rARSTF.MANN] 



THREE INRCRTPTTONS OF PALENQUE 



585 



which are more difficult to recognize, often occur in each one of the 

 three inscriptions, I need not point out in detail, any more than that 

 tlie day 17 ( Ahau) is very prominent here, as in all Maya literature. 



But T nntst call attention to a sign {a, figure 118), the understand- 

 ing of wliich would be an im])ortant step in advance. With many 

 variants, it has the form given al)ove. 



We find this glyph in the following places: 



I : A 11. 17. C 17, D 2, E 7, 13, 17, S 7, 11, U 15, V 4, 0, W i:i, 10, X 2, 



7, 9. 

 II: A 10. B 16, C 5. N 2. 

 Ill : B 10, (' 1, 10, Q 13. 



I believe the chief element of this sign to be a serpent from whose 

 back arrow points project. This recalls the Aztec itzcoatl (" arrow 

 snake "), as it is represented by Brasseur de Bourbourg (Histoire des 

 nations civilisees du Mexique, volume 1, page xlv). This was also 

 the name of the fourth king of Mexico. Can this sign have the mean- 



Fig. 113. Glyphs from the Palenque inscriptions. 



ing of combat or war? I hesitate to refer it to the king who died in 

 1440. 



Quite as important as points of agreement in all three inscriptions 

 are jjoints of agreement in two of them. The most iniporltmt of 

 these is the repetition on one inscription of a calendar date occurring 

 on another. This can not be accidental, for the Mayas had 18,980 

 different calendar dates, and each of the three inscriptions has only 

 between 10 and 20. But it must be regarded as direct evidence of the 

 dependence of one inscription on the other when in two inscriptions 

 the same two calendar dates are consecutive and the actual interval 

 between the two is even given in both cases. I will mention the fol- 

 lowing instance first : 



I III 



Date IX 20 ; 6, 6 G 1 H 1 Q R 6 and E F 1 



Interval .537 L 7 and S Q 14 R 14 



Date XIII 17; 18, 14 L 9 R 14. Q ir>. and (J 2 H 2 



Thus ill TTT the two dates occur even twice, but theii- distance npai't 

 is stated onh' once. 



