AIDS TO THE STUDY OF THE MAYA CODICES. 



By Cyrus Thomas. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The object of this paper is to present to students of American 

 paleography a brief exph^nation of some discoveries, made in regard 

 to certain Maya codices, which are not mentioned in my previous 

 papers relating to these aboriginal manuscri])ts. 



It is apparent to every one who has carefully studied these manu- 

 scripts that any attempt to decipher them on the supposition that they 

 contain true alphabetic characters must end in failure. Although 

 enough has been ascertained to render it more than probable that 

 some of the characters are phonetic symbols, yet repeated trials have 

 shown beyond any reasonable doubt that Landa's alphabet furnislies 

 little or no aid in deciphering them, as it is evidently based on a mis- 

 conception of the Maya graphic system. If the manuscripts are ever 

 deciphered it must be by long and laborioiis comparisons and happy 

 guesses, thus gaining point by point and proceeding slowly and cau- 

 tiously step by step. Accepting this as true, it will be admitted that 

 every real discovery in regard to the general signification or tenor of 

 any of these codices, or of any of their symbols, characters, or figures, 

 or even in reference to tln'ii- iimiier order or relation to one another, 

 will be one stej) ,i;aiiir(l low.iril the final interpretation. It is with 

 this idea in view that the fi illuwiug pages have been written and are 

 now presented to the students of American paleography. 



It is impracticable to present fac simile copies of all the plates and 

 figures referred to, but it i.s taken U>v i;-i-anfe(l that those sufficiently 

 interested in this study to examine iliis ]i,i|.er liave access to the pub- 

 lished fac similes of these al^original dttcumeuts. 



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