Page "Naranjo" Paragraph 4

There was a sudden outburst of inscribed monuments in the reign of Aj Wosal Chan K ' inich ( AD 546 – 615 ) who acceded to the throne as a vassal of another Maya ‘ superpower ’ – Kanal ( Calakmul and Dzibanche ) – about the time when it expanded its political influence at the expense of Mutal.

However, within the next three generations of rulers, Saal did not prove to be a faithful vassal and was subject to attacks by Kanal and its major vassal, K ' antu ( Caracol ).

It seems that one of such attacks resulted in a complete interruption of the royal line of Naranjo about A. D. 680, what led to a re-foundation of the dynasty by Calakmul that orchestrated a marriage between a daughter of the ruler B ' alaj Chan K ' awiil at Dos Pilas ( at the time a client state of Calakmul whose rulers were claimants to the throne of Tikal ) and an unidentified nobleman, possibly of local Naranjo origin.

This woman from the Dos Pilas dynastic lineage — named as ( Ix ) Wak Chanil Ajaw, aka "( Lady ) Six Sky "— arrived in Naranjo on August 27th, 682 AD, to re-establish a regal ( royal ) dynastic line at Naranjo.

After her arrival Wak Chanil became a warlord that conquered several cities in the surrounding area.

One of the most important cities she conquered was Ucanal because her control over the city gave Naranjo more power to challenge Caracol to its east.

Comparing this to other Classic monumental depictions of female rulers, Wak Chanil is the only woman with power depicted on contemporaneous monuments.

She is depicted on stelas 24, 28, 29, and at least one more which is not as legible.

Because of her clear distinction and ties to Tikal and Dos Pilas lineages, Wak Chanil becomes an important example for understanding the role of women as mothers, wives, and rulers during the Late Classic.