The Rabinal Achí is a dynastic Maya drama that developed in the fifteenth century and is an exceptionally preserved and ancient example of pre-Hispanic traditions. It includes myths of origin and addresses popular and political subjects concerning the residents of the region of Rabinal and is performed by masking dancers on Saint Paul's day, 25 January. The dance has been part of the Mayan calendar since colonization in the sixteenth century. Even though Rabinal Achí was around since the 16th century, it was not written down until much later. It was originally written in Achi by an anonymous author, but Charles-Étienne Brasseur de Bourbourg, a French clergyman, translated the text into French in 1856 from an Achi narration that his colleague Bartolo Sis had given him six years earlier. Bartolo Sis had recorded the dialogue of the performance six years before. After the Spanish conquest and introduction of a new culture, many pre-Columbian documents were lost, but this text has survived.
The story was told by the characters in song and dance. These characters represent different Maya communities and villages, and this story covers a variety of topics, including the Mayan nobility and diplomacy, battles between cities, and a feud between Rabinaleb and K'iche'. The song is divided into four acts, with each one focusing on a conflict between two major political entities in the region. Two princes, the Rabinal Achí and the K’iche Achí are the main characters in the story. The other characters in the story are the king of Rabinaleb, Job'Toj, and his servant, Achij Mun Achij Mun Ixoq Mun, who both resemble a man and a woman, Uchuch Q'uq' Uchuch Raxon, their green-feathered mother, and thirteen eagles and thirteen jaguars who represent the warriors of the fortress of Kajyub’. K’iche’ Ach is then captured by a Maya priest and put on trial for attempting to steal the children of Rabinaleb. By participating in a dance, one enters into "contact" with the dead, which are represented by masks, the Rajawales. Taking part in the dance represents remembering their ancestors, but it is also a vision of the future as one day they will join their ancestors.
The ravages of conflict in the Rabinal and K’iche regions have almost led to the disappearance of this dance. Today, it is especially threatened by the precarious economic condition of the custodians and the community. It is also threatened by trivialization and folklorization, which are detrimental to the transmission of knowledge and values associated with the performance of this drama tradition. Despite this, the Rabinal Achí is still performed every year in Rabinal on January 25. Local brotherhoods, of which Bartolo Sis was a part, are responsible for executing this ceremony. This activity is a way for people throughout the community to stay in contact with their ancestors and to participate in their celebrations.
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