7) 147 × 18,980 + 14,040.
8) 200 × 14,040 - 3900.
What future student will penetrate more deeply into the meaning and purpose
of these numbers?
We might now expect to interpret also the upper right-hand corner of page
31, but here almost everything is in a deplorable state of obliteration. In
the first three of the five columns over each of the three large numbers
there was a date consisting of a numeral and a hieroglyph, but these admit
of no certain nor even probable determination.
Four hieroglyphs still remain in the fourth column, respecting which
compare my treatise "Zur Maya-Chronologie" in the Berliner Zeitschrift für
Ethnologie XXIII, pp. 141-155.
In the top sign I recognize an Imix with a prefix and probably also a
superfix. I think this denotes the period of 18,980 days.
I am forced to pass over the second entirely, inasmuch as a red 6 inserted
in it remains a mystery (6 × 18,980 = 113,880?).
As I stated in the above-named work, I think the third is three times the
sacred period of 2920, _i.e._, 8760 days.
Finally, the fourth sign certainly denotes the period of 7200 days.
Whether or not there was a fifth sign above the one now at the top is as
uncertain as the meaning of the whole.
The most remarkable thing about it is that in three other passages of this
Manuscript these three signs appear in close proximity to another. On page
61 we find the third in the 11th place in the second column, the first in
the 12th place in the same column, and the fourth in the 14th place in the
first column. Page 70 has the first sign in the middle of the 4th column;
the second somewhat lower down in the 3d column and the 4th two places
below. Finally all three signs appear in succession on the top of page 73
in the same order as on page 31.
The fifth column on page 31 may have contained another numeral belonging to
the series, the loss of which is not so serious a matter, but there may
have been one or two hieroglyphs above it, the obliteration of which is
greatly to be deplored.
Pages 32a--39a.
This is a large section extending over eight pages, which is difficult of
interpretation owing to the prevailing disorder and because a large part of
the hieroglyphs are effaced. Here, too, the principal subject is the god B,
who is represented in manifold activity. A series of numbers extends
through the entire representation. I read them as follows:--
I 11 XII 28 I 12 XIII 26 XIII 12 XII 19 V 5 X 1 XI 20 V 12 IV 6 X 8 V 5 X
7 IV 12 III 5 VIII 8 III 11 I.
There are thus 18 divisions, the different lengths of which reveal no rule.
They embrace 208 days, _i.e._, 2 × 104, which may well be considered as a
continuation of the computation in the preceding section, of which the 104
was so important a number. The red numbers are entirely lacking in the
beginning, then they are very slightly indicated, and finally they are
distinctly written out on pages 36-39. I assume that the scribe has set
down the 4th, 3d and 2nd numbers from the end, one too little. The last
number has been entirely omitted. I have supplied these omissions though in
a manner somewhat different from that adopted by Cyrus Thomas, "Aids," p.
28. I would note in addition that a period such as this, consisting of 208
days = 16 weeks, might be explained in an entirely different way, if there
were a column of five days at the left having a difference of 8 days; then
the whole would signify four Tonalamatls. But there is no such series of
days.
Another point of view presents itself, however. If we take cognizance of
the fact that a group of four hieroglyphs usually belongs to a picture,
then it is evident that here there are such groups not for 18, but for
about 22 subdivisions. It may, therefore, be assumed that about four
subdivisions averaging 13 days are not specified, in which case this
passage would extend not over 208, but over 260 days. The very irregularity
in the arrangement of these numbers is an argument in favor of this
hypothesis; it may be occasioned by the fact, that the pictures do not
correspond exactly to the subdivisions. For the present, however, we shall
discuss the single pictures assuming that there are 18 subdivisions.
1. Pages 32a-33a. Here at the very beginning it is uncertain whether the
signs at the end of page 32 and at the beginning of page 33 are to be
regarded as a single group of 8 hieroglyphs, as seems to follow from the
numbers, or as two groups of 4 hieroglyphs each. At the end of page 32 we
see two persons facing one another, one of whom, to be sure, is barely
visible. The other wears a head-covering like a man's silk hat, similar to
that worn by the priests on the inscriptions of Palenque. It is a
remarkable fact that of the four hieroglyphs above these figures, 1, 2 and
4 (the last probably the god C) seem to have the sign for the west as a
prefix, while the prefix of 3 (Imix) suggests the usual representation of
the tortoise head. Below the persons there is a Kan sign, the prefix of
which is also the sign for the west.
On page 33, B is represented walking and carrying the Caban sign in his
hand. The first of the four hieroglyphs is the sign for B, the second is
Imix, probably again with the sign for the west as a prefix, the third is
an Akbal sign with Kin, and the fourth is the cross-hatched sign with Kan.
2. The rest of 33a is occupied by two persons, one of whom is clad in a
gala mantle, but neither admit of further identification. They are occupied
in fishing, inasmuch as they are sitting on the shore of a body of water
and are either casting a net or drawing it in. There is a fish between them
and above it is a vessel with something apparently cooking in it. Of the 8
hieroglyphs belonging to this picture, only the following are
distinguishable:--the 1st containing an Akbal, the 3d, which is the common
cross _b_ with a 9, the 4th, an Imix also with 9, and of the 7th only the
prefix Yax. The 3d and 4th appear again on page 35a, 28 days later.
3. Page 34, like page 3, represents a human sacrifice. The victim, very
vaguely drawn, lies on a step-shaped sacrificial stone, or on the pyramid
of a teocalli. There is a Caban (earth) sign between the sacrifice and the
pyramid, and also on the walls of the buildings; the shrieking of the
victim is plainly indicated. As on page 3, there are four persons in the
form of gods surrounding the sacrifice, but here they are different ones.
The one at the left above is the black god (L?), holding the rattle-stick
(Seler, "Mittelamer. Musikinstrumente," p. 111), and at the right, above,
F, the companion of the death-god, is sitting with a rattle in his hand.
Below, the two have changed places, F is on the left and L on the right.
The former is beating the drum and the latter blowing a wind-instrument.
The sounds emitted by the two instruments are represented by drawings. This
may, therefore, be regarded as an instrumental quartette. The following
objects are also in this picture:--at the left above is a vessel the
contents of which are cooking; at the left below, another vessel with three
Kan signs, and at the right above, a Kan sign with a bird's head and below
the food known to us from pages 27b and 29b. These four objects refer to
the sacrificial feast. Lastly, at the bottom on the right there is a
ladder, probably intended for scaling the pyramid. Ten hieroglyphs in the
upper line belong to this picture:--the first, which is effaced, is
followed by a Cauac, then comes the cross _b_, then a Cimi appropriate to
the sacrifice, and lastly a head with an Akbal eye, probably D's. The first
sign in the lower row is likewise destroyed, the second sign is a Kan, the
next is the cross _b_, both having a different prefix, then here too is the
hieroglyph of B with Yax as a prefix, and the last is an unknown sign.
4 and 5. Page 35a. According to the numbers there are two sections here,
but neither the pictures nor the hieroglyphs can with certainty be assigned
to either. On the left is a house in which C sits holding a Kan sign in his
hand; on the roof, as if guarding him, and also holding a Kan sign, lies
the god B. In the Cort. 24b-25b, there are six gods lying on houses, within
which other gods are also represented in a recumbent position. Then follow
two vessels, again denoting the sacrificial feast, the contents of which
are probably cooking, and which, from the sign on the second, are probably
liquid. Above these are three others, one with the Cimi sign (human
flesh?), one with a bird and the third with the haunch of venison. At the
right of these is an implement, which is unfamiliar to me and is similar to
that held in the god's hand on pages 5c and 6c. And quite on the right sits
B with foot-prints pictured below him and on his clothing.
The hieroglyphs on page 35, when they were all legible, numbered 14 and
were arranged in two rows. 4 of the upper row are preserved, the lower part
of the first is a year-sign (?), similar to that which often appears on
pages 25-28, the upper element is the cross, and the prefix is the one
resembling a leaf, which occurs so frequently. The second sign is an Imix
with a prefixed 9, the third a cross and the fourth a head (probably D's)
with Akbal. In the second row there is a cross with a prefixed 9 (sign of
the second or third month?). These two signs with the prefixed 9 are
perhaps to be read as a calendar date IX Imix 9 Zip (1 Ix), as on page 33a.
Ix, however, belongs to the west, which is the predominant cardinal point
from 32a onward. The second sign is a compound of Kin and Akbal (day and
night) which often occurs here, the third is the compound of the Moan and
Caban signs with the number 1 above each, and the fourth is the hieroglyph
of B. The fifth sign is unfamiliar to me. The sixth contains an Imix with
the sign for the west as a prefix, and the seventh is effaced.
At this point the representations begin to display a more orderly
arrangement.
6. Page 36a. Here the head of B forms the head of a serpent (cf. pages 61
and 62) represented in pouring rain, while on page 35b it is emerging from
the water. Of the four hieroglyphs 1 and 2 are entirely and 3 for the most
part destroyed, and 4 is the usual Kan-Imix.
7. The lightning-beast with flames pouring forth from his forepaws and
tail, is plunging down from the rectangle, which primarily designates stars
and then the sky in general. This rectangle occurs for the first time here,
but will often be met with later. Here it may be a combination of Mars and
Venus. Of the four hieroglyphs, 1 is effaced, 2 is a compound of Kan and
Kin, 3 a head with Akbal and Kin (D?) with the uplifted arm as a prefix,
and 4, corresponding with the picture, is the compound of the rain sign
Cauac with the prefix of the storm-god K.
8. Here B himself is the bringer of lightning. In one hand he holds a
burning torch and flames are bursting from his carrying-frame. The third
hieroglyph is his sign. It is doubtful whether the fourth is the hatchet
(machete) or is not rather intended for an ear pierced for the purpose of
ritual blood-letting, as on pages 44b and 45b; the first and second signs
are rather indistinct.
9. Page 37a. Unless I am entirely mistaken, B is here represented with his
arms bound behind his back. Cf. the pictures on page 2, top, and 60,
bottom. Are the ends of the rope fluttering in front of the god intended to
render this still more plain? Hieroglyph 1 contains the sign _t_, which
resembles, but is not the same as, the year sign. This sign has already
occurred frequently, especially on pages 25a-28a, and the last time on page
35 in the first hieroglyph. As on page 35, hieroglyph 4 is the compound
Kin-Cauac, but here it is joined to the year-sign, _i.e._, it denotes the
Kin-Cauac year, just as it does on page 26a. 3 is again Cauac and 2 is the
hieroglyph for B.
10. Rain is falling from the heavenly shield, already seen on page 36, here
however designating different planets (Mars and Mercury?) and the figure
represented in the rain is the one which we have already seen on pages 12c,
17a and 21c. It is that of the old Uayeyab god N with a hatchet in one hand
and an unfamiliar object in the other like the one on page 39a, and with
another unknown object on his back shaped like a shield marked with a Kin.
That this figure is really meant to represent N follows from the fourth
hieroglyph (which, however, is not his regular sign 5 Zac), which is
repeated on the head of the figure. The lower part of the hieroglyph is
replaced by the year-sign just as it is in the hieroglyph on page 47, left,
middle. The third hieroglyph contains 2 Caban signs, the first and second
cannot be clearly identified.
11. This is a deity which I hardly think appears elsewhere. It has an
animal's head resembling that of a bear, thus recalling page 7a, and it
also has the paws of a bear. Of the hieroglyphs only a Kin-Akbal is
recognizable.
12. Page 38a. Here we have another heavenly shield (Mars and Venus?) and
under this shield B is represented seated and strangely enough facing
himself, the figures not being back to back as on page 68a. Hieroglyphs 1
to 3 are wholly and 4, which is a head, is for the most part destroyed.
13. B is here represented in very close connection with a female figure.
Cf. pages 21c-23c. The representation on page 68b is a still closer
parallel to this passage. The first hieroglyph is destroyed for the most
part, the second is B, the third is probably only a determinative of the
latter, but has the sign for the west, and the fourth is Kan-Imix.
14. B holding a Kan sign is sitting on an object, which may be meant for
the stone on which the idols were set up at the change of the year. Of the
hieroglyphs the third is again B, and the fourth is probably the frequent
sign a. The first sign is the most remarkable. In the Zeitschrift für
Ethnologie, Vol. XXIII, p. 147, I stated that this was the sign for the
change of the year, which is its meaning on pages 41b, 52b and 68a. The Kan
year follows here after the Cauac year of page 37. The prefix of the sign
is the hieroglyph for the east to which the Kan years belong. The Kan sign
in B's hand also corresponds to this. The second hieroglyph is destroyed.
15. Page 39. The picture represents the lightning-beast with two flaming
torches walking under the heavenly shield (Mercury and Jupiter?). Of the
hieroglyphs the third belongs to B, the fourth has as a prefix the sign of
the storm-god K, but otherwise admits as little of determination as do the
first and second.
16. Here we see B in the rain holding in one hand a machete, and in the
other a strange implement similar to that on page 37a. Of the hieroglyphs
the second was the god's sign, the third is _a_, and the fourth may be an
Akbal sign with Kin. The first sign somewhat suggests the sign for the
Moan; its prefix is curious.
17. Here in place of the picture and the superscription, owing perhaps to
lack of space and in order not to omit the last picture, we have a vertical
row of seven hieroglyphs interrupted between the sixth and seventh by the
red and black numeral belonging here. The top sign is effaced and the
second is B's. I will not venture to determine the third, which contains a
Yax. Could it belong to the serpent deity H? The fourth is probably
Kan-Imix and the fifth is indistinct. And the same is true of the sixth,
the prefix of which we have already met with as the sixteenth hieroglyph on
page 24, and shall meet with again on pages 53, 56, 58, 61, etc. The
seventh sign, which is quite at the bottom, consists of a vessel with a
foot-print beneath it; it seems to be in the place of the picture.
18. The entire section ends with a picture of B, who carries the hatchet
and probably the copal pouch. The hieroglyphs are wholly obliterated.
Pages 40a--41a.
The following Tonalamatl, one of the form of 10 × 26, has suffered much
from the carelessness of the scribe and from injury. I have attempted to
restore it as follows:--
X X 7 IV 4 VIII 4 XII 2 I 1 II 8 X
Ahau Oc
Cimi Cib
Eb Ik
Ezanab Lamat
Kan Ix.
The first row should be read from top to bottom, and then the second in the
same order.
The six subdivisions all refer to some activity of B. Among the 6 × 4
hieroglyphs his sign occurs five times as the fourth and only in the last
group as the third. Let us now examine the six groups individually.
1. B is traversing the water in a canoe, as on pages 29c and 40c, with the
paddle in his hand. All the hieroglyphs belonging to him are obliterated.
2. B is sitting on the laterally elongated head _q_, which here, as on page
69, is enlarged and drawn with special care. Seler ("Charakter der
aztekischen, etc. Handschrift" in the Zeitschrift für Ethnologie, 1888, p.
83) discusses this sign in connection with the day Men. It seems to me to
denote unlucky days, the influence of which may here be checked by B. B
holds in his hand a hatchet. The head (_q_) is repeated in the third sign,
perhaps also in the second, and the superfix of these two signs is probably
the same as that of the sign beneath the picture of B. The first sign is
mostly destroyed.
3. As on pages 30a and 31c, and again just as on page 69a, B is sitting on
the tree of life or sacrificial tree. A branch of this, which he grasps in
one hand, ends in a serpent-head, and the root of the tree also represents
B's head. Around the god's head are again the familiar dots, probably
signifying stars. Of the hieroglyphs, the first is probably _f_, the second
is destroyed, the third may be a variant of _a_, although it recalls the
sign which, I believe, has the meaning of 73 days on pages 46-50; the
prefix of 1 also suggests this meaning.
4. B's head is again surrounded by stars and he holds in one hand the
outline of a hieroglyph. He is sitting on a peculiar ornamented structure
resembling the crenelations of a wall. This wall displays the spiral which
we found also on pages 33b-35b, and which in the treatise, "Zur
Maya-Chronologie" (Zeitschrift für Ethnologie XXIII, p. 147), I regarded as
an abbreviation for a serpent and hence as a symbol of time. It is further
to be noted that B is wet with rain and with this the third hieroglyph is
in keeping, if it is actually intended to denote the rainy season and not
the week of 13 days ("Zur Entzifferung" V, 6); still the red numeral 13
below is more in keeping with the second meaning. The second sign is an
Ahau with the leaf-shaped prefix, which also appears in the first sign of
the third group. The first is effaced.
5. B, represented with a gala mantle hanging down in front and with the
copal pouch, is sitting on a head, which looks like his own, especially as
to the eyes, but which notwithstanding probably belongs to D and is marked
with Ik (wind) and Cauac (cumulus clouds). Of the hieroglyphs the first and
second do not admit of positive identification, and the third is Kan-Imix.
6. The god is sitting on a mat in a house. All the hieroglyphs except his
own are obliterated.
Pages 42a--44a.
Another Tonalamatl of the form of 10 × 26; I have restored the effaced
day-signs as follows:--
XIII XIII 3 III 2 V 2 VII 6 XIII 2 II 2 IV 2 VI 7 XIII
Oc Cib
Ik Lamat
Ix Ahau
Cimi Eb
Ezanab Kan.
Thus the month days are the same as in the preceding Tonalamatl, but should
be read in a different order:--Oc, Cib, Ik, Lamat, etc.
Here each of the 8 subdivisions has 6 hieroglyphs, and the order is as
follows:--
1 2
3 4
5 6.
A few of these signs are common to all the groups. Thus the first sign
(_v_), as far as what remains is distinguishable, seems to occur in all the
groups. It has the leaf-shaped prefix, but I cannot understand the rest of
it; we shall find it again several times on pages 29c-41c.
Again the sign in the sixth place, as far as we can see, is always the head
without an underjaw and the tuft of hair tied up on top of it (O, according
to Schellhas), which we found above on page 25 and which we shall meet
again on pages 65-69 no less than 13 times, with regular intervals of 6
signs between them. Indeed that passage is a remarkable parallel to this
one.
That the sign for B, who here too plays the most important part, occurs
often, is self-evident. It appears in the fourth place, in the 1st, 3d,
4th, and 7th groups, and in the third of the 8th group; in the 6th group it
is destroyed. In the 2nd and 5th groups B has neither picture nor sign.
The hieroglyphs of the cardinal points I shall mention in connection with
the separate groups. They are especially conspicuous in this section, being
sometimes represented in full and sometimes in an abbreviated form as mere
prefixes.
1. B with arms crossed sits above a serpent denoting time, and holding in
its coils the cross _b_, which so often refers to astronomical conditions.
Above the head of the serpent is the vessel with the three Kan signs, which
we have already found several times on pages 25-28. It is remarkable that
the flourish, which usually appears as the nose-ornament of the sun-god G
(_e.g._, pages 11b and c), is added to these Kan signs. As the stars are
again indicated on B's head, he plainly denotes a time-god here. The third
hieroglyph, the sign of the east, corresponds with this meaning, and the
Kan sign, which we see in the fifth hieroglyph probably combined with Ahau,
also belongs to the east; the prefix of the fourth hieroglyph is the sign
for the west.
2. A deity whom we shall probably have to call F, the god of human
sacrifice, is sitting on a stepped pyramidal structure (a teocalli as a
place of sacrifice?). He holds something in his hands, resembling a long
and broad scroll, joined to which is the head of the god of the north, C,
and in the third hieroglyph of this group the sign for the north also
appears, prefixed to the head of F, who seems to be repeated in the fourth
hieroglyph. The fifth hieroglyph with an Imix is unintelligible to me.
3. Page 43. B is sitting in the water, the copal pouch hangs from his neck
and the hatchet is raised as if ready to attack. The second hieroglyph
clearly denotes water, while the third is the sign for the west and the
fourth is the sign for B, its prefix being the sign for the east
abbreviated; the order of the cardinal points is thus exactly the reverse
of that in the first group. The fifth hieroglyph is not clear to me, but it
appears to be repeated in the same place in the next group.
4. B is sitting here astride a sort of bench again holding the hatchet in
his hand. Belonging to this picture in the third hieroglyph is the sign for
the south, which is repeated in an abbreviated form in the fourth
hieroglyph.
The fifth is Kan, joined to what appears to be the same sign as the one
found in this place in the preceding group. The second sign is indistinct.
5. This is an aged deity, probably M according to Schellhas, seated on an
indefinite object. In front of the deity is a Cauac sign, which contains
exactly the same cumulus clouds as those in the sign 5 Zac, which belongs
to N. Cauac, however, belongs to the south, and therefore corresponds with
the north of the second group on page 42. Sign 5, a Kan, corresponds
exactly with the same sign in the fifth place of the preceding group.
6. Page 44. B seems to be in a state of collapse. Behind him is a second
person, who is either trying to support him or to pull him up by some kind
of a sling. I think the second person is E, the grain-deity, if it is not
Seler's young god. If the hieroglyphs were not completely effaced, they
would probably shed some light on this interesting passage.
7. Here we see B, holding a fish in his hand, and sitting on a hieroglyph,
which is compounded of Imix and a prefix, which resembles the tortoise head
and which appeared once before in this combination on page 32a. This
passage recalls page 40a, where B is seated on the laterally elongated head
_q_. Nothing more can be said of the hieroglyphs, than that 6 is the head
without an underjaw.
8. B is sitting here in a house; his sign in the third place has Yax as a
prefix. Hieroglyph 5, with the number 4 prefixed, recalls the one which we
found on page 21c belonging to the baldheaded old man. Hieroglyph 4 is the
common Kan-Imix.
Page 45a.
The last page on the front of the first section of this Manuscript is used
for a series, which presents itself as a second improved edition of the
series which was found on pages 31a-32a. The very fact that the writing is
so much better proclaims it an amendment. The chief aim of both series is
the same, viz:--to bring into unison the numbers 91, 104, 260 and 364. But
the two series gain this end by different means. On page 32 the series
begins with 91, and at first has only 91 as a difference, until with 728 a
multiple of 104 and 364 is obtained, then it returns to the simple
difference 91, in 1456 it obtains again the 104 and 364, loses these two
last numbers once more in 1820 and finally in 3640 obtains the desired
multiple of all four numbers, which is retained in 7280, 14,560, 21,840 and
29,120. The series on page 45a proceeds much more briefly. It begins at
once with 728 (91, 104, 364), loses the 104 in 1092, gains the 260 and
loses the 104 in 1820, arrives at divisibility by all four numbers in the
3640, loses the 104 again in 5460, but then comes to a standstill after
having obtained the same multiples (double at that) of 3640, which I
mentioned just now in the preceding series. Indeed it can be seen from what
is legible in the third column above, that the series went still further.
But so much is obliterated that I have obtained the numbers 14,560 and
21,840 in both series only by conjecture.
In the earlier passage the starting-point of the series is the day XIII
Akbal and in the one before us it is the day XIII Oc. In the former the
days specified were 91 days apart from each other, and here they are
separated by 104, _i.e._, XIII Ezanab, XIII Ik, XIII Cimi, XIII Oc.
The initial days of the two series, XIII Oc-XIII Akbal, are separated by 13
days, and the reversed series, XIII Akbal-XIII Oc, by 247 days. Hence the
subject of both passages is essentially the week of thirteen days, _i.e._,
the year of 364 (28 × 13) days.
Now this series is also accompanied by a number amounting to millions. It
is in the second column of page 45; only, in order to understand it, we
must add a zero as the bottom figure; then it becomes 1,278,420. XIII Oc
stands below this number as the beginning of the series. The first column
has 30 as an encircled number and below it the normal day IV Ahau.