234 DAY SYMBOLS OF THE MAYA YEAR [ETH. ANN. 16 
accompanied by a date which must be taken into consideration in the 
interpretation. The symbol which follows immediately to the right, 
shown in plate LXVIII, 36, may be rendered cacau, the “cacao,” as the 
duplicated comb-like character is Landa’s ca. 
As the Quiche-Cakchiquel, Zapotec, and Nahuatl names all signify 
“deer,” the difficulty in bringing all into harmony lies in the Maya and 
Tzental names. Dr Seler’s explanation is substantially as follows: 
That the word manik is from the root man or mal, which signifies “ to 
pass quickly;” manik may therefore mean “that which passes by,” 
“that which is fleeting.” Dr Brinton gives the same explanation, and 
concludes that the deer is referred to metaphorically. In regard to the 
Tzental name moxic, Dr Seler suggests that it may be founded on the 
root mar, from which is derived maxan, “swift.” Dr Brinton objects 
to this derivation, as mavan with the signification “ swift” is from ma, 
“not,” and xan, ‘ slow, tardy,” and suggests that the name is probably 
a corruption of the Nahuatl mazatl. However, it may be stated in favor 
of Seler’s explanation, that Henderson gives mowan, “quickly, shortly, 
without hindrance,” which is apparently another form of maxan. Dr 
Seler, however, concludes, from a study of the relations in which the 
character is found in the codices, that it is the symbol of offering, of 
sacrifice, the deer being esteemed the animal most appropriate for 
this purpose. Henderson says manik signifies “calm,” evidently con- 
sidering it to be formed of ma, negative, and ik, ‘ wind.” 
It is evident, therefore, that the authorities are at sea in regard to 
the signification of the Maya and Tzental names. If the symbol is 
used, as Seler claims, to indicate offerings or sacrifices, this may be 
readily explained on the supposition that it is used ikonomatically 
because of the phonetic value I have assigned it; but otherwise it is 
difficult, if not impossible, to see any relation between the symbol and 
the name given it. So far I have found it used in no place, in combina- 
tion, where the value manik will give a satisfactory interpretation. 
The following additional renderings are added here as tending to 
confirm the phonetic value assigned the manik character. 
The character shown in plate LXV, 37, is from Tro. 20*c, where it is 
repeated four times. The figures below the text show women in the act 
of sprinkling or pouring water on children. Whether this be considered 
a religious ceremony or not, it is probably intended to denote purify- 
ing or cleansing, and not baptism in the modern acceptation of the 
term. As choah, according to Perez, signifies “to cleanse, purify, 
scour,” and choich “to clean, scour, or wash the face,” we have therein 
a quite appropriate interpretation of the symbol. The presence of the 
cardinal-point symbols renders it probable that the scene refers to a 
religious ceremony of some kind. The strict regard paid to the posi- 
tion relative to the cardinal points by savage and semicivilized people 
is too well known to require any proof here. 
On Tro. 34*e two individuals are engaged in some work which we 
might suppose to be weaving but for the fact that there is no cord or 
