452 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1916. 



descript characters. Their presence, recalling the open jaws at the 

 northern end, makes it apparent that the sculpture as a whole was 

 intended to represent the mythical bicephalous reptilian monster 

 sometimes referred to as the Earth Monster or God, a frequently 

 recurring conception in the native pantheon. We may well assume 

 that the sculpture embodies the Quiriguan conception of this deity, 

 the forms of which are elaborated in various ways and in endless 

 combinations according to the attributes assigned to it in the my- 

 thology of the different peoples. A variant of this conception, found 

 in Copan, Honduras, is shown in an accompanying illustration (pi. 6). 



The shoulders of the southern end of the idol are embellished with 

 vertical lines of glyphs and cartouches, one group of which, illus- 

 trated herewith, is the giyphic date, while beneath, on each side, aire 

 panels inclosing glyph-bearing demons. Encircling the arms above 

 the elbow are bracelets of elegant design. The shoulders are par- 

 tially covered by the flaring feather work of the headdress and by 

 scrollwork which probably represents the outer elaboration of the 

 jaw^s of the reptile, the main portions of which appear to be hidden 

 by the inscription. 



The upper surface. — Climbing to the back of the strange monster 

 the imagination of the observer is profoundly stirred. Although 

 representing no known form in any kingdom of nature — a pure work 

 of the imagination — a strange compounding and overlapping of 

 human, reptilian, and avian elements, it conveys vividly the impres- 

 sion of a living thing — a dragon outdragoning all the composite 

 monsters of the Orient. So virile are the forms, so tense the coiling, 

 so strong the impression of life, that a thrill almost of apprehension 

 steals over one, for there is a distinct suggestion that the bulging 

 imprisoned inner monster might break its bonds, uncoil its length, 

 and slide away into the deep shadows of the forest imnjediately at 

 hand. This extraordinary face of the sculpture is shown in an ac- 

 companying illustration taken from a model prepared by the Amer- 

 ican Museum of Natural History, in which institution Maudslay's 

 full-size cast of the original is installed (pi. 7). 



The symbolism. — It is not questioned that the great groups of 

 monumental remains that mark the sites of the ancient Maya cities 

 owe their existence to religion and that they were devoted to the 

 service of the gods. The temples were the sanctuaries of the divin- 

 ities, the resorts of their mortal servitors, and storage places for 

 paraphernalia and the offerings of the faithful. The sacred inclo- 

 sures, the courts and plazas in which the great stone monoliths were 

 set up, were the conjuring places of the priesthood where the gods 

 were consulted and invoked — the sacred precincts where on festive 

 occasions the people were permitted to enter and to take part in 

 elaborate ceremonies and where they were made to realize the power 



