Wat'ul Chatel was a king

Maya rulers

Mayan kings were the centers of power for Mayan civilization. Each Mayan city-state was controlled by a dynasty of kings, who collectively drove the empire forward.-Symbols of power:...

 of Seibal

Seibal

Seibal, known as El Ceibal in Spanish, is a Classic Period archaeological site of the Maya civilization located in the northern Petén Department of Guatemala. It was the largest city in the Pasión River region....

, the Mayan city. He is also known as Aj B'olon Haab'tal.

Biography

Seibal's refounding took place in AD 830 when Wat'ul Chatel became a king, as a vassal of Chan Ek' Hopet of Ucanal

Ucanal

Ucanal is an archaeological site of the ancient Maya civilization. It is located in the Petén department of northern Guatemala.-Location:Ucanal is located inside a bend of the Mopan River. It is accessed via the highway from Flores to Melchor de Mencos, and is near to the village of Tikalito...

. The new king dedicated a new building and stelae in 849, overseen by Jewel K'awil, the king of Tikal

Tikal

Tikal is one of the largest archaeological sites and urban centres of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. It is located in the archaeological region of the Petén Basin in what is now northern Guatemala...

, and Chan Pet, king of Calakmul

Calakmul

Calakmul is a Maya archaeological site in the Mexican state of Campeche, deep in the jungles of the greater Petén Basin region. It is from the Guatemalan border. Calakmul was one of the largest and most powerful ancient cities ever uncovered in the Maya lowlands...

. Wat'ul Chatel built an innovative new temple-stelae arrangement to the south of the Central Plaza of Group A.

His last monument was erected in 889, almost 60 years after his accession.

Depictions

On Stela 8 Wat'ul Chatel wears jaguar claws on his hands and feet, together with other attributes of the Bearded Jaguar God.

Stela 9 depicts Wat'ul Chatel with the attributes of the Maize God

Maya maize god

Like other Mesoamerican peoples, the traditional Mayas recognize in their staple crop, the maize, a vital force with which they strongly identify. This is clearly shown by their mythological traditions. According to the 16th-century Popol Vuh, the Hero Twins have maize plants for alter egos and man...

 and describes him invoking the Vision Serpent

Vision Serpent

The Vision Serpent is an important creature in Pre-Columbian Maya mythology, although the term itself is now slowly becoming outdated.The serpent was a very important social and religious symbol, revered by the Maya. Maya mythology describes serpents as being the vehicles by which celestial bodies,...

, which he grasps in his hands.

Stela 10 depicts Wat'ul Chatel dressed in Terminal Classic Maya style, although his foreign-looking face bears a moustache. The text on this stela displays the glyphs of Tikal, Calakmul and Motul de San José, describing how he received noble visitors from those cities.

Stela 11 describes the refounding of Seibal on 14 March 830 and the installation of Wat'ul Chatel.