At a Glance
- Husband
- Shield Jaguar (Itzamnaaj Bʼalam II).
- Role
- Senior wife, regent-mother figure, ritualist.
- Monuments
- Lintels 24, 25, 26 in Temple 23 — her own temple.
- Home
- Now in the British Museum, London.
I. Overview
Around 725 Lady Xook dedicated Temple 23 and carved three lintels inside its doors. Lintel 24: she kneels pulling a thorned rope through her tongue while Shield Jaguar holds a torch. Lintel 25: the blood smoke becomes a giant serpent rearing with a god in its jaws. Lintel 26: she hands her husband his jaguar war-helmet. No other Maya woman is shown so boldly giving her blood to feed gods and legitimise a king (British Museum).
II. Timeline
Temple 23
Built as her ritual house. Three door-lintels told her story: sacrifice, vision, investiture. She is named as “Lady Xook, lady of Yaxchilan” — rare prominence for a queen. The temple faces the river so canoes saw her gods first.
Blood Vision
Collecting blood on bark paper and burning it, she conjured Sak Yaxuun, the Vision Serpent. From its mouth emerges an ancestor-warrior with spear and shield. The message: her pain calls the dead kings to bless Shield Jaguarʼs wars.
III. Gallery
IV. Watch
V. Sources
Sources
- British Museum.
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection - WHE — Yaxchilan.
https://www.worldhistory.org/Yaxchilan/
She gave her blood; the ancestors answered.— after Lintel 25