From these facts it is evident that the assignment of the dominical days
to their respective cardinal points has not as yet been satisfactorily
determined, but that the tendency at the present day is to follow
Landa's simple statement rather than Cogulludo and Perez. This is
caused, I presume, in part, by the fact that certain colors--yellow,
red, white, and black--were also referred to the cardinal points, and
because it is supposed that among the Maya nations yellow was
appropriated to Kan, red to Muluc, white to Ix, and black to Cauac; and
as the first appears to be more appropriate to the south, red to the
east or sunrise, white to the north or region of snow, and black to the
west or sunset, therefore this is the correct assignment.
But there is nothing given to show that this was the reason for the
selection or reference of these colors by the inhabitants of Central
America.
This brings another factor into the discussion and widens the field of
our investigation; and as but little, save the terms applied to or
connected with the dominical days, is to be found in regard to the Maya
custom in this respect, we are forced to refer to the Mexican custom as
the next best evidence. But it is proper to state first that the chief,
and, so far as I am aware, the only, authority for the reference of the
colors named to the four Maya days, is found in the names applied to
them by Landa.[24]
According to this writer, the other names applied to the _Bacab_ of Kan,
were _Hobnil_, _Kanil-Bacab_, _Kan-Pauahtun_, and _Kan-Xib-Chac;_ to
that of Muluc, _Canzienal_, _Chacal-Bacab_, _Chac-Pauahtun_, and
_Chac-Xib-Chac;_ to that of Ix, _Zac-Ziui_, _Zacal-Bacab_,
_Zac-Pauahtun_, and _Zac-Xib-Chac;_ and to that of Cauac, _Hozen-Ek_,
_Ekel-Bacab_, _Ek-Pauahtun_, and _Ek-Xib-Chac_. As _Kan_ or _Kanil_ of
the first signifies _yellow_, _Chac_ or _Chacal_ of the second signifies
_red_, _Zac_ or _Zacal_, of the third _white_, and _Ek_ or _Ekel_, of
the fourth _black_, it has been assumed, and, I think, correctly, that
these colors were usually referred to these days, or rather to the
cardinal points indicated, respectively, by these day symbols. If there
is any other authority for this conclusion in the works of the earlier
writers, I have so far been unable to find it.
If the figures in our plate are properly and distinctly colored in the
original Codex Cortesianus, this might form one aid in settling this
point, but, as we shall hereafter see, the colors really afford very
little assistance, as they are varied for different purposes.
Rosny gives us no information on this point, hence our discussion must
proceed without this knowledge, as we have no opportunity of referring
to the original. I may remark that it is the opinion of the artist, Mr.
Holmes, from an inspection of the photograph, that the plate was at
least partially colored.
M. de Charencey, who has studied with much care the custom of
identifying colors with the cardinal points in both the New and Old
World, believes that in Mexico and Central America the original system
was to refer yellow to the east, black to the north, white to the west,
and red to the south.[25]
When we turn to the Mexican system we find the data greatly increased,
but, unfortunately, the difficulties and confusion are increased in like
proportion. Here we have not only the four dominical days and the four
colors, but also the four ages, four elements, and four seasons, all
bearing some relation in this system to the four cardinal points. It
will be necessary, therefore, for us to carry along with us these
several ideas in our attempt to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion on
this complicated and mystified subject.
Before referring to the codices I will present the conclusions of the
principal authorities who have devoted any attention to this question.
Sahagun says, "The names that they gave to the four parts of the earth
are these: Vitzlampa, the south; Tlapcopcopa, the east; Mictlampa, the
north; Coatlampa, the west. The names of the figures dedicated to these
parts are these: Tochtli, the rabbit, was dedicated to Vitzlampi, the
south; Acatl, the cane, to the east; Tecpatl, the flint, to the north;
Calli, the house, to the west; * * * * and at the end of fifty-two years
the count came back to _Cetochtliacatl_, which is the figure of the
reed, dedicated to the east, which they called _Tlapcopcopa_ and
_Tlavilcopa_, nearly towards the fire or the sun. Tecpatl, which is the
figure of a flint, was dedicated to Mictlampa, nearly towards hell,
because they believed that the dead went towards the north. For which
reason, in the superstition which represented the dead as covered with
mantas (cloths) and their bodies bound, they made them sit with their
faces turned toward the north, or Mictlampa. The fourth figure was the
house, and was dedicated to the west, which they called Cioatlampa,
which is nearly toward the house of the women, for they held the opinion
that the dead women, who are goddesses, live in the west, and that the
dead men, who are in the house of the sun, guide him from the east with
rejoicings every day, until they arrive at midday, and that the defunct
women, whom they regard as goddesses, and call Cioapipiltin, come out
from the west to receive him at midday and carry him with rejoicing to
the west."[26]
Veytia's statement in regard to the same subject is as follows:
"The symbols, then, which were used in the aforesaid monarchies for the
numeration of their years were these four: Tecpatl, that signifies
flint; Calli, the house; Tochtli, the rabbit; and Acatl, the reed. * * *
The material signification of the names are those just given, but the
allegories that they wished to set forth by them are the four elements,
which they understood to be the origin of all composite matter, and into
which all things could be resolved.
"They gave to fire the first place, as the most noble of all, and
symbolized it by the flint. * * * By the hieroglyphic of 'the house'
they represent the element earth, and gave it the second place in their
initial characters.
"By the rabbit they symbolized the air, * * * and represented it in
various ways, among which was the sign of the holy cross. * * *
"Finally the fourth initial character, which is the reed, which is the
proper meaning of the word Acatl, is the hieroglyphic of the element
water."[27]
At page 48: "It is to be noted that most of the old calendars--those of
the cycles as well as those of years and months, which they used to form
in circles and squares, ran from the right to the left, in the way the
orientals write and not as we are accustomed to form such figures.
* * * But they did not maintain this order in the figures that they
painted and used as hieroglyphics in them, but placed them some looking
to one side and some to the other."
Gemelli Carreri[28] writes as follows in regard to the Mexican calendar
system:
"A snake turned itself round into a circle and in the body of the
serpent there were four divisions. The first denoted the south, in that
language call'd _Uutzlampa_, whose hieroglyphick was a rabbit in a blew
field, which they called _Tochtli_. Lower was the part that signify'd
the east, called _Tlacopa_ or _Tlahuilcopa_, denoted by a cane in a red
field, call'd _Acatl_. The hieroglyphick of the north, or Micolampa,
was a sword pointed with flint, call'd _Tecpatl_, in a yellow field.
That of the west or _Sihuatlampa_, was a house in a green field, and
called _Cagli_. * * *
"These four divisions were the beginning of the four terms that made up
the age. Between every two on the inside of the snake were twelve small
divisions, among which the four first names or figures were successively
distributed, giving every one its number to thirteen, which was the
number of years that composed an indication; the like was done in the
second indication with the same names from one to thirteen, and so in
the third and fourth, till they finished the circle of fifty-two years.
* * * From what has been said above, there arise several doubts; the
first is, why they begin to reckon-their years from the south; the
second, why they made use of the four figures, of a rabbit, a cane, a
flint, and a house."
He then goes on to state that the Mexicans believed the sun or light
first appeared in the south, and that hell or inferno was in the north;
then adds the following:
"Having found this analogy between the age and the year, they would
carry the similitude or proportions on further, and, as in the year
there are four seasons, so they would adapt the like to the age, and
accordingly they appointed _Tochtli_ for its beginning in the south, as
it were, the spring and youth of the sun's age; _Acatl_ for the summer,
_Tecpatl_ for the autumn, and _Cagli_ for his old age or winter.
"These figures so disposed were also the hieroglyphicks of the elements,
which is the second doubt; for _Tochtli_ was dedicated to _Tevacayohua_,
god of earth; _Acatl_ to _Tlalocatetuhtli_, god of water; _Tecpatl_ to
_Chetzahcoatl_, god of air; and _Cagli_ to _Xiuhtecuhil_, god of
fire. * * *
"The days _Cipactli_, _Michitzli_, _Ozomatli_, and _Cozcaquauhtli_ are
companions to--that is, in all respects follow--the order of the four
figures that denote the years of an age, viz, _Tochtli_, _Acatl_,
_Tecpatl_, and _Cagli_, to signify that every year whose symbol is
_Tochtli_ will have _Cipactli_ for the first day of the month; that
whose symbol or distinctive mark is _Acatl_ will have _Michitzli_ for
the first of the month; _Tecpatl_ will have _Ozomatli_, and _Cagli_ will
have _Cozcaquauhtli_."
Clavigero[29] agrees with Gemelli in reference to the correspondence of
the year symbols with the first days of the years, and inserts the
following remark in a note:
"Cav. Boturini says that the year of the rabbet began uniformly with the
day of the rabbet, the year of the cane with the day of the cane, &c.,
and never with the days which we have mentioned; but we ought to give
more faith to Siguenza, who was certainly better informed in Mexican
antiquity. The system of this gentleman is fantastical and full of
contradictions."
From this statement we infer that Siguenza held the same opinion on this
point as Clavigero and Gemelli.
Boturini[30] gives the following arrangement of the "symbols of the four
parts or angles of the world," comparing it with that of Gemelli.
"Gemelli. "Boturini.
1. Tochtli = South. 1. Tecpatl = South.
2. Acatl = East. 2. Calli = East.
3. Tecpatl = North. 3. Tochtli = North.
4. Calli = West." 4. Acatl = West."