THOMAS] THE TENTH DAY 239 
The usual form of the Mexican symbol of this day is shown in plate 
LXV, 48, the leaf-like portion being blue in the original to indicate water. 
In regard to the origin of the character, Seler remarks: ‘If the Maya 
character agrees with the Mexican (atl), we must look upon it as a water 
vessel.” Yet aftera number of illustrations and references he declares: 
“JT by no means affirm that the vessel is expressed by the form of this 
character. The form seems to me to express rather the water drop.” 
It is more likely that it represents a little circular hillock, seen from 
above, or something of that nature surrounded by a ring, as the signi- 
fications given the Maya word mul are ‘‘hillock, heap, mound, mountain, 
ants’ nest, etc.” However, if Henderson is correct in giving as one of 
its special meanings ‘‘out of many one,” its origin may readily be seen. 
That it was taken from some object which could be designated by the 
word mul or mol may confidently be assumed. Hence the symbol is used 
for its phonetic value as a day character and not with any reference to 
the object represented. The little circle and loops seen in plate LXV, 43, 
from the Cortesian Codex 30b, are probably, as heretofore stated, intro- 
duced to give the c sound. Dr Brinton suggests that it represents one 
thing in another of the same kind, with a reference to collecting together 
or heaping up. 
THE TENTH DAY 
Maya, oc; Tzental, elab; Quiche-Cakchiquel, tzi; Zapotec, tella; Nahuatl, itzcuintli. 
The symbol of this day as given by Landa is shown in plate LXv, 49. 
This is substantially the usual form found in the codices as given in 
LXV, 50, 51, 55, the first two being usual in the Troano, Cortesian, and 
Peresian codices, and 55 in the Dresden. In a few instances, as Tro, 
12a and 12c, it assumes the face form 52. The face form shown at 54 
occurs in the Dresden Codex, as do the variations seen at 53 and 56. 
Dr Seler and Brasseur contend that the forms shown in plate Lxy, 
52 and 54, make it evident that the broken line, which is the chief char- 
acteristic of the glyph, is intended to represent, or rather is derived 
from, the ear of the dog. This, Seler says, is frequently represented in 
the Mexican codices, and also many times in the Maya manuscripts, 
with the tip of the ear torn away. ‘To illustrate this, he presents sey- 
eral figures of dog’s heads, one of which is shown in our plate LXxy, 57.1 
There would seem to be some foundation for this supposition, yet 
there are difficulties in the way of its acceptance which appear unsur- 
mountable. The first of these is that it furnishes no explanation or 
clue to the relation between the symbol and the Maya or Tzental name, 
Second, it does not appear to have been used in any instance as the 
symbol of the dog, which seems to be a fatal objection, if it is assumed 
to be merely ideographie. Third, it renders only more difficult any 
explanation of the character shown in plate LXV, 58, which is of such 

1Brioton thinks that in some of the forms it indicates ‘‘a trail’ or ‘‘footprints,’’ which are meanings 
of oc. 
