Ruler 10: Moon Jaguar

Reign: 553 - 578

Preceded by: Ruler 9

Succeeded by: Butz’ Chan

Structures:

• Stela 9
• Stela 17
• Hieroglyphic Stairway

On Altar Q, Moon Jaguar is found sitting on a Waterlily Jaguar glyph, which is probably in reference to his father, Bahlam Nehn (Schele 1986, 57).

The tenth king’s Stela 9 is notable for two particular reasons. First, it reveals Bahlam Nehn, the seventh king, to be Moon Jaguar’s father. Moon Jaguar even goes so far as to refer to his father with Ma Kina, a title usually reserved for Yax K’uk’ Mo’ (Schele 1986, 59). Second, Stela 9 is the first stela to include figural depictions since the second king Popol Hol’s reign (Schele 1987, 235; Fash 2004, 255). This return to form would give way to impressive works of high relief from future kings. Unfortunately, due to the monument’s previous destruction, little information is available about Moon Jaguar’s figural style. Moon Jaguar’s other confirmed monument, Stela 17, is classified as a Type II stela with two sides carved only with glyphs, denying further information (Fash 2004, 259).

Interestingly, Moon Jaguar erected both Stela 9 and Stela 17 in the village of Copan Ruinas rather than the Acropolis like most of his predecessors (Martin and Grube 2008, 199). With this decision, the tenth king focused on speaking directly to the people rather than creating more ritualistically significant stelae. Both his successor Butz’ Chan and the twelfth king K’ahk’ Uti’ Witz’ K’awiil would continue this tradition of creating stelae in the village. K’ahk’ Uti’ Witz’ K’awiil would even go so far as to create stelae on the edge of Copan’s control to celebrate and cement the city’s expansion (Martin and Grube 2008, 201).

Sources:

• Fash, Barbara W. 2004. “Early Classic Sculptural Development at Copan.” In Understanding Early Copan, edited by Ellen E. Bell, Marcello A. Canuto, & Robert J. Sharer, 249-264. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
• Martin, Simon and Nikolai Grube. 2008. Chronicle of the Maya Kings and Queens: Dynasties of the Ancient Maya. London: Thames and Hudson
• Schele, Linda. 1986. “Copan Note 15: Moon-Jaguar, the 10th Successor of the Lineage of Yax-Kuk-Mo of Copan” In Copan Notes, The, 57-65. Austin, TX: Copan Mosaic Project.
• Schele, Linda. 1987. “Copan Note 33: The Surviving Fragments of Stela 9” In Copan Notes, The, 235-242. Austin, TX: Copan Mosaic Project.