102 A STUDY OF THE MANUSCRIPT TEOA>fO. 



From a careful study of tlieni I conclude they are of general applica- 

 tion, and refer simply to the storms, clouds, &c., of the rainy season of the 

 year, and not to any particular event. 



As each of these plates is complete in itself, there is nothing in them, 

 except the subject treated of, to indicate the order in which they are to be 

 taken; but this is too uncertain a guide for us to base any confident opinion 

 upon. All I can say on this point with confidence is that XXIV and XXV 

 appear to relate to severe and destructive storms, and XXVI and XXVII 

 to beneficial and fertilizing rains. The figures in the lower division of the 

 first two I think indicate the formation or commencement of the storm. 

 We see in both a young or small serpent, which, I think, is here the symbol 

 of a cloud. That on Plate XXV is a rattlesnake, indicating its deadly 

 character, as does also the death symbol near by. The apron of the great, 

 robust female is cross-hatched — which here may signify Zih, "origin" or 

 "birth" — and denote that the serpent, which is issuing from behind it, is in 

 process of birth. The character held in the right hand is Ik, "breath," 

 "wind," or "spirit"; the blue lines from the mouth, which strike against 

 the falling figure with the dead eye, denote the fierce storm on its errand 

 of destruction and death. 



The beam shooting out from the eye may possibly denote lightning, 

 though in the similar figure on Plate XXVII this appears to be indicated 

 by the red dots in the bound serpent on the head. The intention appears 

 to have been to indicate the Maya equivalent of the Mexican female deity, 

 Chalchihuitlicue. This deity, according to Sahagun, was the sister of the 

 Tlalocs. "She was honored because she had power over the waters of the 

 sea and of the rivers to drown those that went down to them, to raise tem- 

 pests and whirlwinds, and to cause boats to founder. They worshiped her, 

 all those that dealt in water, that went abovit selling it from canoes or 

 peddled jars of it in the market. They represented this goddess as a 

 woman, painted her fixce yellow, save the forehead, which was often blue, 

 and hung round her neck a collar of precious stones, from which depended 

 a medal of gold. On her head was a crown of light-blue paper, with 

 plumes of green feathers and tassels that fell to the nape of her neck. Her 

 earrings were of turquiose, wrought in mosaic. Her clothing was a shirt 



