THOMAS] THE SECOND DAY AWS) 
water animal—a swordfish, alligator, or something of the kind, though 
exactly which is not certain—or, what is more likely, the reference was 
altogether mythical. 
It is possible, and perhaps probable, as stated above, that the Maya 
symbol of this day was taken originally from the conventional method 
of representing the female breast. Drs Seler and Schellhas appear to be 
of this opinion. But it does not necessarily follow from this that the 
character used for the name of the day has any reference to the female 
breast, as it is more likely used in this relation for its phonetic value 
alone, m being the chief phonetic element indicated thereby. 
If the supposition herein advanced that the combination shown in 
plate Lxtv, 9, denotes bread or food be correct, it is possible that the 
symbol is also sometimes used to indicate “maize,” ixim or vim, on 
account of its phonetic value. As will be shown farther on, the kan 
symbol is not only used to denote the grain of maize and maize in the 
general sense, but it appears to denote in some cases bread or the 
tortilla. 
THE SECOND DAY 
Maya, ik; Tzental, igh; Quiche-Cakchiqnel, ik’; Zapotec, gui, ni, laa, laala or liaa; 
Nahuatl, checatl. 
The form of the symbol of this day presents a number of minor yari- 
ations, the more important of which are shown in plate Lxiv, 18-26. 
Symbol 18 is the form given by Landa; 19-24, those found .in the 
codices; 25 is from the left slab of the Palenque tablet or altar plate, 
and 26 is from the Tikal inscription. 
So far as this character can satisfactorily be interpreted, where used 
otherwise than as a day symbol, the signification appears to be wind, 
spirit, or life, whether considered phonetic or not. As illustrations 
of its use, the following examples are presented: 
At the right side of Dres. 72¢ are the three characters shown in plate 
LXIV, 27, 28, and 29, which follow one another downward, as shown in the 
figure, the three forming one of the short columns of the series to 
which they belong. From the lowest, which is the ik symbol, waving 
blue lines, indicating water, extend downward to the bottom of the 
division. If these glyphs are considered ideographic and not phonetic, 
it is still possible to give them a reasonable interpretation. The fall- 
ing water shows that they relate to the rain storm or tempest. The 
uppermost character, which appears to be falling over on‘its side, we 
may assume to be the symbol of a house or building of some kind;! the 
dotted lines extending from its surface may well be supposed to repre- 
sent rain driven from the roof. There is, however, another possible 
interpretation of this character which appears to be consistent with 
Mexican and Central American mythology. It is that it indicates a 
house, vessel, or region of the heavens which holds the waters of the 
! American Anthropologist, J uly, 1893, pp. 263-264. 
