Almanac 23 (pp. 15b-I6b) Divinatory 



Tl. A complicated presentation of the god Chac diving 



with cacao pods on his left heel. In his left hand is c 

 maize glyph with cacao pods beneath it and a sprouting 

 plant with cordate leaves above. This relates to Al- 

 manac 13 and according to Thompson (1972) ma> 

 relate to the creation story in Chilam Balam of Chu- 

 mayel in which there are references to the descent o\ 

 flowers and gods bearing vegetation. The plant motil 

 suggests to Thompson a sprouting tree trunk. I do not 

 see it as such; rather, the leaves and vining aspect sug- 

 gest the sacred Iponioea violacea (also Turbina coryni- 

 bosa) the seeds of which have amides of lysergic acid 

 and were widely used in the area of Mesoamerica for 

 ritual intoxication and resulting divination. Such an 

 explanation is in keeping with the divinatory nature of 

 the codex as well as the morphology of the plant pres- 

 ented. This idea had occured to Thompson (1972), for 

 in Almanac 11 (p. 13a) he first believed that the 

 pointed, obovate fruits in the bowl might have been 

 ohliuhqui. He was convinced to the contrary by Caso 

 who pointed out the associated round beans (the seed 

 of ohliuhqui is pointed). Thus my suggestion at this 

 point is not beyond the belief system of Thompson with 

 respect to these people. 



Gl. 1. The glyph lah suggests bee keeping and/ or the 



diving bee god (questionable). 



T2. The diving death god repeats Tl and has cacao pods on 



the left elbow and shoulder. 

 Gl. 1. &2. Repeat of Tl. 



T3. A youthful goddess with a coiled serpent in her hair sits 



holding a bowl with stylized flowers emerging from the 

 surface. This is much like some of the portrayals of the 

 balche ceremonial vessels in the Codex Vindobonensis 

 which show, in color, three white flowers on the sur- 

 face. 1 have suggested (Emboden, 1979) that the flowers 



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