For other uses of this term, see Nicte (disambiguation).
The legend of Nicte-Ha is a narrative that explains the mythical origin of an aquatic plant of floating leaves and beautiful white flowers of delicate perfume, called Nicte-Ha, water flower (from Mayan nikte ', known in Spanish like "water sun" or nymph (Nimphaea broad-Salisbury), and it justifies the reason why the cardinal birds sing every morning at the foot of the lakes and cenotes where these flowers grow.
The legendFormerly he lived in Nan Chan Kaan, today Palenque, a prince named ChakTzitzib (of the chak ts'its'ib Maya. His father had decided to marry him with a princess from distant lands, but he was in love with the beautiful Nicte-Ha , the daughter of the guardian of the Sacred Cenote No one knew that the young people loved each other and that they met each night in the cenote.
One day the High Priest discovered them, and since he did not want Nicte-Ha to be the queen of Nan Chan Kaan, he planned to eliminate her. The prince's son-in-law sensed the minister's bad intentions and warned his master. Then ChakTzitzib sent his nana to fetch Nicte-Ha and marry in secret. But the cunning priest followed the babysitter and killed her.
The Prince, seeing that his nanny did not return, went in search of his beloved, who was waiting for him at the cenote. Seeing her, ChakTzitzib held her in his arms. However, the evil priest lurked hidden in the darkness and with his bow threw a poisoned arrow into the maiden's heart, causing it to fall to the cenote. The lifeless body of Nicte-Ha sank quickly. The prince, unable to contain his pain, wept bitterly and begged the gods to take him with her.
Upon seeing his sadness, the Lord of the Waters transformed Nicte-Ha into a beautiful water lily; and the Lord of the Birds turned ChakTzitzib into a gallant red bird. Since then, when the sun comes up, the cardinal descends to the ponds to sing to his beloved Niche-Ha. l descends to the ponds to sing to his beloved Nicte-Ha.
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