Notes on Certain Maya and Mexican Manuscripts | Page 3

translated as west, but the first sign of this group, and also
an animal characteristic of the Occident, which has been identified with
the armadillo. I have some doubts upon the subject of this animal, but
its affinity with the qualification of the west appears to me at least very
probable.
We see from this quotation, that Rosny was unable to give any
explanation of the day characters, dots, and L-shaped symbols in the
outer space; also that he was unable to suggest any reason for the
peculiar arrangement of the day symbols in the intermediate circle or

quadrilateral. His suggestions are limited to the four characters placed
opposite the four sides, and which, he believes, and I think correctly, to
be the symbols of the four cardinal points. Whether his conclusion as to
the points they respectively refer to be correct or not, is one of the
questions I propose to discuss in this paper. But before entering upon
this, the most important question regarding the plate, I desire first to
offer what I believe will be admitted to be a correct explanation of the
object and uses of the day symbols, dots, &c., in the outer space, and
the intermediate circle of day characters.
If we examine carefully the day characters and large black dots in the
outer space we shall find that all taken together really form but one
continuous line, making one outward and two inward bends or loops at
each corner.
For example, commencing with Cauac (No. 31) (see scheme of the
plate, Fig. 2), on the right side, and running upward toward the top
along the row of dots next the right-hand margin, we reach the
character Chuen (No. 32); just above is Eb (No. 33); then running
inward toward the center, along the row of dots to Kan (No. 34); then
upward to Chicchan (No. 35); then outward along the row of dots
toward the outer corner to Caban (No. 36); then to the left to Ezanab
(No. 37); then inward to Oc (No. 38); then to the left to Chuen (No. 39);
outward to Akbal (No. 40), and so on around.
Before proceeding further it is necessary that I introduce here a Maya
calendar, in order that my next point may be clearly understood. To
simplify this as far as possible, I give first a table for a single Cauac
year, in two forms, one as the ordinary counting-house calendar (Table
I), the other a simple continuous list of days (Table II), but in this latter
case only for thirteen months, just what is necessary to complete the
circuit of our plate.
As explained in my former paper[3], although there were twenty days
in each Maya month, each day with its own particular name, and
always following each other in the same order, so that each month
would begin with the same day the year commenced with, yet it was
the custom to number the days up to 13 and then commence again with

1, 2, 3, and so on, thus dividing the year into weeks of thirteen days
each.
For a full explanation of this complicated calendar system I must refer
the reader to my former paper. But at present we shall need only an
understanding of the tables here given. I shall, as I proceed, refer to
Table I, leaving the reader who prefers to do so to refer to the list of
days marked Table II, as they are precisely the same thing, only
differing in form.
TABLE I.--Maya calendar for one year
------------------------------------------------------------------ Nos. of | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | the months. | 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17|18
------------+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--
Cauac | 1| 8| 2| 9| 3|10| 4|11| 5|12| 6|13| 7| 1| 8| 2| 9| 3 Ahau | 2| 9| 3|10|
4|11| 5|12| 6|13| 7| 1| 8| 2| 9| 3|10| 4 Ymix | 3|10| 4|11| 5|12| 6|13| 7| 1| 8|
2| 9| 3|10| 4|11| 5 Ik | 4|11| 5|12| 6|13| 7| 1| 8| 2| 9| 3|10| 4|11| 5|12| 6
Akbal | 5|12| 6|13| 7| 1| 8| 2| 9| 3|10| 4|11| 5|12| 6|13| 7 Kan | 6|13| 7| 1| 8|
2| 9| 3|10| 4|11| 5|12| 6|13| 7| 1| 8 Chicchan | 7| 1| 8| 2| 9| 3|10| 4|11| 5|12|
6|13| 7| 1| 8| 2| 9 Cimi | 8| 2| 9| 3|10| 4|11| 5|12| 6|13| 7| 1| 8| 2| 9| 3|10
Manik | 9| 3|10| 4|11| 5|12| 6|13| 7| 1| 8| 2| 9| 3|10| 4|11 Lamat |10| 4|11|
5|12| 6|13| 7| 1| 8| 2| 9| 3|10| 4|11| 5|12 Muluc |11| 5|12| 6|13| 7| 1| 8| 2| 9|
3|10| 4|11| 5|12| 6|13 Oc |12| 6|13| 7| 1| 8| 2| 9| 3|10| 4|11| 5|12| 6|13| 7| 1
Chuen