Aids to the Study of the Maya Codices: Sixth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1884-85, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1888, pages 253-372Thomas, Cyrus
History
Aids to the Study of the Maya Codices: Sixth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1884-85, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1888, pages 253-372
Thomas, Cyrus
Codex Dresdensis Maya; Maya language
It is apparent from the illustrations given that in numeral series of the
preceding type restorations can be made where not more than two numbers
in succession are wanting. Even three can generally be restored if the
numbers preceding and those following the break are distinct, but such
restorations should be cautiously made.
In the middle division of Plate 9 is a short series where the number over
the day column is wanting; moreover, there is uncertainty as to the
number of days in the column and as to the signification of the red
numerals, which are in pairs in Kingsborough's work instead of single as
usual. Is it possible to explain these uncertainties and to reduce them
to the usual simple form? Let us make the trial.
The days in the column are apparently the following: Ahau, Muluc, Ix,
Cauac, Kan. The symbols, except that for Cauac, are too plain to admit of
doubt, and there is no difficulty in reference to Cauac, the question of
doubt being with regard to the Ahau, which is partially surrounded by
other characters and may, apparently, be as correctly considered a part
of the hieroglyphic inscription as of the day column.
Counting on the list of days in the calendar (Table II), as, for example,
the Muluc column, we find the interval from Muluc to Ix is 5 days, from
Ix to Cauac is 5 days, and from Cauac to Kan 5 days; but the interval
from Ahau to Muluc is 9 days. From this fact we may reasonably infer that
Ahau does not belong to the column. Moreover, the other 4 days are the
four year bearers, and when they occur together the column usually
consists of but 4 days, as, for example, in the lowest division of Plate
29 of this codex and Plate XXXII* of the Manuscript Troano. The numerals
are 20; XIII, X; 20, XII, III; the number over the day column, as before
stated, is wanting. The interval from 1 Muluc (or 2 or 3 Muluc) to Ix of
the same number is 65 days. It is evident, therefore, that one of each
pair of red numerals of the series given must be a counter and has been
colored red by mistake. As the numbers in the last pair are III and XII,
the number over the column must be 3 or 12. Suppose it is 12 and that
XIII of the first pair is a counter, then XII + 20 + 13 - 13 - 13 - 13 =
VI. As the number in the series is X this will not do. Supposing the X of
the first pair of red numerals to be the counter, colored by mistake, the
result is as follows: XII + 20 + 10 - 13 - 13 - 13 = III. This is also
wrong, as the remainder should be XIII. Supposing the number over the
column to be III and the XIII of the first pair and XII of the second to
be the counters, the result agrees with the theory in every particular.
Thus, III + 20 + 13 - 13 - 13 = X; X + 20 + 12 - 13 - 13 - 13 = III; and
20 + 13 + 20 + 12 = 65, the interval between 3 Muluc and 3 Ix. In
Förstemann's copy the XIII and XII are black, thus verifying the
conclusion here reached.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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