K1391 is an incised vessel from the Late Classic that depicts a portion of a myth in which the Maize God is rescued from a shark-like monster. This vessel is one of several vessels that depict a scene from this mythic episode (K0595, K1201, and K1742, to name a few); however, this is one of, if not the only, incised example.

The scene contains two individuals in canoes and two aquatic monsters. The two canoes each feature “water stacks” underneath them to show the aquatic nature of the scene. In the leftmost canoe is God I of the Palenque Triad (GI) (Figure 2). While he would appear to lack his signature traits of a curled pupil, a spondylus shell ear, and a large T-shaped tooth, he retains the large eye and waterbird headdress. While the type of waterbird in GI’s headdress can vary, this example is likely a heron based on the long neck and straight beak. In his raised hand, he holds an atlatl.

The second canoe holds the Maize God (Figure 2). While in my rollout tracing (Figure 1) the Maize God appears to be on the opposite side of the shark (Figure 4), it is important to remember that it is traced from a cylindrical object where the Maize God and his boat can be seen coming directly out of the shark’s open maw.

The first aquatic animal is the shark that frequently appears in these Maize God resurrection scenes. While here only the head and a small portion of the body appear, other examples, such as those on K0595 and K9152, show a fish-like tail and a form that is nearly identical to several XOOK ‘shark’ glyphs. These shark monsters can often be identified by a few specific traits that differentiate them from other similar monstrous creatures, even when only a portion of the shark is shown, like in the example here. The two primary features are an upper jaw that is much longer than the lower jaw, and jewelry/piercings attached to the shark monster’s nose.

The second animal, which Erik Boot proposes is a eel (2020:42), appears behind GI and in front of the Maize God. In the center of its body, there is a spear embedded, likely launched by the atlatl that GI holds. The presence of an eel in this scene is somewhat unusual; in the other scenes that depict this myth, the aquatic creatures are normally limited to just the shark monster and a few fish.

How exactly the Maize God ended up inside the shark eludes me, but the pursuit and defeat of this shark by GI and several other deities is the clear beginning to the myth that ends with his reemergence on the surface of the earth. The style of this example, as opposed to the more common painted vessels, shows that this myth was likely widespread throughout the Maya area, and not exclusive to any one kingdom or time period.

Sources
Justin Kerr photograph collection, Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University, Washington, DC.
Boot, Erik
2020 The Baah Kab“First of the World” of Comalcalco: On Two Incised, Stuccoed Vessels and a Name at Comalcalco, Tabasco, Mexico. Axis Mundi 15(2): 29-43.
Crim, Alexander
2026 Shark Hunters of the Horizon: Venus, Mercury, and the Rescue of the Maize God. Aztlander 6, no. 1 (2026): 14-16.
Stone, Andrea, and Marc Zender
2011 Reading Maya Art: A Hieroglyphic Guide to Ancient Maya Painting and Sculpture. Thames & Hudson.