Tikal, notably conservative in culture among its peer polities, maintains that tendency in the case of monumental texts. In this dissertation I draw on a corpus of Late Classic monuments (ca. AD 600-900) to argue, through analysis of morphological forms, that scribal tradition at Tikal was not only conservative but intentionally so. Literacy studies demonstrate that the creation of a restricted literate class within society relies upon enforcement of dominant social norms through strict institutional organization. Among the Classic Maya, the prestige of an Eastern Ch'olan variety in writing throughout a broad geographic area speaks to a clear cultural hierarchy upheld by such elite activities. Within Tikal, however, the affinity for that early-established language holds even stronger than elsewhere, as scribes actively maintained the use of ever more archaic grammatical forms in service of the historical narrative genre tradition. Examples of the genre analyzed in this dissertation adhere to clear norms in genre composition and preserve morphological phenomena that otherwise would have changed naturally over time. These observations point to scribal practices that discouraged innovation or outside influence in favor of canonized tradition. Combined with the temporal distribution of monumental dedications soon after changes in rulership, Tikal's privileging of traditional forms seems to be a tool of legitimization for its ruling class, consciously evoking earlier eras like that of dynastic founder Yax Ehb Xook. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]