Sisimito I--Ox Witz Ha
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Snuk is the Kriol word for Snook, any fish of the genus Centropomus. Robaal is the Ke’kchi Maya name and Aj-no-chi, the Mopan Maya name.
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Peeniwali is the Kriol name for ‘firefly’.
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A’kl is Ke’kchi Maya for Trumprt Tree, Cecropia peltata L; also known as cho-otz (Mopan Maya), po-hór (Ke’kchi Maya), and guarumo (Spanish).
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Chiclero: Person who drains the milky juice of the sapodilla tree that is used in the manufacture of chewing gum.
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Anal is Mopan Maya for Psychotria tenuifolia Sw. other names are dog’s tongue, lengua de perro (Spanish). The female counterpart is ix-anal (Mopan Maya), Psychotria acuminate Benth.
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Amate is the Mopan Maya name for the ‘fig tree’,: Ficus maxima Mill, also known as higuero (Spanish).
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Cot is the Maya name for Leucopternis albicollis, also known as White Hawk and Aguililla
Blanca (Spanish).
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Jut-jut is the maya name for Momotus momota, also known as Blue-crowned Motmot,
Momoto Mayor (Spanish), toh and bukpic (Maya). Its soft hoot hoot call gives it it’s Maya name jut-jut and it’s Belizean name ‘good cook’.
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Slaty-tailed Trogon, Trogon massena, is also known as Trógon Colioscuro (Spanish).
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Keel-billed Toucan, Ramphastos sulfuratus, is also known as Tucán Piquiverde (Spanish) It is the National Bird of Belize.
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Great Curassow, Crax rubra, is also known as hocofaisán (Spanish), k’ambul and bolonchan (Maya).
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Yellow-jawed Tommygoff (Belize), Bothrops asper, is also known as fer-de- lance (Creole-French), barba amarilla and terciopelo (Spanish).
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Bocotora clapansaya (Belize), Spilotes pullatus mexicanus, is also known as Spotted Rat Snake or Black and Yellow Rat Snake, monkey snake, thunder-and-lightening snake (Belize), culebra mico (Spanish).
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Bukut (Mopan Maya), Cassia grandis L; also known as ‘stinking toe’ (Belize), carqué (Spanish).
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Chaparral (Spanish): A thicket (dense underbrush) of shrubby trees.
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Strangler is a jungle plant (fig or banyan) starting life as a vine on the branch of a host tree, then working its way down to ground level to root; in time, it grows woodier and thicker and may fully encompass the host tree, sometimes killing it.
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Guanacaste, Enterolobium cyclocarpum, is also known as monkey ear tree, tubroos and pich (Maya).
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Lean-to: A lean-to is a ‘lazy’ version of the tapesco. A leaning quadrangular frame is made, supported by two crotches only. The other two adjacent corners are on the ground. Cohune (Kuhoon in Kriol) fronds are laid across the frame for protection and one sleeps underneath.
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Chacah and cha-ka (Mopan Maya), Bursera simaruba (L.) Sarg, is the gumbolimbo tree, also known as birch bark, naked indian, tourist tree, broton and indio desnudo (Spanish).
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Hamadili is Kriol for ‘armadillo’. There are two species in Belize, the Northern Naked-tailed Armadillo, Cabassous centralis, and the Nine-banded Armadillo, Dasypus novemcinctus.
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Conk is the wood-eating tree fungus found projecting from the trunks of some trees.
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Cloud forest is a wet, mountain forest or jungle frequently shrouded in mist and found at higher elevations.
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Bosky means thickly treed or shrubbed.
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Give-and-take (Kriol), Crysophilia stauracantha (Heynhold) R. Evans, is also known as mis (Mopan Maya) and escoba (Spanish for ‘broom’). The Kriol name, ‘give-and-take’, refers to the fact that the spines on this palm can give a very bad stinging cut, but other portions of the plant provide a remedy that takes away bleeding, infection, and pain.
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Mis is the Mopan Maya name for the Give-and-take (Kriol) plant, Crysophilia stauracantha (Heynhold) R. Evans, also known as escoba (Spanish for ‘broom’). The Kriol name, ‘give-and-take’, refers to the fact that the spines on this palm can give a very bad stinging cut, but other portions of the plant provide a remedy that takes away bleeding, infection, and pain.
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Deadfall is a jumble of fallen trees and branches.
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Covert is an area of thick growth that offers a hiding place or shelter for animals.
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Thicket is dense underbrush.
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Scrubland is an area of low or stunted trees and shrubs.
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Clearcut: It was the practice of some lumber companies to cut down all or almost all of the trees in a given area leaving a barren landscape, a clearcut.
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Glade is a grassy, open space in a forest.
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Pumpu’ is Mopan Maya for the ‘blow fly’, a family of insects in the order Diptera.
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Haul-am-back is the local Belize name for a strong vine that has its prickles running backwards. As one passes, it hooks into the cloths or flesh of the passerby pulling them backwards.
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Adaptation of the American Folk Hymn Lonesome Valley 8 8 108; Harmonized by Richard Proulx b 1937 © 1975 GIA Publications Inc.
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Headlight: A hunting light attached to a headband and worn on the forehead. A wire leads to the power source, a battery often carried in a pocket at the waist.
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Nightwalker, Potos flavus, is the local name for a nocturnal creature, the kinkajou. It is a rainforest mammal of the family Procyonidae related to olingos, coatis, raccoons, and the ringtail and cacomistle.
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From the poem Requiem by Robert Louis Stevenson.
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Mountain cow is the local Belize name for the tapir, Tapirus bairdii. The name tapir comes from the Brazilian Indian word tapir which means ‘thick’ and refers to the animal’s hide. They may weigh as much as 500 pounds. The mountain cow is the National Animal of Belize. The Maya name is t’ix.
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Po’m and sak-pom are the Maya names for the copal tree, Protium copal (Schlecht. & Cham.) Engler, also known as ‘incense tree’. This is one of the sacred trees of the ancient Maya who used the resin, pom, for ceremonial incense in prayer and to ward off witchcraft, evil spirits and the “evil eye”. The “evil eye” is a gazethat is believed to be able to cause harm.
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Kechelaj Komon refers to all the Jungle Folk (Creatures) in the Sisimito Series.
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Pikaado is Kriol for ‘picado’ (Spanish meaning ‘chopped’), a very narrow and rough path or trail for non-vehicular traffic.
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Tzultacab is the Maya deity that protects people from wild animals. In the Toledo District, Belize, forest areas have decreased over the years because of agricultural development, and the Ke’kchi believe that Tzultacab has taken Sisimito into the densly jungled areas remaining; so, he is rarely seen today. The Maya name for Sisimito is Mahanamatz.
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From the poem The Lonely Soldier by Dr. Henry W. Anderson.
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Gwaava is Kriol for ‘guava’, Psidium guajava L, is also known as guayaba (Spanish), pici, pi-chi, and pu-tá (Mopan Maya), and pa-tá-h (Ke’kchi Maya).
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Tambran is Kriol for ‘tamarind’, Tamarindus indica L; also known as tamarindo (Spanish).
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Maami is Kriol for ‘mammee’, Mamey sapote (Pouteria sapota), also known as sapote (Spanish), mamey, and mammy apple
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Kalbash and kalbash chree are Krio
l words for calabash, Cresentia cujete L., also known as hom, lek, luch (Maya), calabaza (Spanish), and ‘gourd tree’. Traditionally, the central pulp and seeds of the fruit are removed, leaving a woody, watertight shell which is used in making ornaments, household utensils, and maracas. The ancient Maya used elaborately decorated gourds to store food and water. Half gourds are often used as dippers and for drinking.
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Howler monkey, Aloriatta nigra, is also known as the Black Howler Monkey. The Maya name is batz.
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Belizeans refer to the Black Howler Monkey, Alouatta pigra, as a ‘baboon’.
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Taken from Simple Spells for Love.
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Taken from Simple Spells for Love.
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Oabya is Kriol for ‘obeah’. Obeah (sometimes spelled Obi or Obia) is a term used by the Igbo tribe in Nigeria and in the West Indies to refer to sorcery and religious practices developed among enslaved West Africans of Igbo origin. Obeah is similar to other Afro-American religions such as Palo, Haitian Vodou, Santería, and Hoodoo. Obeah is practiced in The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, The Virgin Islands, Caribbean nations, and predominantly by the Igbo people of Nigeria. Obeah is associated with both benign and malignant magic and with charms, luck, and with mysticism in general. In some Caribbean nations, Obeah refers to folk religions of the African diaspora. In some cases, aspects of these folk religions have survived through syncretism with Christian symbolism and practice introduced by European colonials and slave owners. Casual observation may conclude that Christian symbolism is incorporated into Obeah worship, but in fact may represent clandestine worship and religious protest.
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Taiga maaga but ih kaka tarry is a Kriol proverb that can be interpreted as ‘A tiger may be lean, but he is strong’ or ‘Don’t be fooled by a person’s seeming insignificance’. The literal meaning is ‘The tiger is meager but its shit is sticky’.
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Ula’nem is Maya for ‘fiesta, celebration, banquet’.
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Great Black Hawk, Buteogallus urubitinga, is also known as Aguililla Negra (Spanish).
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Oc is Maya for the King Vulture, Sarcoramphus papa, also known as Carroñero Rey and Zopiloto Rey.(Spanish). In Kriol, it is known as King Jranko.
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Kos is Maya for the Laughing Falcon, Herpetotheres cachinnans, also known as,
Halcón Guaco (Spanish).
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Royal Flycatcher, Onychorhynchus coronatus, is also known as Mosquero Real (Spanish).
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Ringed Kingfisher, Ceryle torquata, is also known as Martín Pescador Grande (Spanish).
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Green Kingfisher, Chloroceryle americana, is also known as Martín Pescador Menor (Spanish).
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Black Spider Monkey, Ateles geoffroyi, is regarded as the most intelligent of New World monkeys. They have long limbs and a prehensile tail. K’oy is the Maya name.
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Buttonwood, Piper amalago L, is also known as Spanish Elder and cordonsillo (Spanish).
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Ts’unu’un is the general Maya name for hummingbirds.
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Purple-crowned Fairy, Heliothryx barroti, is a hummingbird and is also known as, Chupaflor Emmascarado (Spanish).
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Balché is a fermented intoxicating beverage used by the Maya for ceremonial occasions. It is made from the Lonchocarpus longistylus bark.
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Ceiba (Spanish) tree, Ceiba pentandra, is also known as cotton tree, kapok, katn chree (Kriol), and yaxché (Maya). This tree holds much importance in Belizean folklore and is held in rever- ence by the Maya, especially as the hiding place for Xtabai. The tree is considered holy and the earth at its roots is believed to be alive and always moist. Long ago, men planted this tree at the center of the village to show that it was the center of life and of the world. It served to protect all people and bring them peace and was the location of festivals and marriage celebrations. The ceiba tree may have a crown diameter of 140 feet and the tree may be 170 feet tall. The trunk can be imposing, eight feet or more in diameter with buttresses ten feet high. Taken from Characters & Caricatures in Belizean Folklore.
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Xhom-bzan (Maya), Psarocolius montezuma; is also known as Yellowtail (Belize), Montezuma Oropendola and zacua mayor (Spanish).
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Taken from The Life of Birds.
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Xan-cotí, Thryothorus maculipectus, is also known as the Spot-breasted Wren, and as Troglodita Pechimanchada (Spanish). A Belizean name is Katy-Katy-yu-baby-di-cry which is the wren’s beautiful song. It is sung antiphonally, or in a ‘duet’. Male and female birds each sing their own part so well that it sounds as if only one bird is singing.
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Ki-bix is Mopan Maya for the ‘cowfoot vine’, Bauhinia herrerae (Brit. & Rose) Standl. & Steyerm. It is also known as pata de vaca (Spanish).
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Chin-chin-pol-ojo (Mopan Maya), Phyllanthus liebmannianus Muell. Arg, is also
known as ‘baby’s tears’.
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Calaloo is Kriol for Amaranth, Amaranthus dubius Mart. ex Thell, also known as pig weed, and quelite (Spanish).
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Eremuil (Mopan Maya) is Wild coffee, Malmea depressa (Baillon) R. E. Fries. It is also known as suprecayo (Spanish).
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Wild sage is Lantana camara L.
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Toom-pa’ap or pa-al (Mopan Maya), Solanum rudepannum Dunal is also known as susumba (Spanish). It is used as a bath for burns or infections of the skin, and a tea for coughs and flu. Snake doctors treat snakebite victims with a poultice made from mashed root and a hot bath made with a leaf decotion. It can also be used to treat athlete’s foot and mouth thrush.
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Pyaa is Kriol for ‘avocado’, Persea gratissima, also known as aguacate (Spanish), and on (Mopan Maya).
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Mengo is Kriol for ‘mango’, Mangifera indica (hayden in Kriol).
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Papaaya, (pawpaw, papaa, pupa), is Kriol for papaya, Papaya carica. The Mopan Maya word is put.
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Sweetsap is Kriol for ‘sweetsop’, Anona squamosa, and is closely related to the soursop, Annona muricate, and custard apple, Annona reticulata L, trees.
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Sowasap is Kriol for ‘soursop’, Annona muricate, and is also known as guanabana (Spanish), and annona.
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Sak-ya is the Maya name for ‘sapodilla’, Manilkara zapota. It is also known as sapote, chicozapote, and zapote (Spanish), sapadilli and cheekleh (Kriol), chicle and sapadilla,
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Box-haaz is Mopan Maya for ‘banana’, Musa acuminata Colla, also known as guineo (Spanish).
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Cacao, Theobroma cacao, from which chocolate is made, was usewd to make a ceremonial drink and was an important source of fat for the Maya. A grease resembling butter was also extracted from it and used to make another type of drink. The Maya word for cacoa is kakaw.
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Xelaju Moon. Quetzaltenango, also commonly known by its indige-nous name, Xelajú, or more commonly, Xela, is the second largest city of Guatemala. It is both the capital of Quetzaltenango Department and the municipal seat of Quetzaltenango municipality.
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Tata Duende is one of Belize’s most infamous folklore characters. He gets his name from Tata, the Maya title for “old man” or “grandfather,” and Duende, Spanish for “dwarf.” Later in the Sisimito Series, Tata Duende is called Tata Ponopik. For more information, see Appendix.