88 A STUDY OF THE MANUSCRIPT TEOANO. 



former) signifies the "bed of the year." As the vessels are placed on the 

 serpent, and hence cannot represent incense-bumei's, it is not impossible that 

 they are sj-mbols of the idea expressed in these Maya words. 



The character C q LUJJ q~^ which, according to Landa is the hieroglyph 

 for the letter M, Avhich in Maya signifies "vase" (also "moon"), is common on 

 the vase-figures throughout the work; but on these vessels we notice parts of 

 other characters which together with the one given may be the symbols for 

 Uayeyuh. This I admit is a mere supposition, but it does not appear to be a 

 forced one; moreover, the following explanation by Perez may serve to 

 sti'engthen it: "They called them [the added days] also uayab or uayeb- 

 haah, Avhich may be interpreted in two different ways. The word tiayah may 

 be derived from nay which means 'bed' or 'chamber,' presuming the Indians 

 believed the year to rest during those days; or uayab may equally be derived 

 from another signification of uay, viz: 'to be destroyed,' 'wounded,' 'cor- 

 roded by the caustic juice of plants,' or with ley and other strong liquids."^ 



I think it probable that these are cinerary urns, given as symbolic rep- 

 resentations of the idea that the years have closed — are dead — and as the 

 ashes of the dead rest in the urns so the ashes of the years may be said to 

 rest in these vessels. This idea appears to be borne out by the fact that 

 the vessel in the middle division of Plate 28 of the Codex, which appears to 

 correspond to these of the Manusci'ipt, has on it the figure of cross-bones, 

 on the top of which are placed three Kan symbols. 



Stephens in his "Yucatan" mentions the fact that it is the custom of the 

 Indians to gather up the bones of the dead and preserve them in baskets, 

 boxes, and other similar vessels. He mentions one case where "they were 

 clean and bright as if polished, with the skuU and cross-bones in front, the 

 legs and arms laid on the bottom," &g? It is more than probable that this 

 custom was handed down from ancient times. 



What the Kan sjaiibols contained in these vessels signify is a question 

 that puzzles me, and which I have so far been unable to answer satisfacto- 

 rily. In the Manuscript we see three in both vessels of Plate XXIII; 

 three in the upper and two in the lower division of Plate XXII; also three 

 in the upper and two in the lower division of Plate XXI, but the top one 



'Appcudix to " Stephcus's Yucatan," I, 437. 'Vol. I, -p. 417. 



