Notes on Certain Maya and Mexican Manuscripts Part 7

6. Eagle. 13. Eagle. 7. Eagle. 1. Eagle.

7. Vulture. 1. Vulture. 8. Vulture. 2. Vulture.

8. Movement. 2. Movement. 9. Movement. 3. Movement.

9. Flint. 3. Flint. 10. Flint. 4. Flint.

10. Rain. 4. Rain. 11. Rain. 5. Rain.

[11. Flower.] [5. Flower.] [12. Flower.] [6. Flower.]

7. Dragon.

6. Wind.

9. House.

10. Lizard.

11. Snake.

12. Death.

13. Deer.

1. Rabbit.

2. Water.

3. Dog.

4. Monkey.

5. Gra.s.s.

6. Cane.

7. Tiger.

8. Eagle.

9. Vulture.

10. Movement.

11. Flint.

12. Rain.

13. Flower.

Although the Mexican equivalents of these names may be inferred from what has already been given, I will insert the Mexican and English names of the twenty days here, opposite each other.

TABLE XVI.

_Mex._ _Eng._ _Mex._ _Eng._ c.i.p.actli (Dragon). Ozomatli (Monkey).

Ehecatl (Wind). Malinalli (Gra.s.s).

Calli (House). Acatl (Cane).

Cuetzpalin (Lizard). Ocelotl (Tiger).

Coatl (Snake). Quauhtli (Eagle).

Miquiztli (Death). Cozcaquauhtli (Vulture).

Mazatl (Deer). Ollin (Movement).

Tochtli (Rabbit). Tecpatl (Flint).

Atl (Water). Quiahuitl (Rain).

Itzcuintli (Dog). Xochitl (Flower).

Examining the looped line, Plate III, we notice at each of the outer and inner bends one of the day symbols. (In the plate of the Cortesian Codex there are two.) We therefore take for granted that this is the _first_ day of the week, or indication of _thirteen days_, hence we should commence with c.i.p.actli (or Dragon). This we find at the upper right hand corner of the inner square or right base of the large red loop. Judging from the direction of the birds' heads and other facts heretofore noted, we presume the direction in which we are to move is around toward the left. Counting the day symbol as one, and each of the twelve dots up the red line as one day, we come to the symbol in the upper right-hand corner of the loop as the first day of the next week. This we find is Ocelotl (Tiger), just as we find it to be in the calendar table and list of days. Moving along the upper red line to the corner at the left we find the next character is Mazatl (or Deer), agreeing exactly with the calendar and list. Moving down the left red line to the inner corner we come to the symbol for Xochitl (or Flower), also agreeing with the calendar and list. Proceeding from thence up the white line we reach next the symbol for the day Acatl (Cane) in the red circle surrounded by a yellow line. Here we see a marked distinction between this and the other day symbols we have named, a distinction which applies only to the four at the corners--the four year symbols--_Acatl_, _Tecpatl_, _Calli_, and _Tochtli_.

In order that the reader may compare the names in this looped line with the calendar, I present here a scheme of it similar to that given of the plate from the Cortesian Codex. The explanation given of the other will enable him to make the comparison without further aid.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 6.--Scheme of Plate 44, Fejervary Codex.]

The numbers in the little circles at the corners and loops replace the days of the original as follows: 1, c.i.p.actli; 2, Ocelotl; 3, Mazatl; 4, Xochitl; 5, Acatl; 6, Miquiztli; 7, Quiahuitl; 8, Malinalli; 9, Coatl; 10, Tecpatl; 14, Ozomatli; 12, Cuetzpalin; 13, Ollin; 14, Itzcuintli; 15, Calli; 16, Cozcaquauhtli; 17, Atl; 18, Echecatl;[TN-12] 19, Quauhtli; 20, Tochtli.

As before stated, the four groups of five day symbols are found wedged in between the loops at the corners.

In the upper left-hand corner we see the following: c.i.p.actli, Acatl, Coatl, Ollin, and Atl (or, to give the English equivalents in the same order, Dragon, Cane, Snake, Movement, and Water), the same as those of column 1 of Tables XI and XII. In the lower left-hand corner, Ehecatl, Itzcuintli, Tecpatl, Miquiztli, and Ocelotl (Wind, Dog, Flint, Death, and Tiger), the same as column 2; in the lower right-hand corner, Quauhtli, Calli, Ozomatli, Quiahuitl, and Mazatl (Eagle, House, Monkey, Rain, and Deer), the same as column 3; and in the upper right-hand corner, Tochtli, Cozcaquauhtli, Cuetzpalin, Malinalli, and Xochitl (Rabbit, Vulture, Lizard, Gra.s.s, Flower), the same as column 4. But the arrangement of the days in the respective columns, as in the "Table of the Bacabs," varies from that obtained by placing the days of the month in four groups, as heretofore explained.

Turning again to the plate of the Cortesian Codex, as shown in our Plate 2,[TN-13] I call attention first to the heavy black L-shaped figures. I presume from the number--eighteen--and the fact that they are found in the line of weeks they are symbols of, or denote the months, but am unable to suggest any explanation of their use in this connection. I find nothing to correspond with them in either of the plates of the Mexican Codices referred to.

SYMBOLS OF THE CARDINAL POINTS.

We are now prepared to enter upon the discussion of the symbols of the cardinal points, of which figures have already been given in connection with the quotations from Rosny's work (Fig. 1), but as I shall have occasion to refer to them very frequently I again present them in Fig.

7.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 7.--Symbols of the cardinal points.]

As it is conceded by all who have discussed this subject, that _a_ and _c_ must be a.s.signed to the east and west or equatorial points, the only dispute being as to which should be referred to the east and which to the west, it follows that the others must be referred to the polar points. As each one of the four areas or compartments contains one of these symbols--the top or upper compartment _a_, the left-hand _b_, the bottom _c_, and the right-hand _d_--we naturally infer that the other figures in these compartments have some reference to the cardinal points with which they are respectively a.s.sociated.

I think that Rosny is correct in a.s.suming that this plate places these symbols in their proper positions, and hence that if we can determine one with satisfactory certainty this will determine the rest. If their correct positions are given anywhere it would seem that it would be here, in what is evidently a general calendar table or possibly a calendar wheel.

I have already discussed the question of the a.s.signment of the cardinal symbols to some extent in my former work,[14] and will take for granted that the reader is familiar with what is there stated.

That one of the two characters _a_ and _c_ (Fig. 7), denotes the _east_ or sunrise and the other _west_ or sunset, may, I think, be safely a.s.sumed from what is given in the work mentioned, and from the evidence presented by Rosny,[15] and Schultz-Sellack.[16] But which, east and which west is the rock on which the deductions have been, so far, split asunder; Rosny and Schultz-Sellack maintaining that _a_ is west and _c_ east, and I that _a_ is east and _c_ west. If we admit that they are correctly placed on this plate it necessitates the admission on my part that I have been incorrect in my reference of two of them. If _a_ is east then I have reversed those denoting north and south; if it is west, then I was correct as to those denoting north and south, but have reversed those indicating east and west.

Without at present stating the result of my re-examination of this subject I shall enter at once upon the discussion, leaving this to appear as we proceed.

It is well known that each of the dominical days or year-bearers (_Cuch-haab_, as they were termed by the Mayas), Kan, Muluc, Ix, and Cauac, was referred to one of the four cardinal points. Our first step, therefore, is to determine the points to which these days were respectively a.s.signed.

I have given in my former paper[17] my reasons for believing that Cauac was referred to the south, Kan to the east, Muluc to the north, and Ix to the west, from which I quote the following as a basis for further argument:

"Landa, Cogulludo, and Perez tell us that each of the four dominical days was referred by the Indians to one of the four cardinal points. As the statements of these three authorities appear at first sight to conflict with each other, let us see if we can bring them into harmony without resorting to a violent construction of the language used. Perez'

statement is clear and distinct, and as it was made by one thoroughly conversant with the manners and customs of the natives, and also with all the older authorities, it is doubtless correct.

"He says, 'The Indians made a little wheel in which they placed the initial days of the year. _Kan_ at the _east_, _Muluc_ at the _north_, _Gix_ or _Hix_ at the _west_, and _Cauac_ at the _south_, to be counted in the same order.'

"The statement of Cogulludo, which agrees substantially with this, is as follows: 'They fixed the first year at the east, to which they gave the name _Cuch-haab;_ the second at the west, and called it _Hiix;_ the the third at the south, named _Cauac_, and the fourth, _Muluc_, at the north.'

"Turning now to Landa's work (_Relac. de las Cosas_, ---- x.x.xIV), we are somewhat surprised to find the following language: 'The first of these dominical letters is _Kan_. * * * They placed this on the south, side.

* * * The second letter is _Muluc_, which is placed on the eastern side.

* * * The third of these letters is _Yx_, * * * and it signified the northern side. The fourth letter is _Cauac_, which is a.s.signed to the-western side.'

"This, as we see, places Kan at the south, Muluc at the east, Ix at the north, and Cauac at the west, conflicting directly with the statements made by Cogulludo and Perez. If we turn now to the description of the four feasts as given by Landa, and heretofore quoted, I think we shall find an explanation of this difference. From his account of the feast at the commencement of the Kan year (the intercalated days of the Cauac year) we learn that first they made an idol called _Kan-u-uayeyab_, which they bore to the heap of stones on the south side of the Village; next they made a statue of the G.o.d _Bolon-Zacab_, which they placed in the house of the elected chief, or chief chosen for the occasion. This done they returned to the idol on the southern stone heap, where certain religious ceremonies were performed, after which they returned with the idol to the house, where they placed it _vis-a-vis_ with the other, just as we see in the lower division of Plates XX-XXIII of the Ma.n.u.script Troano. Here they kept constant vigil until the unlucky days (_Uayeyab-haab_) had expired and the new Kan year appeared; then they took the statue of _Bolon-Zacab_ to the temple and the other idol to the heap of stones at the _east_ side of the village, where it was to remain during the year, doubtless intended as a constant reminder to the common people of what year was pa.s.sing.

"Similar transfers were made at the commencement of the other years; at that of Muluc, first to the east, then to the house, and then to its final resting place on the _north_ side; of Ix, first to the north, then to the _west_; of Cauac, first to the west, then to the _south_.

"This movement agrees precisely with the order given by Perez; the final resting places of their idols for the year being the cardinal points of the dominical days where he fixes them; that is, Kan at the _east_, Muluc at the _north_, Ix at the _west_, and Cauac at the _south_. There is, therefore, no real disagreement between these authorities on this point."

Most of the modern authors who have touched upon this topic, although in some cases apparently at sea, without any fixed opinion on the subject, are disposed to follow Landa's statement, without comparing it with his account of the supplemental days, and appear to rely upon it rather than upon the statements of Cogulludo and Perez; and hence they refer Kan to the south, Muluc to the east, Ix to the north, and Cauac to the west.