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.

    43/120 page 31
    As a connecting link between the particular topic now under discus- sion and the consideration of the symbols of the cardinal points, I wish to refer to one plate of the Fejervary Codex, to wit, Plate 44, a fac- simile of which is i)reseuted in Plate IH: A little careful inspection of this plate will suffice to convince the reader that it was gotten up upon the same plan.and for the same ])ur- pose as the “Tableau des Bacab,” or plate copied from the Codex Cor- tesianus, which is reproduced in our Plate I. The sacred tree or cross, which is represented but once in that plate, and that in the central area, is here shown four times—once in each of the four outer spaces opposite the four sides of the inner area. It is true we do not find here the intermediate ring' (or quadrilateral) of days, but these are not wanting, for the four groups, correspoitdiug with those on the four sides of the quadrilateral, are here found at the four corners wedged in between the colored loops, one grouj) of live at each corner. The chief marked resemblance is to be found in the outer looped line, in which the day characters aie connected by lows of dots. But here the lines and loops, although almost {>recisely in the form and relation to each other as in the plate of the Cortesian Codex, are variously and brightly colored, and the rows of dots are inclosed by lateral lines. Xow for the proof that it is designed for the same purpose as the looped line on the other plate. But it is necessary that I ]>resent first, in a tabular form, a Mexican calendar (Table XIV) similar to tlie con- densed Maya calendar heretofore given. I also give, immediately following, a list of Mexican days for thirteen months, the number necessary to make the circuit of the plate, just as the list of Maya days heretofore given. In this case I have used the English equivalents of the Mexican woi’ds for the benefit of English readers.
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3