K'utzmil

K'utzmil

The Ix Chel Nah, often considered to be the White Path holiest place
Etymology	island of swallows
Geography
Area	224 km2 (86 sq mi)
Highest elevation	30 m (100 ft)
Administration
Mutul
Yajawil	Ekab
Kuchkabal	K'utzmil
Capital and largest	Tanuh (pop. 30,000)
Demographics
Demonym	K'utzul
Population	45,000 (2019)
Pop. density	200 /km2 (500 /sq mi)
Ethnic groups	Xu people

K'utzmil is an island and Kuchkabal within the Yajawil of Ekab, Mutul. It is located within the Bay of Ekab and is close to the main urban centers of the Province, mainly Ekab, Labka, Ynaj...

The island is famous worldwide for its temple-complex, centered around the K'utz Ix Chel Nah, the "House of Lady Chel of the Colibris". The temple has been considered by White Pilgrims to be the most important pilgrimage destination of their faith, and so since at least the 12th century. The holy site receive more than 10 million visitors each year. After a period of unchecked real estate speculation in the 80s and 90s which led to the apparition of many gigantic hostels meant to lodge the pilgrims, but corruption scandals led to the island' Clergy to lobby extensively against further constructions. As a result, hostels and infrastructures for pilgrims sprang up all around the Bay of Ekab. Today, the island' economy remain centered around religious tourism.

Etymology

In Mutli, the glyphic name of the island is read as K'uzam lumil, "Earth/Land of the Swallows". Because of anApocope sometime between the second and fifth century AD, alongside other phonetical modifications, the name became in Xut'an Kuzamil sometime during the early Ilok'tab Dynasty and henceforth further changed into its current form.

Geography

The island is located within the Bay of Ekab, at the northernmost tip of the Mutul. It can be described as a 224 square kilometers slab of limestone which, if not for anthropic changes, would be covered in mangrove. It still present a karst topography with many cenotes and underground rivers. Most of these cenotes are inaccessible to the public outside of religious events, with temples and shrines sometime built on top of them (the Ix Chel Nah being the most famous case).

Climate

K'utzmil has Tropical savanna climate under the Köppen climate classification that closely borders on a tropical monsoon climate. The dry season is short but even there precipitation are observed. The wet season is lengthy, covering most of the months, with September and October being the wettest months, when precipitation averages over 240 millimeters and with occasional thunderstorms. Temperatures tend to remain stable with little variation from month to month though the temperatures are cooler from December to February with the coolest month averaging 22 °C. Owing to its proximity to the sea, the island is fairly humid.

History

Pre-modern

The history of K'utzmil before the Second Ytze Kingdom is mostly unknown. There is evidence that the island was already an important religious place for populations living around the Bay of Ekab, especially by women desiring fertility. After the arrival of the Ytze in northern Xuman, K'utzmil was one of the founders of the Ekad Federation to resist the new invaders. The Federation was ultimately defeated around 250 CE and forced to pay tribute to the Ytze Kingdom. K'utzmil prestige and political power was great enough that it was the island who led a resurected Federation in a rebellion against the Ytze in 320. Though ill-fated, K'utzmil and its clergy would continue to dominate Ekab politically.

Kukulkan of the K'uy Dynasty' invasion of Xuman in 443 was helped by a number of anti-Ytze uprisings. K'utzmil and the rest of Ekab were once again among the rebels. This campaign led to the complete collapse of the Ytze state and by 450, the entire Xuman peninsula was under K'uy control. After a pilgrimage by Kukulkan in 451 to the island, K'utzmil agreed to submit to Puh.

Under the K'uy Dynasty, the House of Chel grew immensely in power, with new branches appearing across all of the territories controlled by the Kawkoms, the local dynasty left in charge of Northern Xuman by the K'uy, with the title Jasaw Yajaw. They Chel notably used their positions to secure the Ekab - Yaxuna - Ekpan trade road, transporting goods and wares in both direction, as well as protecting pilgrims who wished to visit K'utzmil.

The Xiu Revolt of the late 9th century led to the quasi-extermination of the Kawkom family. While the Chel' mainline in K'utzmil remained neutral in the affair, the priest Mo Chel fled to Kanma where he founded his own Dynasty and became one of the leader of the anti-Xiu faction. This new branch became dedicated to Itzamna solar cult, and mark the beginning of a century long rivalry between the two pilgrimage destinations of Kanma and K'utzmil that continue to this day.

Economy

The island' economy is heavily dependent on the pilgrimage to the Temple of Ix Chel, mostly through services offered to the pilgrims. There are more than 200 restaurants on the island and many hotels, some of which run dive operations, have swimming pools, private docks, and multiple dining facilities.

Since new constructions have been banned from the island unless exceptional cases, most of the new facilities for pilgrims and tourists are built on the mainland. All food and manufactured supplies are shipped to the island. Water is provided by three different desalination facilities located on the island.