76 A STUDY OF THE MANUSCKIPT TKOANO. 



year bearers, and the days used to designate the years are repeated thirteen 

 times on each plate; in the Codex, the last two days of the year are selected 

 for this purpose ; in the Manuscript the first only, but even here we see the 

 symbols of the terminal days in the transverse line between the two spaces. 



The idols in each are placed on the same character — that which I have 

 interpreted as signifying the " stone " or " stone heap " used to mark the 

 divisions of time. The serpent appears in three plates of each work, and is 

 wanting in the fourth, the latter in both cases being that which relates chiefly 

 to the Ix years. At the bottom of the lower division of Plate 28 (Codex) 

 we see a figure resembling the leg of a deer bound by a double cord ; a 

 similar figure appears at the upper left-hand corner of the lower division of 

 Plate XX (Manuscript), our Plate I. I think it is evident t<hat Brasseur 

 was right in interpreting this as the symbol of the Maya word liau, "the 

 quarter of a deer or other animal,'' from Landa's statement in his account of 

 the festival of the Kan year — '■'■davan al sacerdote una pierna de venado" 

 "they gave the priest a leg of venison." 



It is true that this figure is found, in the Codex, in the plate supposed 

 to relate to the Muluc year, while in the Manuscript it is in that which 

 applies to the Ix year, and that in Landa it is mentioned in connection with 

 the ceremonies of the Kan year ; but this is not sufficient to destroy the 

 value of these coincidences in our efibrt to interpret these plates. For, in 

 the first place, there is no reason for supposing the Codex relates to the 

 same time and place as the Manuscript ; in the second place, each of the 

 plates in both works appears to I'efer, in part, to two years ; in the third 

 place, Landa's description is not sufficiently exact and minute to make the 

 comparison full and complete. I may also add that, while the plates of the 

 Codex appear to relate only to the ceremonies of the supplemental days, those 

 of the Manuscript apparently refer to other festivals, especially those held at 

 the close and commencement of long periods of time. For example, what 

 is symbolized by the two left-hand figures of the upper division of Plate 

 XXII of the Manuscript appears to be represented in Plate 30 of the Codex. 



The Uayeyab idols of the two works are certainly difi'erent from each 

 other, though I think it very doubtful whether the figures in either are true 

 representatives of the images ; possibly those on the Codex plates are. 



