List of kings of Copán

Altar Q, erected by King Yax Pac in 776 AD. The 16 kings of Copan, beginning with Yax Kuk Mo in 426 AD., is portrayed each in chronological order. Each king is seated on a version of his particular name glyph.

This is a list of the kings of the ancient Maya city-state Copán (current western Honduras). The list only includes kings after 426 when K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo' reformed Copán.[1]

Copán was ruled by the Yax Kuk Mo dynasty, installed in 426, by Teotihuacan influence and support of the king Sihyaj Chan K'awiil II of Tikal, ruled between the 5th and 9th century. The architectural works (buildings, pyramids, statues, temples, altars and sports centers) built in Copán during the government of the Yax K'uk Mo' dynasty are preserved today, being accessible to the general public. Yax Kuk Mo means First Quetzal Macaw.

Name (or nickname) Ruled Image Dynastic
succession no.
Alternative Names
K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo' 426 - c. 437 1 Great-Sun First Quetzal Macaw
K'inich Popol Hol c. 437 2 Great-Sun
name unknown c. 455 3 Ruler 3
Ku Ix c. 465 4 K'altuun Hix, Tuun K'ab' Hix
name unknown c. 476 5 Ruler 5
Muyal Jol c. 485 6 Ruler 6
B'alam Nehn 504–544 7 Jaguar Mirror; Waterlily-Jaguar
Wil Ohl K'inich 532–551 8 Ruler 8; Head on Earth
Sak-Lu 551–553 9 Ruler 9
Tzi-B'alam 553–578 10 Moon Jaguar
K'ak' Chan Yopaat 578–628 11 B'utz' Chan; Smoke Serpent
Chan Imix K'awiil 628–695 12 Smoke Jaguar
Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil 695–738 13 18 Rabbit
K'ak' Joplaj Chan K'awiil 738–749 14 Smoke Monkey
K'ak' Yipyaj Chan K'awiil 749–763 15 Smoke Shell; Smoke Squirrel
Yax Pasaj Chan Yopaat 763–after 810 16 Yax Pac
Ukit Took 822 17?

Copán was completely abandoned around the year 827 AD.

Notes

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  1. ^ This list is compiled from the Copán kings list in Sharer and Traxler 2006, pp. 336-8 and Martin & Grube 2000, pp. 190-213.

References

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  • Martin, Simon; Nikolai Grube (2000). Chronicle of the Maya Kings and Queens: Deciphering the Dynasties of the Ancient Maya. London and New York: Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-05103-8. OCLC 47358325.
  • Sharer, Robert J.; Loa P. Traxler (2006). The Ancient Maya (6th (fully revised) ed.). Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-4817-9. OCLC 57577446.