Yohl Ik'nal, Ix Yohl Ik'nal or Ol Ik'nal (ruled December 21, 583 - November 7, 604) was a female ruler of the Mayan city of Palenque, ruling from 583 to 604, during the Mesoamerican Classic Period. Her name means Heart of the Wind Place and she was the grandmother of K'inich Janaab' Pakal, Palenque's greatest king. She was a descendent of K'uk' B'alam I, the founder of the Palenque dynasty and she came to power within a year of the death of her predecessor Kan B'alam I. She was the first female ruler in recorded Maya history and was one of a very few female rulers known from Maya history to have borne a full royal title. She must have come to the throne due to extremely unusual circumstances, the details of which have not survived. She was the only woman to have ruled Palenque and was likely to have been either the sister or, more likely, the daughter of Kan B'alam, who had left no male heir.

During the reign of Ix Yohl Ik'nal, Palenque suffered an important defeat by Calakmul, one of the two great Maya powers of the Classic Period. The battle took place on 23 April 599 but Ix Yohl Ik'nal reigned for several years more and died in AD 604. After the defeat, Palenque apparently maintained its political identity but Ix Yohl Ik'nal probably had to pay tribute to the king of Calakmul. There are indications that either Ix Yohl Ik'nal or her successor successfully rebelled against Calakmul's dominance before 611.

Archaeologist Merle Greene Robertson has suggested that a vaulted tomb under Temple XX at Palenque is that of Queen Ix Yohl Ik'nal. She was considered important enough to be depicted twice on the sarcophagus of her grandson K'inich Janaab' Pakal and to be sculpted in stucco on the wall of his tomb.

Notes

1. Stuart & Stuart 2008, pp.139-142. Sharer & Traxler 2006, p.459.
2. Webster 2002, p.132.
3. Stuart & Stuart 2008, p.139. Drew 1999, p.264.
4. Stuart & Stuart 2008, p.139. Martin & Grube 2000, p.159. Drew 1999, p.264.
5. Stuart & Stuart 2008, p.139.
6. Stuart & Stuart 2008, p.238. Martin & Grube 2000, p.159.
7. Stuart & Stuart 2008, p.140.
8. Stuart & Stuart 2008, pp.140-142.
9. Stuart & Stuart 2008, p.142.
10. Stuart & Stuart 2008, p.144.
11. Stuart & Stuart 2008, pp.177, 180.

References

External links

• name glyph of Yohl Ik'nal