Fray Francisco Maldonado (1571 – c. 1640) was a Guatemalan Franciscan linguist and historian. Little is known of him, but he was a prolific writer and joined the Franciscan order in 1605. [1] His ranch seems to have been a notable gathering place for scholars of the times in Mayan linguistics which people would stop off at. [2] [3] The Ramillete manual para los indios sobre la doctrina cristiana is a copy of an original manuscript written by Maldonado, containing important information about the customs of the Quiché peoples at the time of the Spanish invasion. [1] In 1616, Maldonado dedicated his Cakchiquel Explicado Fidei to priest and lexicographer Padre Varea, [4] and also authored Santoral in 1622. [5]