Ruler 4: K’altuun Hix

AKA: Cu Ix

Reign: Uncertain

Preceded by: Ruler 3

Succeeded by: Ruler 5

Structures:

Not much is known about the fourth king of Copan, although more is known about him than Rulers 3, 5, 6, and 9. He renovated the Papagayo Structure, adding in a stair in front of Stela 63 in dedication. Fascinatingly, this stair is one of the few instances of invoking the second person, indicating a direct quote from the ruler. The text, including “your gods” and “your land” appears to refer to Yax K’uk Mo’ and his identity as a foreigner with ties to Teotihuacan (Martin and Grube 2008, 196). The stair even uses the “pu” or bulrush glyph associated with Teotihuacan (Fash, Fash, and Davis-Salazar 2004, 78). This text may perform a sort of separation between customs of Teotihuacan and local origins, or it may seek to celebrate the power derived from the founder’s origins.

K’altuun Hix’s name, meaning “Bound Stone Jaguar”, had also been found on fragments of Stela 34, although not much else has been derived (Martin and Grube 2008, 196).

K’altuun Hix may be mentioned on Quirigua’s Monument 26. The text refers to a “third” and “fourth king”, which William Fash suggested may refer to Ruler 3 and K’altuun Hix, although the evidence is not conclusive (1991, 79). Regardless, the mention of the ochk’in kaloomte in Quirigua around the time of K’altuun Hix’s reign confirms that Copan still held a position of authority over the city continuing from the days of Yax K’uk Mo’.


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