Ruler 7: Bahlam Nehn

AKA: Waterlily Jaguar, Jaguar Sun God, Mirror Jaguar

Reign: 524 - 532

Preceded by: Ruler 6

Succeeded by: Wi’ Yohl K’inich

Structures:

On Altar Q, Bahlam Nehn the depiction of a Waterlily Jaguar head is a primary feature of his name glyph (Schele and Schele 1986 66). His name was however written in a variety of different ways, including with a k’atun title (Schele 1987, 236).

Bahlam Nehn is the first king since K’altuun Hix to have a confirmed surviving stela of his own - Stela 15. This stela was categorized as a Type III with all four sides bearing glyphs (Fash 2004, 259). No figural stelae have been found between the reigns of the second king Popol Hol and the tenth king Moon Jaguar (Fash 2004, 255). This stela was erected to celebrate the 9.4.10.0.0 half k’atun ending and used phrases such as “to burn” and “he binds stone” to describe associated rituals (Martin and Grube 2008, 197; Boot 2009 63, 105). He is also the first to refer to himself with his succession number as the seventh king in Yax K’uk’ Mo’s line.

The seventh king would however be remembered on no less than three future stelae. One of these stelae was erected in Caracol, making Bahlam Nehn the only Copan king to be recognized both outside of Copan’s region of control and by one of the three most prominent cities (Martin and Grube 2008, 197; Fash 2011, 59). During his reign, the tenth king, Moon Jaguar would honor his father - Bahlam Nehn - in his Stela 9 (Schele 1986, 56). It has been speculated that Wi’ Yohl K’inich and Ruler 9 were also the seventh kings’ sons. The thirteenth ruler, Waxaklajuun Ubaah K’awiil would also honor him in the enigmatic Stela E (Martin and Grube 2008, 204). Yax Pasaj Chan Yopaat, the final king in the Yax K’uk’ Mo’ lineage, would depict Bahlam Nehn among other well known kings as witnesses to his accession on a Temple 11 stair (Martin and Grube 2008, 209).

Though relatively little remains from Bahlam Nehn’s time, his continued remembrance by later kings and his mention on a Caracol stela speak volumes about his impact on the city. He would later be buried in a tomb beneath Structure 22A (Fash 2011, 147).


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