l," etc. All these are derived from the
word _pop_, mat; from the mats on which the councillors sat during their
deliberations.

Personages of the highest rank, of the "blood royal," combined these
titles. They were _ahau ahpop_, "lords of the council." Uniting the
latter title to the family names of the ruling house, the chief ruler
was known as _Ahpo' Zotzil_, and the second in rank and heir-apparent,
as _Ahpo' Xahil_. The oldest son of the former bore the title
_Ahpop-[c]amahay_, which is translated by the best authorities
"messenger of the council," and ordinarily was applied to an official
who communicated the decisions of the councils of one village to that
of another.[37-1] Another title, mentioned by Xahila, is _ahpop-achi_,
the last word means man, _vir_.

A third article, which distinguished the higher classes, was the seat or
stool on which they sat during solemn ceremonies. This was called
_[t]aalibal_, an instrumental noun from the verb _[t]al_, to be visible
or prominent, persons so seated being elevated above, and thus
distinguished from others, from this the verbal form, _[t]alel_, was
derived, meaning "he who is prominent," etc., or, more freely,
"illustrious," "distinguished."[37-2] The title _ahpop [t]alel_ meant,
therefore, originally "he who is entitled to a mat and a stool," that
is, in the council chamber of his town.

Another official connected with the council was the orator appointed to
bring before it the business of the day. His title was _ah uchan_, from
_ucheex_, to speak, and it is translated by Spanish writers, the
"rhetorician, orator."[37-3] A similar personage, the _ah tzih vinak_,
"the man of words,"[37-4] was in attendance on the king, and,
apparently, was the official mouth-piece of the royal will. Still a
third, known as the _lol-may_, which apparently means "silence-breaker,"
was, according to the dictionaries, "an envoy dispatched by the rulers
to transact business or to collect tributes."[38-1]

Very nearly or quite the same organization prevailed in the courts of
Quiche and Atitlan. The chiefs of the latter province forwarded, in
1571, a petition to Philip II, in which they gave some interesting
particulars of their former government. They say: "The supreme ruler was
called _Atziquinihai_, and the chiefs who shared the authority with him,
_Amac Tzutuhil_. These latter were sovereigns, and acknowledged no
superiors.... The sovereign, or king, did not recognize any authority