1 2 5 6 9 10 13 14
3 4 7 8 11 12 15 16.
Of these, 2, 6, 10 and 14 are the cardinal points just mentioned; 4, 8, 12
and 16 are the sign for B, and 1, 5, 9 and 13 are the head with the tuft of
hair and the Akbal eye to which I attribute the meaning of _beginning_.
Likewise the remaining four signs, 3, 7, 11 and 15, although they are not
exactly alike, have something in common, the 15th being a distinct Imix;
they are not yet wholly intelligible to me.
Four pictures of B belong to these hieroglyphs. In the first the god is
seated with crossed arms on two of the ordinary astronomical signs (Jupiter
and Mars?). In the second, where he is pointing forward with his hand,
there are footprints on his seat, as, for example, on page 35a. In the
third the seat contains the usual cumulus clouds in clusters. Finally, in
the fourth, he is seated on the tree of life or of sacrifice, the hatchet
is in his hand and he is clad in the gala mantle; cf. pages 31c, 40a, 69a.
Pages 30b--31b.
This passage is in some respects closely related to the preceding
Tonalamatl, but in other respects it differs significantly from this and
from what is usual, for the Tonalamatl is divided here into only four
principal divisions of 65 days each, which begin very regularly with the
days VIII Oc, VIII Men, VIII Ahau and VIII Chicchan. There are neither
subdivisions nor the usual pictures belonging to them. But on the other
hand each of the longer periods of time written down here have eight
hieroglyphs for each section in the usual order.
B's sign occupies the places 6, 4, 4 and 4; from this it follows that here
too he forms the principal subject.
Here, as in the preceding Tonalamatl, the first place in each group
contains the sign denoting beginning, while the eighth sign is invariably
the head without an underjaw, which seems to me to refer to _fasting_, as
if a fast-day fell at the end of every 65 days.
In the fifth place we see in succession the four animals, which in the
preceding Tonalamatl are not included in the groups of hieroglyphs. Here
they stand in the order of mammal, bird, amphibian and fish, but the bird
in the second group is replaced by the sign which usually occurs with the
dog (lightning-beast).
The signs in the second place are those of the cardinal points, and they
are given in the same order as in the preceding Tonalamatl, _i.e._, east,
north, west and south, so that they do not belong to the same animals as
they do there.
The third signs are the cardinal points again, but in the abbreviated form
discovered first by Schellhas, and in a different order:--west, north, east
and south, and always joined to the head of C around which everything
revolves as around the polar star. The Kan sign with different accompanying
signs occupies the seventh place in the first group, and the sixth in the
other three.
Four signs still remain:--the fourth of the first group I am inclined to
consider the abbreviated sign for the sun; the seventh of the second, rain
with the sign for the west as a prefix; the seventh of the third, Caban,
ground, with the sign for the east as a prefix; the seventh of the fourth
is Kan with the Yax sign above it, probably denoting the vegetable kingdom.
Pages 31b--35b.
This entire passage is devoted to a single Tonalamatl, which is divided and
written out in an unusual manner. Like the preceding it is divided into
four parts of 65 days each, but the remarkable thing about it is that these
divisions of 65 days are each subdivided into two periods of 46 and 19
days, and the 46 days again into eight unequal parts, which are exactly the
same each time, while the 19 days run their course without further
subdivision. On pages 33, 34 and 35 this 19 is always on the left at the
bottom, on page 32 it is wanting, probably because it was self-evident and
there was no suitable place for it.
We shall next discuss the division of these four periods of 46 days each.
This division is indicated with especial exactness on these pages, since
not merely the length of the separate divisions and the week days are
specified, but also the month days. This representation has the additional
peculiarity, that the two columns on each page must be read from bottom to
top, and of each group of two days standing side by side, the one on the
right is to be read first and then the one on the left. If the Tonalamatl
were written in the usual manner, it would have the following form:--
X 9 VI 9 II 9 XI 2 XIII 4 IV 9 XIII 4 IV 19 X
Ben
Ezanab
Akbal
Lamat.
Instead of this we read in greater detail as follows (the pages and the
stated _length_ of time are in parentheses):--
(31) X Ben (9) VI Ik (9) II Chuen (9) XI Ahau (2)
XIII Ik (4) IV Cimi (9) XIII Men (4) IV Cauac (19).
(32) X Ezanab (9) VI Manik (9) II Cib (9) XI Chicchan (2)
XIII Manik (4) IV Chuen (9) XIII Ahau (4) IV Kan (19).
(33) X Akbal (9) VI Eb (9) II Imix (9) XI Oc (2)
XIII Eb (4) IV Cib (9) XIII Chicchan (4) IV Muluc (19).
(34) X Lamat (9) VI Caban (9) II Cimi (9) XI Men (2)
XIII Caban (4) IV Imix (9) XIII Oc (4) IV Ix (19).
In spite of the seemingly wholly irregular division of time, the following
relation, which is certainly not accidental, results from this
arrangement:--the first of the eight members of each row is one of the days
which may begin the year and the months, and the eighth, on the other hand,
one of the four regents of the year. The remaining six members are the
remaining 12 of the 20 days repeated twice and the second always
corresponds with the fifth of its own series, and the third to the sixth
and the fourth to the seventh of the following series.
Two pictures of god B belong to each of these periods of 65 days, the first
of these pictures referring to the divided period of 46 days and the second
to the undivided one of 19. It is also in agreement with this that on pages
61 and 62 the fourth, sixth and eighth pictures represent the god as rising
from the jaws of a serpent--the serpent being represented each time as
lying in water which invariably contains the number 19.
As the hieroglyphs belonging to the periods of 46 days are allied to one
another, and as this is also true of those belonging to the periods of 19
days, I will first consider the hieroglyphs of the first period by
themselves, then those of the second, and the pictures shall be treated in
the same manner.
Therefore, let us first examine the four pictures (1, 3, 5 and 7) on the
right side of the pages:--
1. The first page shows the god walking with the official staff in his
right hand, in his left the hatchet raised for a blow and with the copal
pouch hanging from his neck.
2. He is walking and holding a flaming torch reversed in his right hand, in
his left the hatchet is raised aloft, the pouch hangs from his neck, the
mantle is indicated and around his head are the little circles which are so
frequently his adjuncts and probably signify stars.
3. He is walking and holding the reversed torch in his left hand and the
hatchet in his right.
4. He is walking and holding a torch in each hand. He wears on his head the
head of K. He seems to be bringing storm and fire.