Day Symbols of the Maya Year: Sixteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1894-1895, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1897, pages 199-266.Thomas, Cyrus
Religion
Day Symbols of the Maya Year: Sixteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1894-1895, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1897, pages 199-266.
Thomas, Cyrus
Maya calendar
The Mexican name _ollin_ or _olin_ is generally interpreted "motion or
movement," with special reference to the earthquake. Dr Seler, however,
adds "caoutchouc ball." In his first paper, heretofore referred to, he
remarks in regard to the Maya, Tzental, and Quiche-Cakchiquel names:
"There is not much to be drawn from these words." In his subsequent
paper he apparently relies upon the usual signification of the Mexican
term, and from this and the signification of the Zapotec _xoo_,
"powerful, strong, violent," concludes that the Tzental name may be
consistently rendered by "large, powerful," and the Maya name by "that
which is brought down, which is above," reference being made to
ascending and descending. Dr Brinton derives the Maya term from _cab_,
"might or strength," on the authority of the _Motul Dicc._, and says
that in this sense it corresponds precisely with the Tzental _chic_
(equal Maya _chich_, "cosa fuerta y dura"), the Quiche-Cakchiquel _noh_,
"strong, great," and the Zapotec _xoo_, "force, power, or might." Dr
Seler, however, concludes that the Zapotec name is here to be
interpreted "earth," or to be understood as referring to the earth. He
thinks that the day symbol is an abbreviated form of, or derived from,
LXVI, 49, which he takes to be a symbol of the goddess Chiribias or
Ixchebelyax, whom he identifies with Zaczuy, "the white maiden." As will
be observed, we have expressed the opinion that this glyph is a symbol
for woman in the general sense, which conclusion appears to be confirmed
by its connection with different female figures. There are, however,
certain prefixes and suffixes which may serve to give it a specific
application; for example, in LXVII, 14, from Dres. 16c, the prefix,
according to my interpretation, contains the _z_ sound as its chief
phonetic element. It is possible that in this case a particular person
may be referred to by the prefix, the woman symbol being here simply a
determinative. Dr Brinton, in his explanation of the month name _Zip_,
remarks: "This was _Zuhuy Zip_, the virgin _Zip_, her name being
properly _Dzip_, 'to skin, to dress slain animals.'" I prefer, however,
to interpret the symbol by "maiden," or "young woman," the prefix
signifying _zuhuy_. Nevertheless, the suffix in some instances, as
LXVII, 15, from Dres. 18b, may indicate that a sacred or mythological
personage is referred to, as it is added as a suffix in some cases to
deity symbols; however, as it is often found in other relations, where
it can have no such signification, I am not inclined to give it this
interpretation, as the evident female deities are denoted by quite
different glyphs.
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