A New Dynasty: Wak Chanil
The history of Saal is highly interesting in terms of several major disturbances in the dynastic rule when allegiances and identities of local kings were subject to change. Nothing is known about the Early Classic history of Naranjo. The sites of La Sufricaya and Holmul to the north of Naranjo were involved in the establishment of the new political order in Peten after the arrival of Siyaj K’ahk' in AD 378. It is plausible to assume that Naranjo might also be under the sway of Siyaj K'ahk's hegemony and later Mutal (Tikal) rulers. If there were any monuments from that time, they were destroyed and/or cached.
There was a sudden outburst of inscribed monuments in the reign of Aj Wosal Chan K'inich (AD 546–615) who acceded to the throne as a vassal of another Maya ‘superpower’ – Kanal (Calakmul and Dzibanche) – about the time when it expanded its political influence at the expense of Mutal. However, within the next three generations of rulers, Saal did not prove to be a faithful vassal and was subject to attacks by Kanal and its major vassal, K'antu' (Caracol). It seems that one of such attacks resulted in a complete interruption of the royal line of Naranjo about A.D. 680, what led to a re-foundation of the dynasty by Calakmul that orchestrated a marriage between a daughter of the ruler B'alaj Chan K'awiil at Dos Pilas (at the time a client state of Calakmul whose rulers were claimants to the throne of Tikal) and an unidentified nobleman, possibly of local Naranjo origin. This woman from the Dos Pilas dynastic lineage—named as (Ix) Wak Chanil Ajaw, aka "(Lady) Six Sky"—arrived in Naranjo on August 27th, 682 AD, to re-establish a regal (royal) dynastic line at Naranjo. After her arrival Wak Chanil became a warlord that conquered several cities in the surrounding area. One of the most important cities she conquered was Ucanal because her control over the city gave Naranjo more power to challenge Caracol to its east. Comparing this to other Classic monumental depictions of female rulers, Wak Chanil is the only woman with power depicted on contemporaneous monuments. She is depicted on stelas 24, 28, 29, and at least one more which is not as legible. Because of her clear distinction and ties to Tikal and Dos Pilas lineages, Wak Chanil becomes an important example for understanding the role of women as mothers, wives, and rulers during the Late Classic.
Wak Chanil is presumed to be the mother of the next-recorded Naranjo ruler, K'ak' Tiliw Chan Chaak who acceded in 693, although no known inscription explicitly establishes this relationship.
Located north of Structure A-21, stela 5 depicts an event with the young King in a frontal position facing to his right. In his left hand is a fan. To the left kneels a small figure that is facing upward towards K'ak' Tiliw Chan Chaak. Given that K'ak' Tiliw Chan Chaak was five years old when he acceded, it is most likely that his mother Lady Six Sky was de facto ruler of the Saal/Naranjo polity for some time, ruling in his name through the young king's childhood.
Another event is depicted from 699 on Stela 24, where Wak Chanil tramples a captive. Other pictures depict a woman in a full royal headdress, as her left arm is bent across her chest, seemingly holding one head of a serpent. The serpent lip flares up over her left should, and from its mouth a small deity emerges with the glyph for ‘yellow’ and ‘precious‘ in the headdress. The scrolls between her feet most likely represent snakes, one of whose heads lies above Wak Chanil shoulder. This depiction is typical in scenes wanting to depict the moon goddess. The jade-netted skirt and a belt are present containing floral/bone symbol. The jade skirt lays just above her knees shown by the curves of her legs. This skirt is the shortest known skirt on a female in the Maya areas. She was depicted as the moon goddess more than once. Also, imagery shows her as a K’alomte Balam: The most powerful Military Title of the Maya.
Wak Chanil died in 741, fifteen years after taking over Naranjo in her own right. Her death was recorded in hieroglyphics, on a bench, by her half brother’s son at Dos Pilas. It seems that at that time the kingdom reached the peak of its influence that extended from Lake Yaxha to Western Belize (west-east) and from Holmul to Ucanal (north-south). However, as the power of Calakmul waned, rulers of Saal had to confront a resurgent Mutal and that confrontation ended in a complete defeat of Saal in AD 744. However, Naranjo once again rose as major regional power in the last quarter of the eighth century AD. Eventually, the kingdom fell in the mid-ninth century AD. for reasons that are not yet understood
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