Pages 29-45 (_i.e._, to the end of the first part of the Manuscript) all
belong together. After the Maya manner there is very little system
displayed in their arrangement, and though here and there there may be
occasion to consider the three parts of each page consecutively, I will
discuss them here as follows:--First, the top thirds, which are most
difficult owing to the destruction of a large portion of them; then the
middle, and last the bottom thirds. They all consist in great part, with a
few interruptions, of representations of the regular Tonalamatl, such as we
find represented from the beginning of the Manuscript to page 23.
The element which these pages have in common is the fact that the god B,
who can hardly be Kukulcan or Quetzalcoatl, occurs on almost all of them.
He is the god of wind, fire, breath, _i.e._, the true god of life and is
here represented in his relation to the most varied manifestations and
activities of a human being, so that this section bears a certain
resemblance to the Tro-Cortesianus. With this is closely connected his
relation to all four cardinal points, which so often occur. He may have
been the local god of the region from whence this Manuscript came; in the
Tro-Cort. It seems rather to be C who lays claim to this office.
Pages 29a--30a.
XI 13 XI 13 XI 13 XI 13 XI 13 XI
Lamat
Ben
Ezanab
Akbal.
This is a Tonalamatl of 4 × 65 days, each part subdivided into 5 × 13 days.
The four days written on the left are those which may begin the year.
In each of the five sections B is pictured in a sitting posture, the first
four times on a tree (the tree of life rather than the sacrificial tree).
In the first picture he holds in one hand the haunch of venison, so often
occurring as an offering, the last time on page 28; the object above it is
probably the Kan sign. There is a vessel at the god's feet, probably a
receptacle for the venison, bearing the hieroglyph of the 13th day Cib,
which, however, refers rather to a bird.
In the second picture an animal with a protruding tongue lies on its back
at the feet of the god, who kneels upon its stomach. This probably
represents the lightning-dog as vanquished. The same animal is pictured on
the next page and also on page 40b and perhaps on page 60. There are a
number of small dots around B's head, which on page 11c we attempted to
interpret as the starry sky.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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