Ajaw Awilix

Ajaw Awilix is one of the great offices of the lords of the Nija'ib' lineage. Christenson (2007: 211n598) translates the name of the deity Awilix, after whom the Lord of the Great House of the Nija'ib' is named, as “you are watched over/cared for/commissioned.” He notes: "Throughout the text, the Quichés promise to watch over and care for their gods, providing them with offerings, sustenance, and worship (p. 290; lines 8344-8346, 8379-8388). Tedlock (1996: 297n152) suggests that it "may be derived from the Kekchi, kwilix/wilix, “swallow” (the bird) and reads the full name as Lord Swallow. More recently, Akkeren (personal communication) has suggested that the Nihaib lineage originally came from the Pico de Orizaba area, known anciently by its Nahua name Awilizapan. It is possible that Awilix, the patron deity of the Nihaib derived the name of their god from this region and its principle mountain which bore the same name." Carmack (1981: page 50) cites Edmondson (1965), claiming that Awilix is a shortening of "C'abawil Ixchel," and says, "[l]ike the Gulf Coast peoples the Quichés associated this goddess with the moon," implying that Awilix is female.

El lingüista k'iche' Sam Colop (2008: 141n286) observa que Edmundson (1965) "propone que awilix puede originarse de ix, 'jaguar', y que el nombre significaría 'Señor Jaguar'; D. Tedlock (1996: 297), sin embargo, argumenta que equivale a 'Señor Golondrina', derivado del término q'eqchi' kwilix y del chol wilis chan, 'golondrina'. En el diccionario q'eqchi' de Haserijn (1979) efectivamente está la palabra kwilix, 'golondrina'." Cabe notar que Colop no ofrece su propia interpretación del nombre.