CMGG entry for yajaw te'      (This article is part of the Learner's Maya Glyph Guide.)

Translation: lord of the spear (title), war captain
Part of speech: Noun

Spellings of yajaw te'

                                                                                

JM.p29.#3                     JM.p260.#2                           JM.p281.#1                                 JM.p281.#2

AJAW:TE’:wa                [u]ya.<AJAW:te’:wa>           ya.<AJAW:<TE’.wa>>                 ya.<AJAW:wa>.TE’

 

                                                                                                                   

Mathews                                               Graham                              Graham                             Graham                                      Graham                         

YAX Lintel 21 D1                                  YAX Lintel 35 B3                YAX Lintel 35 B7              YAX Lintel 37 D2                       YAX Lintel 37 C5           

ya.<<chi+CHA’>:AJAW>.TE’               ya:AJAW:TE’                       ya.<AJAW:TE’>                <u:ya>.<AJAW:TE’>                  ya.<AJAW:TE’>             

 

·    K&H and JM list ajaw-te’ as a valid term as well, but I feel that it’s better listed as yajawte’ – “The Lord of the Spear” – the possessive is an intrinsic part of the term, as it provides the “of” for “Lord of the Spear”. TE’ can mean “wood” or “tree”. Some epigraphers translate yajaw te’ as “Lord of the Tree” but others read it as “Lord of the Spear”, with “wood” being a metaphor for a spear.

·    It can be thought of as “war-captain” – a single concept, and one can have u-yajawte’ <X>, which means “The War-Captain of <X>”.

·    Alex: This is a military title, but not as senior as Yajaw K’ahk’. It is not a ranking title, but a professional title.

·    AT-YT2021-lecture24.t0:26:21-27:00 – mentioned as one of the many titles in the “military” half (as opposed to the “administrative” half) of the ruling structure: Vassal of the Spear, presumably the spear of the king – these titles denote top commanders who may be credited with military victories. No glyphs shown for this title in this part of the lecture.