Ruler 12: K’ahk Uti’ Witz’ K’awiil

AKA: Smoke Imix, Smoke Imix God K, Smoke Jaguar, Butz’ Hunab Smoking One and Only K’awiil, Fire is the Mouth of the Water Serpent

Reign: 628 - 695

Preceded by: Butz’ chan

Succeeded by: Waxaklajuun Ubaah K’awiil

Structures:

Reigning at the same time of other famous Maya rulers such as K’inich Janaab’ Pakal of Palenque and Itzamnaaj B’ahlam III of Yaxchilan, K’ahk’ Uti’ Witz’ K’awiil was honored in his long rule and expansionist policies (Fash 2011, 104). On Altar Q, he does not need to sit on his name glyph, but is rather referenced using a 5 k’atun glyph, because his reign lasted during 5 k’atun periods (Martin and Grube 2008, 201).

Believed to have been born in 604, K’ahk Uti’ Witz’ K’awiil would have been twenty-four at the time of his accession. It would be another twenty-four years before his first stelae in 652 (Martin and Grube 2008, 201). Four of his seven stelae - 10, 12, 13, and 19 would be placed at the edges of the Copan Valley, not just the city (Grube and Schele 1988, 301). While this policy of expansion began during his predecessor Butz’ Chan’s time, K’ahk Uti’ Witz’ K’awiil undertook the ambitious program to memorialize these findings (Looper 2003, 52).

Evidence of K’ahk Uti’ Witz’ K’awiil’s power in the valley is especially evidenct in Quirigua’s Altar L which mentions the twelfth ruler at a Quirigua period ending. However, the exact political situation concerning Quirigua and Copan at this moment is uncertain at best given some of the design choices on the altar and the fate of Waxaklajuun Ubaah K’awiil (Martin and Grube 2008, 201; Looper 2003, 51). Though the thirteenth king would be present at the next king of Quirigua’s accession, tensions may have already been high between the two cities. Yet, the possibility also exists that K’ahk Uti’ Witz’ Kawiil simply had the altar made to spread his name throughout Copan’s territory.

After his death, K’ahk Uti’ Witz’ K’awiil was buried in the Chorcha Tomb in Structure 10L-26, which the thirteenth ruler would cover with the Esmeralda section and the first Hieroglyphic Stairway (Martin and Grube 2008, 204). The tomb’s stairway would be named for its royal inhabitant (Martin and Grube 2008, 202). The twelfth ruler had succeeded in making his name known throughout the region - after his death, a Pusilha king in Belize took the Copan king’s name (Martin and Grube 2008, 201).


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