1. B is pictured walking, raising the hatchet in his right hand, and
holding an uncertain object in his left; the serpent with the 19 set down
in its coils does not appear here. The 2nd, 3d and 4th pictures belong
together. In each picture on these three pages there is a serpent with
water in its coils and the number 19 in the water, denoting the number of
days belonging here. As on pages 61 and 62 B is emerging from the open jaws
of the serpent. In each case he is brandishing the uplifted axe in his left
hand. The difference in the three pictures consists, first, in the fact
that only in the 2nd and 3d B wears the copal pouch, second, that only in
the 3d and 4th he has an implement in his right hand (the two implements
differ somewhat but are both, apparently, adapted for hanging up) and
third, that only in 3 the whole picture is painted blue, which means that
the entire scene is enacted under water.
The hieroglyphs are as follows:--
The first in all four cases is a Manik, _i.e._, originally a grasping hand,
perhaps referring to the chase; on page 32 it has a prefix and on pages
33-35 a superfix corresponding to the first.
The second sign on each page is simply B's.
The Cauac sign in the third refers in all four cases to the water
represented at the bottom of pages 33b-35b. On page 32 it has an Akbal as a
superfix, on 33-35 a prefix, which is familiar and in keeping with the sign
and probably also the same suffix, though it is indistinct on page 34.
The fourth sign shows, as do several other things, that the representation
on page 32 differs from that on pages 33-35. On the first of these pages we
see an Imix with a puzzling 1 prefixed. If the numbering of the days really
begins with Kan, as is probable in this Manuscript, then Imix is the 18th
day and 1 + 18 might denote the 19, which is not set down here. On pages
33-35 this sign contains the spiral, which refers to the serpent in the
picture below (and probably therefore to time). A curious element, however,
is the numeral 9 prefixed three times to the spiral. This number is rarely
a prefix, but it occurs, for example, on pages 33a and 35a before the cross
_b_ and on page 60 right, middle, prefixed to Xul (= end). The interval 9
occurs in this Tonalamatl 16 times, including therefore 117 of the 260
days.
The fifth sign each time contains the head without the under jaw, just as
it recurs regularly in the preceding passage, pages 30-31.
The sixth sign in each group is the not uncommon compound of Caban and the
sign, which resembles Muluc and which we saw before in the sixth place
among the hieroglyphs on the right side of page 34.
Pages 35b--37b.
I 11 XII 6 V 9 I 4 V 7 XII 9 VIII 6 I
Caban
Muluc
Imix
Ben
Chicchan.
That is, a regular Tonalamatl of five parts, 5 × 52. That the 52 days are
divided into two halves (11 + 6 + 9 = 4 + 7 + 9 + 6), may only be
accidental.
I will designate the hieroglyphs of the seven divisions thus:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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