir Anthropologie, iii. band (Heft) (19°4) ; S. K. Lothrop, Note on Indian Ceremonies in Guatemala (Indian Notes, vol. iv. No. I) (1927). (S. K. L.)