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
The conclusion in this case is based on the following evidence: In this
series there are six groups of characters, four compound characters in
each group, arranged as in the annexed diagram:
__________________________________________________
| | | | | | |
| _a_ _b_ | _e_ _d_ | _g_ _h_ | _i_ | _m_ | _o_ |
| | | | | | |
| _c_ _d_ | _c_ _f_ | _c_ _d_ | _c_ | _n_ | _b_ |
|__________|__________|__________| | | |
| | | |
1 2 3 | _k_ | _c_ | _c_ |
| | | |
| _l_ | _l_ | _p_ |
|_____|_____|_____|
Similar characters in the different groups are represented by the same
letter; for example, the symbol for woman, heretofore shown (No. 17), is
represented by _c_, and an unknown character by _d_. Different letters
represent different symbols. It is apparent that we have here the
parallelism heretofore spoken of and are justified in basing conclusions
on this fact.
At 1, 2, and 3 are female figures with a bird in each case perched on the
back. At _a_ is the head of a bird, evidently the symbol of the bird on
the female below; at _i_, in the fourth group, is precisely the same
symbol as the one found in the same relative position in the middle
division of Plate 17 over another bird, and at _m_, in the fifth group,
is another bird's head. From these facts we conclude that the first
symbol in each of these groups denotes a bird, and, as no two are alike,
that they refer to different species, the one at _g_ corresponding with
symbol No. 24, the bird beneath being the great parrot or ara. Other
facts, derived from a careful study of the various groups of this portion
of the codex, which would require much space and numerous illustrations
to explain, lead to the same belief.
According to this conclusion, the following symbols also denote birds,
probably of the species here indicated.
[Illustration: No. 25.]
_Icim_? The horned owl. This is represented by _a_ in the first group
in the above diagram.
The bird in the figure under the group, although horned, bears but slight
resemblance to an owl; yet, comparing the marks on the tail with those of
two of the birds on Plate XVIII* of the Manuscript Troano, I think the
interpretation is justified.
[Illustration: No. 26.]
_Kukuitz_? The Quetzal. The symbol is apparently incomplete, but the
bird figured under it justifies this conclusion. This symbol is
represented by _e_ in the above diagram.
If this interpretation be correct, we find in this symbol another of
Landa's letters.
[Illustration: No. 27. _a_ _b_]
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