He may have never existed, but he was declared the national hero nearly 50 years ago and his legend lives on--in statues, on bank notes, in a poem by a Nobel laureate, and in countless souvenirs. The national bird of his country is said to have appeared at his death as he fought European invaders. Who is he?

Datsmeharse

Tecun Uman was declared the offical national hero of Guatemala in 1960; the quetzal, his spiritual guide, appeared at his death fighting the Spanish Conquistadors and bears a scarlet breast now that is said to be Tecun's blood. http://www.3833.com/node/1187 Miguel Ángel Asturias, the 1967 Nobel laureate, wrote the poem Tecun Uman. The Poem: http://mati.eas.asu.edu/Quetzal/Art/MigAngAst.html The Man: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_Asturias May 31 09, 9:30 PM

gtho4

Tecum Uman, Guatemala Tecum Umam was declared a National Hero of Guatemalan on March 22, 1960 and is the only figure to have earned that title. He is celebrated annually on February 20 and is memorialized by prominent statues in Guatemala City and Quetzaltenango. Tecum Umam's namesakes include a small town in the department of San Marcos on the Guatemala-Mexico border as well as countless hotels, restaurants, and Spanish schools throughout Guatemala. Nobel laureate Miguel Ángel Asturias memorialized the K'iche' hero in a poem that bears his name. Employing Asturias' characteristic use of themes borrowed from Guatemala's indigenous cultures and his unique style of magical realism, the poem finds the seeds of liberty in the person of Tecum Umam. The poem thus elegantly reflects the broader themes of Tecum Umam's heroic status as they are expressed through a national discourse that glorifies him as the common ancestor of all Guatemalans, the embodied fusion of Spanish and Maya. A bust of the K'iche' hero is also featured on the front of the most recent versions of Guatemala's 0.50 Quetzal bill. To the left of Tecum Umam is the Resplendent Quetzal for which the currency is named. This is the national bird of Guatemala as well as the nagual of Tecum Umam. The bird's bright red chest and the elegant tail feathers are both significant in the legend .. http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Tecum_Umam May 31 09, 9:31 PM

queproblema

Oh, my--you guys are quick! And accurate. Put a quetzal feather in your caps. May 31 09, 9:42 PM