Tecun Uman

Picture of Tecun Uman. (Yahoo Images.)

When I was six years old I was in Guatemala at my house with my grandma. She was a really kind person and she liked to tell me stories about when she was young and what happened to her. She told me how she never went to school because she was very poor and couldn't pay for school. She'd told me about when she met my grandpa and other stories. One day I asked my grandma for fifty cents to go buy some candy. When my grandma gave me the fifty cents, I noticed something interesting on the fifty cent bill. On the fifty cent bill I saw a Mayan guy and it really captured my attention.

I asked my grandma who was that on the fifty cent bill and she told me that it was a Mayan prince named, Tecun Uman, hero of the Mayan people. She said that Tecun Uman was a hero because he fought for freedom so all the Mayan people could live happy with their families and not be slaves. She said that Tecun Uman was the bravest Mayan hero that ever existed. She also said that my ancestors were Mayans so that means that I have Mayan blood running through my veins and that I should be proud that I'm a Mayan.

My grandma said that when Tecun Uman was born there was pretty bird called the Quetzal on a tree looking at the Mayan prince. Tecun Uman was the last prince of the Quiche, people in the highlands of what now is Guatemala. When Tecun Uman grew, he was a brave Mayan warrior and he was also a great Mayan prince for all of his people. The Quetzal was always looking after the Mayan prince. Tecun Uman never traveled alone because the Quetzal was with him all of the time. When Tecun Uman was in a battle against the Spanish conquistador Dom Pedro de Alvarado, the Quetzal was with him at all times. During the battle Tecun Uman lost against the Spanish Conquistador.

My grandma also said that when Tecun Uman was slain, the Quetzal also died of sadness and stained its breast with the Mayan hero's blood. From that day on, all male Quetzals bear scarlet breasts and their song has not been heard since. This battle happened in Quetzaltenango, also known as Xela, Guatemala's 2nd largest city. Tecun Uman is still remembered by Mayans today in numerous songs, plays, festivals, etc, as a national tragedy.

Tecun Uman is considered the most representative of his people for his bravery and dignity because he fought to protect his land and his people. He was declared Guatemala's official national hero on March 22, 1960 and is commemorated on February20, on the anniversary of his death. Tecun Uman is consideregoogle.com a hero because he fought against the Spanish, and he also die defending his land and his people from Dom Pedro de Alvarado. Dom Pedro de Alvarado wanted to stay with the Mayan’s land and Tecun Uman fought against him to defend his Mayan people and land. I consider Tecun Uman a hero because he fought for my people and our land, I’m a Mayan and I’m proud to be one of them, if Tecun Uman wouldn’t fought for us I wouldn’t be here writing this story about Tecun Uman a brave Mayan warrior that fought for freedom. Thanks to my grandma I know who Tecun Uman is and what he did for his Mayan people.