BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 



spoiiding head variant for the same period, or in other words, the 

 addition of the body parts in full-figiire glyphs in no way influences 

 or changes their meanings. For this reason head-variant and full- 

 figure forms have been treated together. These full-figure glyphs 

 are exceedingly rare, haA^ing been found only in five Initial Series 

 throughout the Maya area: (1) On Stela D at Copan; (2) on Zoo- 

 morph B at Quirigua; (3) on east side Stela D at Quirigua; (4) on 

 west side Stela D at Quirigua; (5) on Hieroglyphic Stairway at 

 Copan. A few full-figure glyphs have been found also on an oblong 

 altar at Copan, though not as parts of an Initial Series, and on Stela 

 15 as a period glyph of an Initial Series. 



THE CYCLE GLYPH 



The Maya name for the period of the 5tli order in Table VIII is 

 unknown. It has been called "the cycle," however, by Maya stu- 



d e f 



Fig. 25. Signs for the cycle: o-<:, Normal forms; d-f, head variants. 



dents, and in default of its true designation, this name has been 

 generally adopted. The normal form of the cycle glyph is shown in 

 figure 25, a, h, c. It is composed of an element which appears twice 

 over a knotted support. The repeated element occurs also in the signs 

 for the months Chen, Yax, Zac, and Ceh (see figs. 19, o-^, 20, l-p). 

 This has been called the Cauac element because it is similar to the 

 sign for the day Cauac in the codices (fig. 17, h'), though on rather 

 inadequate grounds the wTiter is inclined to believe. The head variant 

 of the cycle glyph is shown in figure 25, d-f. The essential charac- 

 teristic of this grotesque head with its long beak is the hand element 

 s^ (*) , wliich forms the lower jaw, though in a very few instances even 

 * tills is absent. In the full-figure forms this same head is joined 

 to the body of a bird (see fig. 26). The bird intended is clearly a 

 parrot, the feet, claws, and beak being portrayed in a very realistic 

 manner. No glyph for the cycle has yet been found in the codices. 



THE KATUN GLYPH 



The period of the 4th place or order was called by the Maya the 

 Icatun; that is to say, 20 tuns, since it contained 20 units of the 3d 



