56 MAYA AND MEXICAN MANUSCRIPTS. 



sculpture, and not so much to the traditions given by the old Spanish 

 authors. 



Finally, the assignment of the year symbols to the four points at 

 which we find them was not, as these early authors supposed, because 

 of their significance, but because in forming the circle of the days they 

 fell at these points. This fact is so apparent from the plates of the 

 ( !odices that it seems to me to forbid any other conclusion. 



In the bottom, blue loop, which we call the west, we see two female 

 figures, one of them with cross-bones on her dress. This agrees pre- 

 cisely with the statement of Sahagun heretofore given, to wit, " for they 

 held the opinion that the dead women, who are goddesses, live in the 

 west, and that the dead men, who are in the house of the sun, guide 

 him from the east with rejoicings every day, until they arrive at rnid- 

 ilay, and that the defunct women, whom they regard as goddesses and 

 call Gioapipiltin, come out from the west to receive him at midday (or 

 south?), and carry him with rejoicing to the west." Before compar- 

 ing with the plate of the Cortesian Codex, we call attention to some 

 other plates of the Mexican Codices, in order to see how far our inter- 

 pretation of the plates of the Fejervary Codex will be borne out. 



Turning now to Plates 65 and 06 of the Vatican Codex B 4S (shown in 

 our Plate IV), we observe four trees (or crosses) each with an individual 

 clasping the trunk. One of these individuals is red, the other white, 

 with slender red stripes and with the face black, another green, and the 

 other black. On the top of each tree, except the one at the right, is a 

 bird ; on the right tree, or rather broad-leaved tropical plant, which is 

 clasped by the black individual, is the figure of the tiger or rabbit. As 

 these are probably intended to represent the seasons (spring, summer, 

 &c), the ages, or the years, and consequently the cardinal points, let us 

 see with what parts of the plate of the Fejervary Codex they respect- 

 ively correspond. 



By turning back to page 50 the reader will see that the days of the 

 first column, viz, Cipactli, Coatl, &c, or numbers 1, 5, 9, 13, 17 were 

 referred to the east, the second column 2, 6, 8, 12, 16 to the north, &c. 

 Each of the four trees has below it, in a line, five day characters. Below 

 the fourth one are Xochitl, Malinalli, Cuetzpalin, Cozcaquauhtli, and 

 Tochtli, precisely those of the fourth column, and which, in accordance 

 with our interpretation of the Fejervary Codex, are assigned to the 

 south. 



Referring to the first or left-hand of these four groups, we observe 

 that the clasping figure is red, and that the days in the line underneath 

 are 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, those of the east, agreeing in all respects with our 

 interpretation of the Fejervary plate. 



The days below the second group, with the white and red striped in- 

 dividual, are 2, 6, 10, 14, 18, indicating the north, and those below the 

 third, with the green individual, 3, 7, 11, 15, 19, denoting the west. 



"Kingsburough, Mex. Antiq., Vol. III. 



