Notes on certain Maya and Mexican manuscripts / by Prof. Cyrus Thomas.

  • Cyrus Thomas
Date:
1884
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Notes on certain Maya and Mexican manuscripts / by Prof. Cyrus Thomas. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    29/120 page 17
    If we turn, now, to the Manuscript Troano, and examine the day col- umns, comparing them with these four groups as I have corrected them by this single triinsposition, I think we shall find one clue at least to the object of the arrangement we observe on this plate. As but few are likely to have the Manuscript at hand, I will refer to Chapter VII of my work {A Study of the Manuscript Troano)^ where a large number of these day columns are given. In making the comparison I ask the reader to use my scheme (Fig, 2). Commencing with the first column on page 165, we find it to be Manik, Cauac, Chuen, Akbal, Men, precisely the same days as in the bottom line. The next two on the same page are first Akbal, Muluc, Men, Ymix, Manik, and second, Ben, Cauac, Chic- chan, Chuen, Caban, taken alternately from the bottom and top lines of the quadrilateral. On the lower part of the same page (165) is another column with the following days, Ahau, Oc, Eb, Ik, Kan, Ix, Cib, Cimi, Lamat, taken al- ternately from the right and left sides of the plate as given in our scheme. But there are only nine names iu the column, when the order in which they are taken would seem to require ten. By examining the i)late (IV) iu the Manuscript the reader will see that there are indications that one at the top has been obliterated. By examining the right and left col- umns of our scheme we see that the omitted one is Ezauab. By counting the intervals between the days, as explained in my work, we find them to be alternately two and ten, and that by this rule the missing day is Ezanab. The reader will notice in these examples that Eb and Caban belong to the positions I have given them iu my scheme (Fig. 2). Turning to ])age 166 we find the first column (from “second division,” Plate IV) to be Kan, Cib, Lamat, Ahau, Eb, the same days as in the fight column of our scheme. The second column, Cauac, Chuen, Akbal, Men, Manik, the same as the lower line of the scheme. The first column on page 167 has the same days as the right column of the jdate, as cor- rected in my scheme and our Plate II. The second column of this page presents a new combination. We have so far found the names of a day column all in a single group or line of our plate, or taken alternately from opposite sides; here we find them taken alterna tely from each of the four sides of the quadrilateral moving around to the left in the order I have heretofore explained. The days in this column are Caban, Ik, Manik, Eb, Caban. One is taken from the ui)per line (as corrected), then one from the left side, next from the bottom line, then from the right side (as corrected), and then the same from the top line. It is unnecessary for me to give more examples, as the reader can make the comparison for himself; and he will, as I believe, find my theory sustained. The only real objection I can see to mj'^ explanation of the arrange- ment of the days in this circle is the fact that it necessitates the trans- position of two characters, but it is not unreasonable to suppose that the artist may have made this one mistake. 3 ETH 2
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