Yajawil of Ekab
Yajawil of Ekab Yajawil Ekab | |
|---|---|
 Coat of arms
| |
| Motto: Faith in Our Mother | |
| Anthem: Victory at Dawn | |
 | |
| Capital and | Ekab City |
| Official languages | Mutli Etaan |
| Ethnic groups (2016) | Xumanec K'iche Ytze |
| Demonym(s) | Ekabites |
| Government | Absolute monarchy |
• Ekab Yajaw | K'ak Kiak Chib |
| Legislature | Ekab Ch'ob |
| Ekab Sajal Ch'ob | |
| Ekab Mam Ch'ob | |
| Province of the Mutul | |
| Area | |
• | 24,112 km2 (9,310 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2018 estimate | 750,000 |
• 2016 census | 749,755 |
• Density | 31.1/km2 (80.5/sq mi) |
Ekab, officialy the Yajawil Ekab, is a first-level administrative division in the Mutul located at the northernmost tip of the Xuman Peninsula. It’s divided into nine Kuchkabals and its eponymous capital.
Historically, Ekab was an independent federation of city-states along the coast of the Kayamuca Sea. Despite being called a “Kuchkabal” at the time by Mutuleses chroniclers, it was ruled by a council of all the Batabs (city-rulers) of the Federation and not by a single Halak Winik, but the Batabob of Kob’a at first, and then of K'utzmil Peten between the 11th and 12th century, held more influence than the others over the Federation. it was fully integrated into the Mutul during the 12th century, which is also when it was elevated to the rank of Yajawil or Duchy.
Inside the Mutul, Ekab is famed for the island of K'utzmil and its Temple to Ix Chel : the K'utzmil Ix Chel Nah, one of the major pilgrimage destination for the Sakbe faith, welcoming hundred of thousands of pilgrims each years. Outside of the Divine Kingdom, it’s known for being the location of the Battle of Ekab and where Nicholaus, Prince of Belfras, died during the Belfro-Mutulese war of 1911.
History
Mutulo-Belfrasian War of 1911
During the war, the Yajawil was the main theater of operation for both the Mutulese Army and the Belfrasian expeditionary force. It was the bloodiest front of the conflict for both sides. From the landing on Ekab’s beaches to the trench warfare that stalled the progress of the Belfrasians at the border with the Yajawil of Kupul, plus the following push-back of the invading forces, fightings were extremely intense and destroyed entire towns under the fire of artillery and early aviation. In regions that had been put under the “temporary jurisdiction” of the Belfrasian Military, episodes of harsh repressions took place against the civilian population. Despite order of “gentlemanly conducts”, there were numerous cases of vandalism caused by Belfrasians soldiers, sometime with the unofficial support of their officers, especially in the aftermath of the landing, with the Plunder of Ekab that started as a “revenge” against the Mutuleses for the disastrous landing, with massive act of pillaging and acts of humiliation against the few civilians who had chosen to stay, such as forced conversions. On the island of Kut'zmil, the Temple of Ix Chel, one of the most sacred location in the Divine Kingdom, was thoroughly looted and seriously damaged. Notably, the statue of the goddess was destroyed and replaced with a cross. Even long after their first landing, some groups of Belfrasians soldiers in towns like Ekab or Tulum performed what had been called “night patrols”, going from civilian house to civilian house to burn Sakbe religious texts and obtain forced conversions. While denounced as “un-gentlemanly” by the Belfrasian Military as a whole, it nonetheless had the support of parts of the officers corps as being perfect examples of the “crusader spirit” and a model of zeal to follow.
Despite the death of ten of thousands of Belfrasians soldiers and conscripts in Ekab, there is no Belfrasian cemetery in the Yajawil. All the bodies that had not been recovered during the war and brought back to Norumbia were lost or just never picked up by the Divine Throne. One of the most famous of these “Empty caskets” buried in Belfrasians cemeteries during or after the war was Nicholaus, Prince of Belfras and heir apparent of his father Philippos as Sovereign Prince of Belfras, who died on Saktun Beach during his service as an Army Tribunus. Saktun Beach was the second worst landing site, the Belfrasians having lost only more men per troops deployed at Kank’aknab’.
In total, both sides lost in total between 200,000 to 700,000 men in Ekab, depending on the estimates, in around a year.
Geography
Located to the northernmost point of the Xuman Peninsula and facing the Ajax-Kayamuca Sea, much of the Yajawil has a tropical savanna climate. Karstic soils make rivers especially rare, but lakes are common, notably further souths. The most notable sources of freshwaters, like in the rest of the Peninsula, are the cenotes, natural sinkholes resulting from the collapse of the limestone bedrock. The word come from their name in Etaan : Ts’onot.
It’s location, relatively close to equator, mean that it receive precipitations thourough the years, though June to October are the wetter months making it so the alternance of dry and rainy seasons remain sensible. Hurricanes can occasionally hit the coastal areas even if they are quite rare occurrences in this region of the Kayamuca Sea.
Government and politics
Government
Ekab is ruled by the Ekab Yajaw, nominated by the K’uhul Ajaw and confirmed in his functions by the Ekab Ch’ob. Executive and judicial powers over the Yajawil reside in him. The Ch’ob remain competent over the economic development of the province, with some inputs from the central government, the organization of public transports, the maintenance of regional roads and infrastructures, the local school system (from the construction of new schools to the recruitment of personnels and the gestion of the dormitories, etc...), the control of the environment, regional culture, sports…
The Superior Court of Ekab is last court of cassation before the Holy and Royal Court.
Kuchkabals
The Yajawil is divided into nine Kuchkabals, each headed by a Halak Winik. These are : Ekab, Labka, Ynaj, Nisuk, P’ole, K'utzmil, Zama-Tulum, Kob’a, and Xelja.
Demography
Language
The most widespread indigenous language is Etaan but 98% of the population is bilingual, having learned both Etaan and Mutli during their scholarship. Both are the official languages of the Yajawil. Because of its economic situation, there are also “migrants” from other parts of the Mutul who settled in the Yajawil, creating pockets of other Xumanec dialects.
Economy
Ekab is one of the more affluent Yajawils with many industries spanning chocolate production to clothing and electronic manufacturers. It is considered one of the “secondary doors to the Mutul”, less developed than the Chaac Muknal area and the east coast, but nonetheless remaining dynamic in face of regional competition.
Despite its lack of easily accessible water sources, there remain an important agricultural sector based around careful gestion of rain and groundwater. Man-made jungles typical of the Xuman Peninsula, the Pet Kot, surrounded by Milpas Fields at various stages of development, are a typical scene of the region and allow for the production of local chocolate, fruits, hardwood… corn is the main crop, followed by winter squashes and common beans. Cash crops include cocoa, chicle gum, rubber, and sugar cane. From the sea, salt and seafoods are two other important products for the region, both historically and nowadays.
Because of the geographic proximity with Belfras, Ekab is doomed to be a battlefield frontline, or at least close to the front, in case of an all-out-war between the Divine Kingdom and the Federation, as proven by the War of 1911. Hence, it received much less investment from the Divine Throne and developed much slower than other regions. The Divine Throne tried to reduce this gap by encouraging foreign investments, such as car or clothes manufacturers, alongside electronics and other light or heavy industries. Recently, efforts have been made to raise the number of foreign visitors through archeological, cultural, or eco-tourism initiatives. All of this combined allowed Ekab to regain in competitivity since the 80s.
Pilgrimages and tourism
A sizeable part of the economy, especially on the island of K'utzmil, is dedicated to offering services and products to the many pilgrims who come to the Yajawil every year. Their main destination is the K'utzmil Ix Chel Nah, the most famous temple to the moon goddess, patron of childbirth and medicine. Other important pilgrimage location in the region are the Temple of the Diving God in Zama.
K'utzmil Peten also pioneered in the area the principles of eco-tourisms, with the priesthood of the Ix Chel Temple lobbying for the creation of new protected areas and the expansion of natural reserves, as well as the preservation of the island’s mangroves, an example later followed to the north in Ynaj which became another important touristic destination with the opening of coastal hotels and resorts aimed entirely at foreign tourists.
Tourists and pilgrims are also offered the possibility to visit other important cultural sites from museums in Ekab City and other major towns to historical monuments from 1911 Memorials to thousand years old ruins that can be found all thourough the Yajawil. Ekab City has also become a “center for the arts” attracting a wide variety of artists from singers, dancers, painters or sculptors from all the Xuman Peninsula and beyond, attracted by the demand for art representations from both the Kazawil Priesthood and foreign tourists.
Culture
Food
Ekab share similar culinary traditions as other Xumanec provinces. These include soft corn flatbreads cooked with lettuce, tomato, turkey, and avocado, sometime fried and filled with black beans and topped with turkey or chicken, lettuce, avocado and pickled onions. Chili pepper accompany most dishes, either in solid or puréed form, along with fresh limes. Other example of typical Xumanec food include Lime Soup, Papak’sul, slowly-roasted chicken marinated in bitter oranges, and all kind of turkey stews.