The gods gave Manuel Jiménez a gift for words, which helped him become a Bankilal, an “eldest brother” of his community.
The gods gave Manuel Jiménez a gift for words, which helped him become a Bankilal, that is, an “elder brother” of his community. His communal service consists in intervening, on behalf of his people, with the spirits and the forces that protect the universe, but also in ensuring that the inherited customs and practices of the original Tsotsil forefathers and foremothers may endure.