•;4ri AIDS TO THE STUDY OF THE MAYA CODICES. 



apparent, therefore, that eacli group is to be read separately, and, as 

 cacli repeats in part what is given in the others, it is more tlaan prob- 

 able that they are simply short formulas to be repeated in certain 

 religious ceremonies. Tliis ]iai-allflisin. tli(iu,i;-li not always so appar- 

 ent as in the case j)resent(Ml. is iic\it1 liclcss Iniind luiiiiiiii;' t liniugh 

 all the codices. The advantage to the attempts at (Icriphiu-ment 

 which results from this fact is evident, as it will often justify the 

 restoration of blurred or obliterated characters, and, what is of still 

 more importance, will enable the investigator to test his conclusions 

 by comparing the different characters and jiictures with whicli they 

 are associated. 



Although it appears to be well settled that, as a rule, the writing, 

 when in lines, is to be read from left to right — the lines following 

 each other downward and the columns to be read from the top down- 

 ward, but the groujis, as before explained, to be read sejDarately — it 

 does not follow that the groups succeed one another from left to 

 right. This has generally been taken for granted, but there are 

 some reasons to doubt the correctness of this conclusion as regards a 

 number of plates and jjossibly one entire codex. 



The facts that the lines of numerals attached to the day cohimns 

 extend to the right and that the written characters, when in lines, 

 follow one another in the same direction lead us to infer that the 

 groups and pictures f(jllow one another in the same order, but the 

 apparent movement of the latter towards the left would seem to 

 indicate that they follow one another in this direction. This infer- 

 ence ajijiears to be confirmed by the following evidence: As is well 

 known, the plates of tlic Manuscri])t Troano are to be taken in re- 

 verse i.nli.i- to tlie pa'j,iiiL;-. Til 1-11 ill -to Plate II, we observe ill the mid- 

 dle departiiieiit nf the middle divisiiin abound cajitive or victim, on 

 whose neck a machete is descending to sever the head from the 

 trunk. Turning to Plate III, which properly stands to the left of 

 Plate II, we see a headless trunk covered with blood and the fatal 

 machete near the neck. It is fair to presume that this is the same 

 individual that is figui-ed in the preceding jilate, and. if so, that the 

 pictures follow one another toward the left. 



Placing Plates XV* and XVI* of the same manuscript in the 

 proper relation to each other and carefully examining the figures in 

 the second division, we notice that the idol heads which the artisans 

 are carving approach comijletion as we move toward the left, those 

 in Plate XV* and the right hand one in XVI ■' being simply blocked 

 out, while the middle one in the latter plate is completely rounded 

 and is receiving the second ornamental line and the one at the left 

 hand is receiving the third and final line. 



The female figures in the second division of Plate XIX * indicate 

 the same order, as shown by the increasing girth as we proceed 

 toward the left. 



