Part 3

The first picture represents the god probably as feminine, with which the illustration on page 9c should be compared. The lock of hair before sign 3, the death hieroglyph, agrees with this as do also the familiar signs 2 and 4. The god is making sounds, which is indicated by the figure issuing from his mouth. Is the snail in his head-ornament to be understood as the sign for retarded motion?

The second figure is the wounding serpent deity H, likewise represented here as feminine, with a lock of hair; the copal pouch hangs from her neck, her nose-peg resembles a flower as on page 19a. A bird is sitting on her head and is devouring a piece of an animal's body; we have already met this representation in the preceding Tonalamatl. Hieroglyph 6 designates the deity H, 7 (Imix-Kan) probably denotes the devouring of the flesh and sign 8, which is an Ahau with a prefixed knife, may also refer to this.

Finally, the third picture is again the death-god, who is clad in a gala cloak and, in contrast to the first picture, where the deity is sitting on some object, is squatting on the ground. The three hieroglyphs 10, 11 and 12 fit here admirably.

We will now turn back to page 4 and consider the lowest section (c) of pages 4 to 12, which like pages 5b-12b (I omit 4b here because its contents are of an entirely different nature) contain 7 Tonalamatls, that is, five ritual years of 364 days. If, however, we add 4b to these and bear in mind that 10c-11c contain a double Tonalamatl, we will have 9 Tonalamatls. We find a group of 7 Tonalamatls also on pages 51a-52a.

Pages 4c-5c.

XII 10 IX 22 V 11 III 9 XII Cauac Chuen Akbal Men Manik.

The incorrect 10 of the manuscript has been changed to 9. The hieroglyphs are as follows:--

1 2 5 6 9 10 13 14 3 4 7 8 11 12 15 16.

and there are four figures of gods.

The sign of the rising Moan with its usual prefix and superfix (_d_) forms the principal part of this section, the meaning of which, however, is not yet very intelligible. This sign appears not merely as the 1st, 5th, 9th and 13th hieroglyphs, but all the four gods hold it in their hands. Placed after each of these signs are hieroglyphs 2, 6, 10 and 14, which are the double Manik or hand sign denoting a sacrifice (_i_).

The first god portrayed here is G, the sun-god, and the third hieroglyph is his sign, which is rendered yet more unmistakable here by the laterally elongated head _q_, the meaning of which is not yet wholly determined.

The second god is D with his two signs in 7 and 8. 7 designates him rather as night and moon-god and 8 more as the old god and lord of the gods.

The third god is the serpent deity H or Seler's "young god." His sign is hieroglyph 11, with which, to be sure, the unusual sign 12 (_v_) appears as a not very intelligible determinative.

The fourth god is A and his usual signs are given in 15 and 16.

Pages 5c--6c.

This is the second example in our manuscript of a Tonalamatl divided into four parts:--

XII 29 II 11 XIII 18 V 7 XII Ezanab Akbal Lamat Ben Ezanab.

The repetition of the 15th day at the end is superfluous.

Here, then, we have the four days with which the 18 Uinals can begin; in the Tonalamatl on page 9b, the four regents of the year were given instead. Now, whether the beginning of these periods of 20 days was celebrated by a banquet or not, at all events, a feast is suggested by the sign Imix-Kan, which is repeated in hieroglyphs 1, 5, 9 and 13. The four vessels in the hands of the four deities, two of whom are sitting and two standing, would agree with the idea of a feast. The first vessel is a cup filled apparently with foaming pulque, and the other three are larger vessels meant to be hung up. The first deity is D with a snail on his head. Compare page 12b. His hieroglyphs are 2 and 3, and sign _a_ is added as fourth. The next deity is A with his usual signs in 6, 7 and 8. C follows with his hieroglyph in 10 and lastly F with the sign 14 which belongs to him.

There still remain as the 11th and 15th signs, the elongated head _q_ with the Ben-Ik superfix belonging to C and with another superfix belonging to F (with which he likewise appeared as sign 4 in the preceding Tonalamatl). The 12th sign (_v_), which occurs in exactly the same place in the preceding Tonalamatl, is no more intelligible to me here than there.

Pages 6c--7c.

I 17 V 19 XI 6 IV 10 I Chuen Akbal Men Manik Cauac.

Four sitting gods with the regular 16 hieroglyphs. There is no collective sign, however, among these. It seems exactly as if the intention had been to represent the _different_ offerings usually presented to the various deities. At all events the sacrifices are designated by hieroglyphs 1, 5, 9 and 13, and the same objects are also held in the hands of the four gods respectively, although they are clearly recognizable only in the case of the second and third gods.

Now what are these four different sacrificial gifts?

The principal part of the first looks like the sign of the month Mol. In excellent agreement with its appearance is the fact, that this word signifies egg in the Quecchi language. The god receiving the sacrifice here is A. Hieroglyph 2 is his monogram and 3 is that of his companion F and 4 fits both deities.

The second figure is D and his signs are hieroglyphs 6 and 7 to which 8 is added quite superfluously. The sacrifice proper is denoted by 5, which, I think, is a sign of multiplicity and which was originally the fin of a fish. In the manuscripts and inscriptions, when this sign is added to the sign for 360 days, it enhances the value to 20 × 360 = 7200 days.

The third picture represents the god with the bird-head of the Moan and his signs are hieroglyphs 10, 11 and 12. One of these, signifying rising birds, is also the offering in 9.

Lastly, the fourth picture is, according to Schellhas, the serpent deity H, and, according to Seler, the "young god," with the snail on his head. His sign is hieroglyph 14. Added to this is the sign _a_ in 15, and in 16 it is _q_ again with the same superfix as in sign 15 of the preceding Tonalamatl. The sacrifice in 13 is represented by a Kan sign, which is equivalent to maize, maize bread or tortilla.

Repeatedly, as on page 23b or 29b-31b of our manuscript, we see a portion of game (deer), a bird, a lizard and a fish represented as sacrifices. With this the fish and bird in our second and third pictures agree very well. I shall not venture to explain the other two in the first and fourth pictures. Perhaps future explanations of the curious head-ornament of the four gods will shed further light on the subject.

Page 8c.

III 9 XII 9 VIII 9 IV 9 XIII 9 IX 7 III Cib Lamat Ahau Eb Kan.

The horizontal line should be read in this order; in the manuscript the numbers are in a somewhat unusual order.

An attempt has been made to divide the 52 days into sections of 9 days each, and in doing this the sixth subdivision has fallen short of two days. Since this passage has but two pictures, six of the 12 hieroglyphs must belong to each of the figures. I read the hieroglyphs in the following order:--

1 2 5 7 8 11 3 4 6 9 10 12.

Each of the two pictures contains a building and a deity in front of it, each of whom seems to have placed another deity in the building. In the first picture D is putting C inside and in the second F is doing the same to A or the Moan. I will add also, that the day belonging to C (Chuen) is actually 9 days distant from that of D (Ahau). I am uncertain in regard to the other two. In the back of each building we see a cross.

A similar association of two gods appears again elsewhere, as on page 35a, where D lies on a building in which C is sitting, thus showing an association of the same two gods as in our first group.

In both groups the first two hieroglyphs form the common heading, since 1 corresponds in general to 7 and 2 to 8. In the first group 3 and 4 are the hieroglyphs of D and 5 and 6 are the signs _q_ and _v_; does one of these last signs refer to the god C? In the second group 9 is the sign of F, who stands in front of the house and 10 that of the god in the house, as perhaps is also 11, when we consider the closed eye; this is one of the many hieroglyphs having an uplifted arm as a prefix. On page 9a we find exactly the same sign. The last sign is the hieroglyph _q_, which sometimes seems to be used merely to fill space; it corresponds, but with a different superfix, to the fifth hieroglyph of the first group.

The last three parts of this section of the manuscript all differ appreciably from the usual form (5 × 52 = 260 days).

Page 9c.

Here for the first time the manuscript contains a Tonalamatl, which is divided into 10 × 26 days. It is true the position of both the days and numbers is quite irregular. The manuscript presents the following order:--

III III VI VIII 3 2 Cauac Ben XI II Chuen Chicchan 3 4 Akbal Caban VI VII Men Muluc 4 1 Manik Imix. I III 7 2

I read it thus:--

III 3 VI 2 VIII 3 XI 4 II 4 VI 1 VII 7 I 2 III Cauac Chicchan Chuen Caban Akbal Muluc Men Imix Manik Ben.

Two figures and eight hieroglyphs are given here. I do not venture to decide whether each of the two figures with its hieroglyphs relates only to a period of 26 days or to the half of the whole, 130 days. I think the latter is more likely to be the case. The sign Imix-Kan, which I am inclined to refer to a sacrificial meal, is common to both groups and connects them. The two gods seem also to have a sign pertaining to a meal in their hands; this may be a cup.

The first deity is D or I, but with a female breast and with a serpent on his head. His signs are 2 and 3. The second god is A with a snail on his head and his signs are 6 and 7.

In addition to these, sign 4 of the first group is _v_ and sign 8 of the second group is c.

Pages 10c--11c.

I 3 XIII 1 I 5 VI 10 III 13 III 15 V 8 (in error 9) XIII Imix Cimi Ben Ezanab Chicchan Oc Caban Ik Muluc Ix.

Here we have two independent Tonalamatls as on page 12a. There are subdivisions only for the second; the first should be regarded either as entirely invalid or else its division has merely been omitted.

6 gods with 4 hieroglyphs each are represented on these pages:--

1 2 5 6 9 10 13 14 17 18 21 22 3 4 7 8 11 12 15 16 19 20 23 24.

Here too Hieroglyphs 1, 5, 9, 13, 17 and 21 are the common factor; they have the form of the month Mol, but here, as on page 6c, they probably designate the particular object constituting the sacrifice. The following details are to be noted regarding the six divisions:--

1. The god A with his two signs in 2 and 3.

2. D with the signs 6 and 7.

3. F with the signs 10 and 11 (the latter _c_).

4. E with the signs 14 and 15, having on his head a structure, which is compounded apparently of a Kan sign, a snail and the suggestion of the maize plant.

5. G, clad in the gala cloak and the copal bag. His sign is 18, while 19 suggests rather the Moan or K.

6. B, his headdress displays the little circles, which often occur in connection with him, _e.g._, pages 30c, 40a and 41a, and which may suggest the starry sky. His sign is 22; the hieroglyph _m_ is added to it in 23 as a determinative.

As usual, the fourth sign of each group is the most puzzling. 4 and 12 are Imix with the uplifted arm as a prefix, as on page 13a, 8 is the hieroglyph _o_, 16 is _a_, 20 is _c_ and the principal part of 24 is _r_. This sign _r_ seems to me to suggest the week of 13 days (see above the explanation of page 4a); four weeks of this kind end here.

It is to be noted further that all the six gods are holding one hand outstretched:--A downward, B upward and the four in the centre forward.

Page 12c.

XIII 26 XIII 26 XIII 13 XIII Chuen Cib Imix Cimi Chuen.

This is another Tonalamatl divided into 4 × 65, the subdivisions being transferred to the end of the second, fourth and fifth weeks. The Chuen at the bottom is superfluous.

The twelve hieroglyphs standing here according to rule are grouped together in fours by the three pairs of the first row. Of these 1, 5 and 9 are the fist, familiar from the inscriptions, and which we also see on page 10b of this manuscript, where, to be sure, it occurs with the sign of B, as often happens, but here it has the closed eye of the death-god A. On the other hand, 2, 6 and 10 are the sign Kin = sun, with merely a dotted outline, and the three gods pictured below all hold the same Kin sign in their hands. This passage, may refer to the dying sun, the winter solstice.

The first god is D, who, however, has B's head on top of his own. An object like a spyglass projects from the eye of B, which one could hardly venture to pronounce a nose-peg. The sign 4 (Ahau) refers to D; but what is the meaning of 3, the hieroglyph of the serpent deity H? Is the sun wounded?

The second god is the baldheaded old deity, whom Schellhas designates as N. The hieroglyph 7, apparently referring to the five Uayeyab days, is his sign; we found it on page 4b and shall again find it on page 21c, and this time likewise with the old man. What is the meaning of the grain-goddess E denoted by sign 8? As N is connected with the close of the year, so E seems to be in various ways connected with the beginning of the new year.

The third picture is unmistakably the sun-god G with the copal pouch hanging from his neck. His sign is 11, while sign 12, which suggests the wind-god K and balled-up clouds, is as difficult to explain here as it was on page 11c. The signs 8 and 12 seem, therefore, to refer to one another, and, if I do not see too much, look like a promise of rain and harvest.

On page 12 the Tonalamatls of the three sections of the page come to an end and a new part of the manuscript begins.

Page 13a.

I shall here group together pages 13 and 14, the top third of 14 encroaches a little upon page 15. 13a has the following Tonalamatl:--

Imix Ben Chicchan Caban Muluc.

I have supplied the first day, which is effaced. The week days are wanting. The 52 days are divided into halves of 26 days each.

Of the 8 hieroglyphs the fifth seems to be the same as the destroyed first; aside from the prefix, it is the sign _s_.

The two halves of the period have two gods, the first is B with a very singular head-ornament, and the second A, perhaps with the symbol of a snail on his head. Both hold a plant (agave) in their hands, as on pages 10b and 12a. Hieroglyph 2, which is mostly destroyed, must have been B's monogram, 4 has the Ahau as its determinative, and 3 is the elongated head _q_ with Ben-Ik.

In the second group 6 and 8 are the signs of A, and 7 is an Imix with the uplifted arm prefixed, as on page 10c.

Pages 14a--15a.

VIII 13 VIII 13 VIII 13 VIII 13 Ahau Eb Kan Cib Lamat.

The month days 13 and 5 have changed places in the manuscript. The initial day VIII Ahau will prove to be of especial importance in the second part of the manuscript (compare page 70). Here, as in the preceding Tonalamatl, the period is divided into equal parts.

Little can be said of the hieroglyphs, 16 in number, since 6, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 are wholly or mostly destroyed. 3, 7 and 11 seem here to be a comprehensive element, as is also probably 15, but I am unable to refer this head to a particular god; 2, 6, 10 and 14 may also be alike, but this is very uncertain. 1, 5, 9 and 13 may have denoted the four cardinal points, at least 1 suggests the south and 5 the north.

Thus we have left for the four deities E, H, A and G, only the signs 4, 8, 12 and 16; 4 surely belongs to E, and 8 to H, but the other two are erased.

Pages 13b--14b.

VI 13 VI 9 II 7 IX 7 III 7 X 9 VI Ahau Eb Kan Cib Lamat.

There are 24 hieroglyphs for the 6 divisions:--

1 2 5 6 9 10 13 14 17 18 21 22 3 4 7 8 11 12 15 16 19 20 23 24.

Of these the upper row again contains the comprehensive signs, and the lower the discriminating characters. The closed eye in 1, 5, 9, 13, 17 and 21 suggests A, who also appears below as the first of the six gods, and the superfix of these signs suggests the south. 2, 6, 10, 14, 18 and 22 are the Kan sign, and we also find this sign in the hand of each of the six gods. Thus the subject of this passage seems strictly speaking to be harvest or food.

The six gods are A, E, C, L, F and D; the second, third fourth and fifth have a bird on their heads. The first and fourth birds are eating, as on pages 11a and 12b, and thus probably represent enemies of the harvest. The first is of a different species from the other two. The four gods in the centre have the copal pouch about their necks. Signs 3 and 4 are the common hieroglyphs for A; 7 that for E, to which _o_ is added as a determinative; 11 is C's hieroglyph with an _a_ added to it, and L is undoubtedly denoted by sign 15; 16 is _r_ (equal to 13 days; it is meant here for the day III Cib). F appears quite according to rule in 19, which is appropriately followed by the sign _c_ in 20. Finally the hieroglyphs for D in 23 and 24 are the usual ones.

We come now to the large section extending to page 23, which, owing to the numerous pictures of women, forms a section quite by itself. It is not likely that this contains anything else than oracles relating to pregnancy; in fact, the period of 260 days represented here with great frequency is in excellent accord with this subject. In the Codex Tro-Cort. there is also a section devoted to women, which corresponds to this chapter and particularly page 19* of the Troano affords remarkable parallels to the Dresdensis, even in details.

Pages 13c--14c.

II II 7 IX 3 XII 3 II 13 II Men Chicchan Imix Chuen Manik Caban Ben Akbal Cauac Muluc.

The second of the two vertical rows on the left should be considered as immediately joined to the first. Thus we have here the second example in this manuscript of a Tonalamatl of ten parts; the first was on page 9c.

The entire representation on 13c and 14c looks like an introduction to the following section, as though treating in general of the relation to one another of pairs of animals, of human beings and of deities. Corresponding with the Tonalamatl, there are four pairs of this kind represented.

The hieroglyphs belonging to these pictures are distributed among the four sections as follows:--

1 2 5 6 9 10 11 15 16 17 3 4 7 8 12 13 14 18 19 20.

Apparently, the first two pictures have only 4 signs each, and the other two 6, but this is equalized by the fact, that hieroglyphs 1, 3, 5, and 7 are clearly each composed of two signs. The comprehensive sign appearing in 2, 6, 9 and 16, is, properly speaking, the sign _t_, which may denote coition, and, not unsuitably, contains in its centre two black figures side by side.

Passing now to the separate four groups, I think the male figure is always on the right and the female on the left. In the first and second groups the two face each other, and in the other two groups the male is behind the female.

1. The female figure is an animal, perhaps a deer, the male is a black and white spotted deity having a human form and his head appropriately embellished with horns. The hieroglyphs belonging to these are:--1, a combination of Manik and Chuen with a prefixed 4, just as on page 21b; 3, likewise a compound sign, with a prefixed 7, which occurs also on page 46c on the left, and which I do not venture to explain, but which seems to denote horns, and lastly the hieroglyph c.

2. The female figure is an animal (on page 19a the female is represented more in resemblance to the human form) with a bird-head, to which belongs the compound sign _s_, still unexplained; the male figure is a barking (or howling?) dog, as on page 21b. Hieroglyph 7 is composite and contains first the sign generally belonging to the dog and suggesting a skeleton, which also represents the 14th month, and secondly, a Cimi closely related to it, precisely the same as in the parallel passage 21b. The well-known _q_ follows in the 8th place.

3. The god D holds in front of himself an animal, which may be a rabbit. His signs are hieroglyphs 11 and 12, while 13, the principal part of which is a grasping hand, clutching a Moan sign, seems to refer to the animal in the picture. 10 is _b_ and 14 is a.

4. Lastly, two beings in human guise, showing thus a closer connection with what follows. They are the black god L with his hieroglyph in 18 enlarged by an Imix, and a woman holding a Kan sign in her hand, hieroglyph 20 likewise showing the ordinary combination of Imix-Kan. Sign 15, however, refers to the woman, and lastly 17 and 19 are the signs _m_ and _r_; I note that _r_ ends a period of 13 days.

The contents of the following seem to suggest that we should first read page 15 (including the middle section of 16) from top to bottom, then pages 16-23, partly from left to right and partly from top to bottom, according to the subject.

Page 15a.

V 34 XIII 18 V Ahau Eb Kan Cib Lamat.

There are two pictures with 4 hieroglyphs each.

The two pictures represent D and A, the latter probably as feminine. Both are falling headfirst, and both have leaves about them as if they were falling from a tree and a cry is issuing from A's mouth. The common element is given in hieroglyphs 2, 3 and 7, which are all signs of D. Further, 4 is the Chuen sign, the ape (as the animal living on trees?), its prefix is hieroglyph _r_, which I regard as denoting the week of 13 days and which falls here exactly on the day XIII. And the same Chuen sign is repeated in the second group as the first part of sign 6, the second part of which is illegible. 8 is the sign of A and 1 is effaced.

Pages 15b--16b.

I 13 I 31 VI 8 I 13 I Ik Manik Eb Caban Ik.

That is 4 × 65 = 260 days. Hence the sign of Ik repeated at the bottom, as is usual in such cases, is superfluous.

The Tonalamatl contains 4 figures, of which 1 and 2 form one pair and 3 and 4 another.

As on page 15a, the pair at the left are falling down and also have leaves about them. They are god B, who holds a Kan sign in his hand, and a woman, whose eyes are closed and who holds the sign of death before her breast. B is falling down in a similar fashion in Cort. 17. Hieroglyphs 1-8 belong to this pair. Of these, 1, 5 and 8 and also 7 refer to death, 3 with the determinative sign, 4, added (which is the sign _q_ with a Ben-Ik), refers to B, while signs 2 and 6 belonging to god D, who occurred in the preceding Tonalamatl, should be noted.