Yohl Ik'nal

Yohl Ikʻnal (Mayan pronunciation: [johl ikʼnal]), also known as Lady Kan Ik and Lady K'anal Ik'nal, (died November 4, 604) was queen of the Maya city-state of Palenque. She acceded to the throne on December 23, 583 and ruled until her death.

Family

Yohl Ikʻnal was a grandmother or great-grandmother of K'inich Janaab Pakal I, Palenqueʻs greatest king. She was a descendent of K'uk' Bahlam I, the founder of the Palenque dynasty and she came to power within a year of the death of her predecessor, Kan Bahlam I.

She was the first female ruler in recorded Maya history and was one of a very few female rulers known from Maya history to have borne a full royal title. She must have come to the throne due to extremely unusual circumstances, the details of which have not survived. She was the one of two woman to have ruled Palenque, second was her daughter or granddaughter Sak K'uk' and was likely to have been either the sister or, more likely, the daughter of Kan Bahlam, who left no male heir. Her husband or her son was Janahb Pakal.