218 DAY SYMBOLS OF THE MAYA YEAR (ETH. ANN. 16 
are expressed by hieroglyphs 27-29, plate Lxvu1. His comparison 
with the so-called heart figures from the Mexican codices can scarcely 
be regarded as convincing, for there is hardly any resemblance. More- 
over, he omits to furnish an explanation, on his theory, of the faet that 
some of these rising ‘‘ vapors” are crowned with blossoms or fruit (plate 
Tver): 
I think it quite probable that Dr Seler, although not accepting the 
theory of phoneticism, has been intluenced to some extent by the form 
of the right-hand character of the glyph shown in plate Lxviil, 27. 
This is much like Landa’s 0, and ol in Maya denotes “heart, etc.” 
According to Brasseur, oloh signifies ‘a germ” and ‘to germinate;” 
hokol also has about the same meaning. This furnishes a consistent 
and appropriate explanation of the figures, and gives at the same time 
the phonetic value of the glyph. I have not determined the prefix 
satisfactorily, but presume it is Some word having cl’ or tz’ as its chief 
phonetic element, which signifies ‘little,’ ‘‘ plant,” or something 
similar. 
I have not determined the other symbols to which Seler alludes in 
this connection, but some of them, as may be seen by comparison with 
other passages, do not have special reference to the plant-like figures, 
Whether the little sharp-corner square seen in the upper right-hand 
character of the compound symbols shown in plate LXVI, 28 and 55, and 
others of similar form, are to be taken as 74 glyphs is yet an undecided 
question. Dr Seler appears to have excluded them from this category 
in his paper, so frequently referred to, though he subsequently brings 
them into this relation. But in these places he gives the glyph the 
signification “fire” or “flame.” It is possible that in some of the cases 
to which he refers he is correct, as, for example, in regard to the figure 
shown in plate Lxvi111, 30, from Dres. 25, where it is in the midst of the 
blaze. If so, the word equivalent must be kak, as it is seemingly a 
variant of ik, and hence may be supposed to have the k sound. This 
will agree with his interpretation of plate Lxv1, 29, by kinichkakmo; 
but in this case we must give ich as the value of the so-called ben 
symbol. This, however, is not so very objectionable, as there are other 
places where the chief phonetic element of the ben glyph appears to 
bei. It is also to be remembered that it is much like Landa’s 7. It is 
likewise true, as will hereafter be shown, that the value ben does not 
appear to hold good where it occurs in combination with other symbols. 
However, until a satisfactory rendering of this little four-corner 7k (?) 
symbol in some other place than the fire is found, I am hardly prepared 
to give full acceptance to Dr Seler’s supposition. 
The Zapotec names are somewhat difficult to bring into harmony 
with the others. Dr Brinton’s solution is as foliows: 
In that tongue we have wii, air, wind; chiic, breath; which we may bring into 
relation with qui; and we find guiiebee, wind-and-water cloud (nube con vient y 
agua). Dr Seler prefers to derive gui from quii, fire, flame, the notion of which is 
often associated with wind. 
