Almanac 38 (pp. 22a~23a) Divinatory 



Tl. A diving diety of uncertain character holds a maize 



glyph (he may be the maize god). His turtle head dress 

 suggests aqueous elements as do the numerous Nymphaea- 

 like motifs around the back of this figure. As with pre- 

 vious diving figures, he seems to share in some concept 

 of magnical or divine vegetation. 



Almanac 40 (pp. 17b 18b) Divinatory, medical 



T2. This is a very elusive T'ol as there is no picture, but Gl. 



1 of a monkey head with the down prefix and Gl. 4 

 suggest shaman, curer and Our Lady.. There may also 

 be a double meaning, not uncommon to this codex, 

 Thompson points out that maax (max) is the name for 

 both the spider monkey, for a variety of eruptions, 

 inflammations and swellings, and for wild chile (Capsi- 

 cum) of which there are several species in the Maya 

 territory. The use of Capsicum fruits in shamanic div- 

 ination is known from this area, and the plant serves 

 effectively to help in healing as it is bacteriocidal and 

 the vitamin C content would have helped to prevent a 

 number of the diseases that are suggested by maax. The 

 argument that there should then be portrayed a wild 

 chile plant does not hold, for maize is most often men- 

 tioned but rarely portrayed except by the abstracted 

 maize glyph. Capsacin is the active constituent in the 

 fruit of the Capsicum plant. 



Almanac 42 (pp. I9b-20b) Divinatory 



T2. The seated moon goddess holds a small figure of God 



H before her. He wears the reflexed Nymphaea on his 

 head and through his nose is a rod terminating in an 

 unidentifiable flower. 



Almanac 45 (p. 22b) Divinatory 



Tl . The youthful Chac is depicted as wearing the head of a 



dog and holding in his hand the maize sign. 



103 



