9. Day 18 = Imix; Aztec Cipactli. In my treatise on the day-gods, I have
referred to the variations in the significance of this day. The Mayas
connected with it the idea of the female breast, of drink, and, in
particular, of the intoxicating beverage pulque. The deity pictured here,
which is certainly a female deity, has a kind of vessel in her hand, from
which the serpent resting on her head appears to be drinking. Hieroglyphs 2
and 4 are wholly obliterated, and 1 partly; there is a lock of hair, the
sign of femininity, before 1 and 3. It is to be noted further that 3 is the
sign of the death-god and that the deity pictured here has the death-sign
on its cheek. Can this possibly suggest deathlike intoxication?
10. Day 20 = Akbal; Aztec Calli. The meaning is that of darkness, night,
dark hole, then that of house as an artificial cave or as a place of
shelter at night. The first picture on page 7, the black deity L with the
beard fits admirably here. The black paint still visible proves that the
first hieroglyph, which is almost effaced, was his sign, and the second may
be a head more definitely identifying him. The third was the sign _q_, the
fourth is an Ahau, perhaps intimating that Akbal belonged to the days
beginning the Uinal sections of 20 days, and to the lords of the same. In
addition to appearing with these 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th days, an Ahau is
found with the 1st, 6th, 11th and 16th as regent of the year, and lastly,
but especially, with the 17th, which bears the name Ahau, and with the god
D belonging to it.
11. Day 2 = Chicchan; Aztec Cohuatl, serpent. With this would agree also
the third and fourth hieroglyphs (the latter _r_), which are the two we
found in the first representation on page 4 belonging to the deity holding
the serpent. But what is the meaning here of the dog-head of the figure,
and of the first two hieroglyphs corresponding to it? And what does this
creature hold in its hand? The lightning? The hieroglyphs seem to
correspond to the seventh day, as if the scribe had recognized his mistake
and referred here to the present and not to the past year.
12. Day 6 = Muluc; Aztec Atl, water, cloud. With this corresponds the image
of the storm deity K and his two hieroglyphs 1 and 2, the first of which
occurs frequently, and the second is found on pages 20 b and 47, while 3
(Ahau) designates the day as regent of the year and 4 is the hieroglyph a.
The curious sign 2 is also given on Cort. 32 b.
13. Day 8 = Chuen; Aztec Ozomatli, ape. There is no agreement at all here,
but everything points to the day 3 lying 5 days back, the picture of the
Cimi as well as the hieroglyphs, even the third with the Akbal sign and the
uplifted arm (as on page 36a), also the fourth (_c_) which is generally
thought to be the death-bird. It even seems here as if the scribe had had
the preceding year in mind; possibly he did not want to repeat the fifth
group.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account