I shall discuss these glyphs in this place, although each group seems to
relate not merely to the top picture, but to the whole page. There are 16
on each page, and arranged as follows:--
1 2 9 10
3 4 11 12
5 6 13 14
7 8 15 16.
Unfortunately, the writing at the top is obliterated, which makes it
impossible to understand not merely this passage, but also those on all the
rest of these pages. Of the 16 signs in the top line only one is legible,
and that is the first on page 28. This is the usual cross _b_; as a
comprehensive heading it perhaps occupied places 1 and 9 on each page,
alternating with another sign in 2 and 10.
In spite of this obliteration there are a few points which can be
profitably discussed here.
I would call attention first to signs 7 and 8 on page 25. The first seems
to contain twice repeated the figure, which is thought to represent eagle
feathers, and which we found on pages 10b and 13a, for example. As this
double character is also used to change the 360-sign into a 7200-sign, so
it may also combine the 52 years of this passage. The 8th sign on page 25
is the head with the tuft of hair and no underjaw, which I think refers to
fast-days, such as might properly occur at the transition point of one long
period to another.
The sign for the year stands five times on the other three pages, which is
in keeping with their contents. On page 26 it appears three times. This
page treats of the transition of the Ix to the Cauac years. In the 6th
place the Ix sign seems actually to be used as a prefix, in 7 the prefix is
plainly the Kin-Cauac sign, just as on page 37a, and in 5 the prefix is
probably Ezanab, the beginning-day of the Cauac years. At this last place
the suffix is the same as that which we often see with the year sign on
pages 13c-14c. On page 27, in the 7th place, the year sign has a prefix and
a suffix, which seem to indicate that here it was intended to represent 365
as separated into 5 × 73 or 360 + 5. Lastly, on page 28 the 8th sign can be
explained as meaning that the ritual year of 364 days is separated into 4
Bacab periods of 91 days each.
Resembling the year sign in form, and placed near it on these pages, is the
following sign:--
[Illustration]
This sign frequently appears on pages 8b-9b, 16b-17b, 17c-20c. We find it
with slight variations once on each of the four pages 25-28. It is the 6th
on page 25; the 8th on 26; the 6th on 27; the 6th on 28. Its lower part,
especially the (phallic?) sign added at the left, suggests the hieroglyphs
of the Bacabs, as we find them on pages 52, 55, 56, etc.; they might refer
to the separation of the ritual year of 364 days into 4 × 91 days. On the
other hand it has been considered simply as the reproduction of the
carrying-frame pictured below it (compare above under page 17c.)
While the hieroglyphs, hitherto discussed, demonstrate the connection
between the parts on the left of the four pages, two other signs prove the
connection of the portions on the right.
One of these looks like the Ik sign surrounded by a dotted circle; it
occurs on page 25 as the 13th sign, on page 26 as the 15th, on page 27 as
the 14th and on page 28 as the 15th. To this sign are prefixed successively
the numbers 9, 7, 11 and 6.
The second is unquestionably the hieroglyph for the numeral 20 or for the
moon. It is effaced on page 25 and on pages 27 and 28 has a prefix, which
on page 26 is used as a superfix. This sign is the 14th on page 25, the
16th on page 26, the 15th on page 27 and the 16th on page 28. The prefixed
numbers are 7, 16, 5 and 6.
The meaning of these two signs and that of the apparently irregular numbers
is still a mystery. The latter will be discussed presently.
The 4th sign on all the four pages seems to refer to a period like the one
hitherto discussed. On page 26 the sign resembles that for the 13th Uinal
(Mac) and hence appears to refer to the Tonalamatl, as in the first column
on page 24. Above it is the sign for the south. The corresponding
hieroglyphs of the other pages are obliterated, but strange to say the
vestiges suggest that they too had _below_ them the sign for the south. Now
the south and the Bacab of the south preside over the fourth quarter of the
year from which ensues the transition to the new year in question here.
Among the signs on the left side we should expect to find those of the gods
to whom the expiring year belonged. On page 25 it ought to be B. Sign 5,
however, though it can with difficulty be identified, points rather to god
K. Sign 3 on page 26 corresponds better; this is the hieroglyph of the
tiger already known to us, which is carried by the priest in the upper
section of page 8a; here its prefix is the sign for the west. On page 27 we
ought to see the grain-god E carried by the priest; his hieroglyph may be
destroyed, but sign 5, which is Kan-Imix (food and drink) is his
determinative. Finally the 5th sign on page 28 is, just as we should
expect, the hieroglyph of A and, in addition, we find his determinative in
7.
But what is to be said of the fact that the tiger appears again on page 28
in sign 3, and this time with the sign for the east?
The Ahau on page 27, sign 16, refers to the god D of the middle section.
There maybe some reference here to sacrifice, thus:--the 11th sign on page
25 is Kan-Imix, the 12th on page 27 is Kan, which is followed in the 13th
sign on page 27 by another one with a Yax and a suggestion of a second
Kan-Imix. Also the curious sign in the 8th place on page 27, which we have
already discussed under page 8b, is used to denote the sacrifice on pages
18a and 15b. Here its position with reference to sign 6 is the same as on
page 8b. On page 26 the prefix of sign 13, which is half destroyed, may be
recognized as a serpent. Signs 12 and 15 on page 25 are unintelligible.
Unfortunately the following signs are entirely effaced:--Sign 1 on pages
25, 26 and 27, as well as 2 on all the four pages, 3 on page 25, 9 and 10
on all the four pages, 11 on pages 26, 27 and 28, 12 on pages 26 and 28, 13
on page 28, 14 on pages 26 and 28, and 16 on page 27.