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
Commencing with 13 Ix, the lowest day of the tenth column, lower
division, but first day of the series, and ending with 13 Akbal, the
bottom of the first column, middle series, the time embraced is 5 years,
1 month, 0 day, less 4 months and 11 days--that is, 4 years, 14 months, 9
days (years of 360 days being understood). This is easily proved by
counting on the calendar 4 years, 14 months, and 9 days from 13 Ix, as it
brings us to 13 Akbal. If we add to this time 2 months and 2 days--the
interval between 13 Akbal and 3 Chicchan (top day of first column, middle
division)--we have, as the entire period embraced in the series as it
stands--from 13 Ix (first of the series) to 3 Chicchan (the last)--4
years, 16 months, 11 days. Add to this 4 months and 11 days, in order to
reach the day with which the count begins, and we have as the entire
period 5 years, 3 months, 2 days = 5 years, 1 month, 0 day + 2 months, 2
days. If we count back 4 months and 11 days from 13 Ix (first of the
series), we reach 1 Kan, the day to which the series is referred as its
starting point. Counting forward from this date 5 years, 3 months and 2
days brings us to 3 Chicchan, the last day of the series.
It is worthy of notice that, although this series appears to be referred
to Kan years, it is at variance with the idea of passing from one to the
other of the four year series, and is, moreover, based upon the year of
360 days. The order in which it is to be read, which is true also of some
other pages, indicates that these extracts pertain to a different
original codex than those to which we have heretofore alluded, a
conclusion reached by Dr. Förstemann soon after he commenced the study of
the Dresden manuscript.
I was for a time inclined to believe there was a break between Plates 64
and 65, as there appeared to be no day columns with which the lines of
numerals running through Plates 65-69 could be connected, but the fact
that the sum of the black numbers in each is 91, precisely the interval
between the corresponding days of the columns in Plates 63 and 64, will
probably warrant the conclusion that they are connected with them. This
conclusion is strengthened, so far as those in the lower division are
concerned, by the fact that by taking the XIII attached to the lowest
days of the columns the numbers properly succeed one another and the
series conforms to the rule heretofore given. As proof of this I give
here the lower line of the lower division, prefixing the XIII, thus:
XIII; 9, IX; 5, I; 1, II; 10, XII; 6, V; 2, VII; 11, V; 7, XII; 3, II;
12, I; 8, IX; 4, XIII; 13, XIII.
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