Aids to the Study of the Maya Codices | Page 7

backs containing pp. 41-45, were cut off and prefixed to Codex B in such way as to have p. 46 and p. 5 adjoining; when I examined the codex more closely I found that between 5 and 46, and therefore also between 41 and 74, there was no such pellicle as generally connects the other leaves. By this change one part was made to contain 20 leaves, the other 19.
"At the same time another change was made. The three blank pages between pp. 28 and 29 had a marring effect, and they were put at the end by cutting through between leaves 18 0 and 17 29 and turning the severed leaves around, so that p. 24 joined on to p. 29 and 17 to 25. The pellicle loosened on this occasion was fastened again.
"I must expressly state that I have no written or oral account of these two manipulations, but conclude they have taken place merely from a comparison of the present arrangement with that which Aglio must have had before him.
"Thus the arrangement in which I found the manuscript, which it may be best to preserve until my views are recognized, is the following:
"(1) The diminished Codex A (19 leaves):
Front: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 25, 26, 27, 28, 0, 0, 0.
Back: 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40.
"Or, if we enumerate the numbers on the back from right to left, so that the back of each leaf stands beneath its front:
6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 | 25, 26, 27, 28, 0, 0, 0. 40, 39, 38, 37, 36, 35, 34, 33, 32, 31, 30, 29 | 24, 23, 22, 21, 20, 19, 18.
"(2) The enlarged Codex B (20 leaves):
Front: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60.
Back: 0, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 41, 43, 43, 44, 45.
"Or, reversing, as in the preceding case, the numbers on the back:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60. 45, 44, 43, 42, 41 | 74, 73, 72, 71, 70, 69, 68, 67, 66, 65, 64, 63, 62, 61, 0."
One of the most difficult things to account for in regard to this codex is the immense number of numeral characters it contains, many of which appear to have no reference to day or other time symbols.
Although it is not claimed that the key which will fully unlock this mystery has been found, it is believed that the discoveries made will throw considerable light on this difficult subject and limit the field of investigation relating to the signification of the Maya codices.
Before proceeding with the discussion of the subject proposed, it will not be amiss to state, for the benefit of those readers not familiar with these ancient American manuscripts, that the Maya method of designating numbers was by means of dots and lines, thus: . (one dot) signifying one; .. (two dots) two, and so on up to four; five was indicated by a single short straight line, thus, ----; ten, by two similar lines, [Illustration: Two horizontal lines, stacked]; and fifteen, by three such lines: [Illustration: Three horizontal lines, stacked]. According to this system, a straight line and a dot, thus, [Illustration: Dot above horizontal line], would denote 6; two straight lines and two dots, [Illustration: Two dots above two stacked horizontal lines], 12; and three straight lines and four dots, [Illustration: Four dots in a line above 3 stacked horizontal lines], 19. But these symbols do not appear to have been used for any greater number than nineteen. They are found of two colors in all the Maya codices, one class black, the other red, though the latter (except in a few instances, where the reason for the variation from the rule is not apparent) are never used to denote a greater number than thirteen, and refer chiefly to the numbers of the days of the Maya week and the numbers of the years of the "Indication" or "week of years." On the other hand, the black numerals appear to be used in all other cases where numbers not exceeding nineteen are introduced. As will appear in the course of this discussion, there are satisfactory reasons for believing that other symbols, quite different from these dots and lines, are used for certain other numbers, at least for 20 and for 0.
In order that the reader may understand what follows, it is necessary to explain the methods of counting the days, months, and years in the order in which