Cyrus Thomas

“ Even admitting that the large angular loops indicate the cardinal points, we must suppose the figures of one corner, either those at the right or left, belong respectively to them. As the symbols of the year-bearers Acatl, Tecpatl, Calli, and Tochtli have peculiar marks of distinction, we are justified in believing that this distinction is for the purpose of signifying the quarter to which they belong. Examining carefully the bird on the symbol for Acatl in the upper left-hand corner loop, we find that it can be identified only with that on the tree in the top or red angular loop. ”

“ Many more points or items of agreement might be pointed out, but these will suffice to show that one must have borrowed from the other, for it is impossible that isolated civilizations should have produced such identical results in details even down to conventional figures. Again we ask the question, Which was the borrower? We hesitate to accept what seems to be the legitimate conclusion to be drawn from these facts, as it compels us to take issue with the view almost universally held. One thing is apparent, viz, that the Mexican symbols could never have grown out of the Maya hieroglyphics. ”

“ As the four names of the days with which the years began probably show, as arranged in the above square, their respective positions in the calendar wheel, I infer that, in their normal arrangement, Cipactli corresponded with the red, Miquiztli with the green, Ozomatli with the yellow, and Cozcaquauhtli with the blue. This brings the colors in precise accordance with those on the cross in the lower right-hand square of Plate 43; and if we suppose the black figure to correspond with the blue it brings the colors in the same order, but the day groups are shifted around one point to the left. ”

“ If this people were, as is generally supposed, the leaders in Mexican and Central American civilization, it is possible that the Aztecs, a more savage and barbarous people, borrowed their civilization from the former, and, having less tendency toward development, retained the original symbols and figures of the former, adding only ornamentation and details, but not advancing to any great extent toward a written language. ”

“ I may remark that it is the opinion of the artist, Mr. Holmes, from an inspection of the photograph, that the plate was at least partially colored.
M. de Charencey, who has studied with much care the custom of identifying colors with the cardinal points in both the New and Old World, believes that in Mexico and Central America the original system was to refer yellow to the east, black to the north, white to the west, and red to the south.25
When we turn to the Mexican system we find the data greatly increased, but, unfortunately, the difficulties and confusion are increased in like proportion. ”

“ I think it quite probable that the artist who painted this plate, of the Fejervary Codex believed the first “sun” or “age” should be assigned to the east, and that here the flint indicates origin, first creative power or that out of which the first creation issued, an idea which I believe is consonant with Nahua traditions. I may as well state here as elsewhere that notwithstanding the statement made by Gemelli and others that it was the belief or tradition of the Mexicans that the sun first appeared in the south, I am somewhat skeptical on this point. ”

“ The days Cipactli, Michitzli, Ozomatli, and Cozcaquauhtli are companions to—that is, in all respects follow—the order of the four figures that denote the years of an age, viz, Tochtli, Acatl, Tecpatl, and Cagli, to signify that every year whose symbol is Tochtli will have Cipactli for the first day of the month ”

“ The presence of this symbol and of the figure of death in this space, as also the figures of the gods of death and the under world in the corresponding space of the Cortesian plate, [55] strongly inclined me for a time to believe that this should be considered the north, as in the Aztec superstitions one class of the dead was located in that region; but a more thorough study leads me to the conclusion that these figures are intended to represent the earth and to symbolize the fact that here is to be found the point where the old cycle ends and the new begins. ”

“ As there are four different series of years in the Maya calendar, the Cauac years, Kan years, Muluc years, and Ix years, it is necessary that we have four different tables, similar to that given for the Cauac years, to represent them, or to combine all in one table. ”

“ The third sign was a lizard, to show that the life of man, besides being brief, is destitute, and replete with the ills of nakedness and cold, and with other miseries. The fourth was a certain very cruel species of bird which inhabits that country. The fifth sign was a rabbit, because they say that in this sign their food was created, and accordingly they believed that it presided over drunken revels. [Xochitl, Malinalli, Cuetzpalin, Cozcaquauhtli, Tochtli.] They placed five other signs at the west, which region they called Tetziuatlan. ”

“ 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. ”

“ They form some aid in the few plates of general application to the calendar, and where there are reasons, as in the cases given, to suppose the cardinal points will be indicated in some regular order. The same thing is true also in regard to the Manuscript Troano. For example, if we suppose character a of Fig. 7 to denote the east, b north, c west, and d south, we shall find them arranged in the following different ways:
Combine with these colors and other distinctive marks, then vary them in proportion, and we should have an endless variety, just as we see in the Mexican Codices. ”

“ As will be seen by reference to our Plate No. 1, which is an exact copy from Rosny’s work, this page consists of three divisions: First, an inner quadrilateral space, in which there are a kind of cross or sacred tree; two sitting figures, one of which is a female, and six characters. Second, a narrow space or belt forming a border to the inner area, from which it is separated by a single line; it is separated from the outer space by a double line. This space contains the characters for the twenty days of the Maya month, but not arranged in consecutive order. ”

“ This is a very important point, the determination of which must have a strong bearing on our decision as to the cardinal points. As it is here that the apparently strongest evidence against my conclusion is to be found, it is necessary that I explain somewhat fully my reasons for deciding against this apparent evidence. ”

“ 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 alternately 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 upper 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. ”

“ Each of these serpents, as I have heretofore intimated,9 probably denotes one of the four-year series of the cycle of fifty-two years, just as in the Maya cycle we would say “the Cauac series,” “Kan series,” etc.10 The thirteen years of each series, is denoted by the small circles on the serpents. The four large figures are, as we shall hereafter see, fanciful representations of certain ideas held by this people in regard to the four cardinal points, each probably with its significant color as understood by the artist, and each probably indicating one of the four-year bearers. ”

“ Brasseur, in his Histoire des Nations civilisées du Mexique et de l’Amérique Centrale,18 assigns Kan to the east, Muluc to the north, Hix to the west, and Cauac to the south. But in his supplement to Études sur le Manuscrit Troano,19 and in his note to Landa’s Relacion,20 refers Kan to the south, Muluc to the east, Ix to the north, and Cauac to the west, [40] although afterwards, in the same work, in a note to Perez’ Cronologia, he quotes Cogulludo’s statement without explanation or objection. ”

“ But there is nothing given to show that this was the reason for the selection or reference of these colors by the inhabitants of Central America.
This brings another factor into the discussion and widens the field of our investigation; and as but little, save the terms applied to or connected with the dominical days, is to be found in regard to the Maya custom in this respect, we are forced to refer to the Mexican custom as the next best evidence. ”

“ In the bottom, blue loop, which we call the west, we see two female figures, one of them with cross-bones on her dress. This agrees precisely with the statement of Sahagun heretofore given, to wit, “for they held the opinion that the dead women, who are goddesses, live in the west, and that the dead men, who are in the house of the sun, guide him from the east with rejoicings every day, until they arrive at midday, and that the defunct women, whom they regard as goddesses and call Cioapipiltin, come out from the west to receive him at midday (or south?) ”

“ Having found this analogy between the age and the year, they would carry the similitude or proportions on further, and, as in the year there are four seasons, so they would adapt the like to the age, and accordingly they appointed Tochtli for its beginning in the south, as it were, the spring and youth of the sun’s age; Acatl for the summer, Tecpatl for the autumn, and Cagli for his old age or winter.
“These figures so disposed were also the hieroglyphicks of the elements, which is the second doubt; for Tochtli was dedicated to Tevacayohua, god of earth; Acatl to Tlalocatetuhtli, god of water ”

“ Accordingly, completing their reckoning of a cycle at the sign of Two Canes, they counted an Age, which is a period of fifty-two years, because, [51] on account of the bissextile years which necessarily fell in this sign of the Cane, it occurred at the expiration of every period of fifty-two years. Their third sign was a certain figure which we shall presently see, resembling a serpent or viper, by which they intended to signify the poverty and labors which men suffer in this life. ”

“ Tecpatl will have Ozomatli, and Cagli will have Cozcaquauhtli.”
Clavigero29 agrees with Gemelli in reference to the correspondence of the year symbols with the first days of the years, and inserts the following remark in a note:
“Cav. Boturini says that the year of the rabbet began uniformly with the day of the rabbet, the year of the cane with the day of the cane, &c., and never with the days which we have mentioned; but we ought to give more faith to Siguenza, who was certainly better informed in Mexican antiquity. The system of this gentleman is fantastical and full of contradictions.” ”

“ For the Muluc years we commence with Muluc No. 11, of the left side of the scheme, and end with Lamat No. 10. For the Ix years we begin with Ix No. 21, at the bottom, and end with Been No. 20. For the Cauac years we begin with Cauac No. 31, at the right side, and end with Ezanab No. 30.
By following this plan we will find that the characters and numerals in the plate agree in every case with the names and numbers of the days in the table, showing that I have properly interpreted this part of the plate. ”

“ If we accept the theory that there was a Toltec nation preceding the advent of the Aztec, which, when broken up and driven out of Mexico, [65] proceeded southward, where probably colonies from the main stock had already been planted, we may be able to solve the enigma. ”

“ 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 [10] 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. ”

“ This difference I am inclined to believe (though without a thorough examination of the subject) arises chiefly from a variation of the cardinal point with which they commence the count, those starting at the south commencing with the element earth, those beginning at the east with water.47 Not that the authors themselves always indicated these points, but that a proper interpretation of the original authorities would have resulted in this conclusion, supposing a proper adjustment of the different calendar systems of the Nahua nations to have been made. ”

“ It is possible that the days of one group indicate the year intended; that is, whether it is a Cauac, Kan, Muluc, or Ix year.
For example, column No. 4 (Table IV) , or some other, one of the four, may relate to Kan years; No. 1 to Muluc years; No. 2 to Ix years, and No. 3 to Cauac years. Assuming this to be correct, then the example heretofore given, where the days named are 1 Cib, 1 Ahau, 1 Kan, 1 Lamat, and 1 Eb, and the month the first (Pop) , would indicate only the years 7 Muluc, 3 Muluc, 12 Muluc, 8 Muluc, and 11 Muluc. These would all come in Ahau No. ”