THOMAS] THE THIRD ‘DAY 225 
In Tro, 11*d is the character shown in plate Lxry, 52. As the right 
portion is the upper part of the symbol for chikin, ** west” (see plate LXIV, 
53), its phonetic value may be a derivative of kuch, kuchnahi, kuchah, 
“to spin, to draw out into threads.” Henderson gives chuch as an 
equivalent. As the subfix in plate Lxtv, 48, is the character I have 
usually interpreted by w, this would give us some of the elements of the 
name Kukulcan and not I#zamna, as Seler and Schellhas suppose. Pos- 
sibly, however, the deity represented may be Baklum-Chaam, the god 
adored at Ti-ho and usually considered, though without apparent justi- 
fication, as the Maya Priapus. 
The somewhat similar character, plate LXLY, 55, from Tro. 18*e, which 
Dr Seler considers synonymous, is probably essentially distinet, as it 
bears a somewhat stronger resemblance to the chuen than to the akbal 
symbol. In character 54, plate Lxtv, from Dres. 17b, which denotes the 
vulture or rapacious bird figured below the text, it. probably indicates 
the ¢ sound, as the most reasonable interpretation of the symbol is 
hchom, “the sopilote” (Perez), or hchuy, “a hawk or eagle.” If the 
character shown in plate LXTV, 54, isintended to indicate the bird figured 
below, and is neither of those mentioned, it is probably one the name of 
which begins with ch. 
The symbol of the month Zoo (Tzoz or Zotz) also contains this sup- 
posed akbal glyph, but in the varied form last above mentioned, which, 
as we have said, bears a strong resemblance to the chuen symbol. This, 
as will be seen by comparing, bears a very close resemblance to glyph 
LX1V, 54. If phonetic, we must assume that the ch (if the interpretation 
of the former be correct) has been hardened to z or tz.! 
The same character is also found in the symbol for the month Yul 
(see plate LXIv, 56, from Dres. 49¢c). As Dr Seler refuses to accept the 
theory that the characters are either phonetic or ikonomatic, he 
concludes, in the following words, that resemblance in the forms of the 
symbols indicates relationship in the subject-matter: 
Xul signifies the end, the point; xuulul, to end; xulah, culezah, to bring to an 
end; xulub (that with which anything ends), horns, or he who has horns, the devil; 
xulbil, jests, tricks, deviltry. We see, therefore, that this word contains doubtless a 
reference to something unholy, uncanny, demoniac. To the Central Americans the 
bat was not merely a nocturnal animal. The Popol-Vuh speaks of a Zo’tzi-ha, “bat 
house,” one of the five regions of the underworld. There dwells the Cama-zo’tz, 
“the death-bat,” the great beast that brings death to all who approach it, and also 
bites off the head of Hunapu. 
Instead of having to surmise this farfeied relation, I think the expla- 
nation is to be found in the fact that similarity in the form of the glyph 
is indicative of a similarity in the sounds of the words represented. 
Here the ch becomes « (sh). 
Dr Seler also calls attention in this connection to the animal figures 
in Dres. 36a and elsewhere, which are “represented as plunging down 


1Dr Brinton (Primer, p. 117) errs in regarding the superfix to this glyph as the kin or sun symbol. 
16 ETH 15 

