Gaspar Antonio Chi

Gaspar Antonio Chi (* 1531 in Maní, † 1610 in Mérida ) was an indigenous Mayan chronicler.

Life

Gaspar Antonio was a son of Maya priest Ah Kin Chi or Chi Napuc and Ix Kukil Xiu, which belonged to the daughter of Ah Xiu Dzulub the dynasty of the Tutul Xiu. He was his mother's family very connected, so it also de Herrera also appeared under the name Xiu or after his godmother Beatriz de Herrera, the wife of Francisco de Montejo.

Trained by Spanish missionaries, he mastered addition Mayathan and Nahuatl excellent Spanish and Latin in speech and writing, which is why he often acted as an interpreter between the cultures of the Maya and the Spaniards. He was the royal interpreter of the Spanish government of Yucatan.

As an organist, master and teacher of the Spanish language and grammar, he taught in the chapel of Tizimín, where Spaniards as afterwards became the historian Pedro Sanchez de Aguilar were among his pupils.

Nachi Cocom In addition he was the most important Informationszuträger for Diego de Landa's work Relación de las cosas de Yucatán.

Works (selection)

• Arbol de la familia Genealogico Xiu
• Crónica de Maní
• Documentos de Tierras de Sotuta, 1600