226 DAY SYMBOLS OF THE MAYA YEAR [PTH. ANN. 16 
from heaven with torches in their paws, and fire also issuing from the 
tassel-like ends of their tails, which doubtless denote the lightning, 
the death-dealing servant of the Chac.” By the mention of this last 
word—chac—Dr Seler has shown that correct reasoning by a different 
line leads to precisely the same result as that which appeals to the pho- 
netic or ikonomatic character of the symbol. Here again the ch sound. 
appears as the chief element of the character. The rain or field deities, 
the chacs, are usually represented in the codices as dog or panther like 
animals; and chuac, “the tempest,” and, according to Henderson, chae 
also, signifies lightning. But the relation of figures and phonetic 
value ineludes also the animal; chacbolay, “‘a savage tiger, a young 
lion” (Perez); chachoay, “a leopard” (Henderson); chacoh, “a leopard ;” 
chacekel, “a tiger, jaguar;” chac-ikal, “the storm, the tempest.” The 
similar figures in Tro. 52c probably symbolize the dry burning season 
which parches and withers the corn. The word is probably choco, 
chocou, or some related form. 
THE FOURTH DAY 
Maya, kan or kanan; Tzental, ghanan; Quiche-Cakehiquel, k’at (kate, atic, gatu); 
Zapotec, guache or gueche; Nahuatl, euetzpallin. 
The Maya symbol of this day is subject to but few and slight varia- 
tions. The principal forms are shown in plates LXxIv, 57, to LXy, 3. 
That given by Landa is presented in plate Lxty, 57. The forms in the 
codices are shown in plates LXTIv, 58; Lxv, 1, 2, 3, that with the eye 
(LXV, 3) being the usual form given in Peresianus; LXy, 4 represents 
it as found on the right slab of the Palenque tablet. 
The significations of the Maya word kan are various, as “ yellow,” 
“rope,” ‘ hamae,” ete, and, according to Dr Brinton, the Tzental ghanan 
is the same word under a slightly different form. However, he con- 
tends that the original sense is to be found in the Cakchiquel word 
an, as given by Guzman (in a manuscript work in his possession), who 
says it is the name applied to the female iguana, or tree lizard. This, 
itis true, brings the signification into close correspondence with that 
of the Nahuatl term, but it is more than probable that the Maya and 
Tzental terms were in use before the application mentioned by Guzman 
was made by the Cakchiquel. It is noticeable, however, that in the 
list from Taylor’s “¢ Te-Ika-a-Maui,” presented in the appendix, “lizards” 
are given as symbolic of one of the New Zealand days. 
This interpretation, however, savors too much of an effort to bring 
the signification into harmony with the Mexican name. Moreover, it 
is difficult to explain the use of the Maya symbol on this theory, as 
it is undoubtedly frequently employed to denote the grain of maize. 
For example, it represents the seed from which a corn plant is spring- 
ing, as on Tro. 29b (see plate LXTV, 32); and one figure in the same divi- 
sion represents a bird plucking it up, while another shows some small 
quadruped seizing it. Itis also frequently represented in all the codices 
