B'alam Nehn
Ajaw of Copan
About B'alam Nehn
Lived 401 – 544.
Bʼalam Nahn was the seventh ruler of Copan after the reformation initiated by Kʼinich Yax Kʼukʼ Moʼ. His nicknames were Jaguar Mirror and Waterlily-Jaguar. Bʼalam Nehn (often referred to as Waterlily Jaguar) was the first king to actually record his position in the dynastic succession, declaring that he was seventh in line from Kʼinich Yax Kʼukʼ Moʼ. Stela 15 records that he was already ruling Copán by AD 504. Bʼalam Nehn is the only king of Copán to be mentioned in a hieroglyphic text from outside of the southeastern Maya region. His name appears in a text on Stela 16 from Caracol, a site in Belize. The stela dates to AD 534 but the text is not well understood. Bʼalam Nehn undertook major construction projects in the Acropolis, building over an early palace with a number of important structures.
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Important facts
Family & relationships
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped B'alam Nehn's
Frequently asked questions
Who was B'alam Nehn?
ajaw of Copan
When was B'alam Nehn born?
B'alam Nehn was born in 401.
When did B'alam Nehn die?
B'alam Nehn died in 544.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). B'alam Nehn. https://biography.guide/b-alam-nehn/
MLA: "B'alam Nehn." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/b-alam-nehn/.
Chicago: "B'alam Nehn." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/b-alam-nehn/.
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