1881.] ^^* 



" nombre mal-cane el viudo, que quiere decir el untado de amarillo " 

 {Escolios, p. 214). 



The color white, zaic, had, however, by far the widest metaphorical 

 uses. As the hue of light, it was associated, with day, dawn, brightness, 

 etc.; to dawn, ti zaker ; the daybreak, maha ti zakev ; a clear sky. Tax 

 cah; light, zak ; clearness, translucency, zak il. As applied to abstract 

 ideas its employment was very frequent as "clearly, manifestly," cM zakil. 

 In the Popol Vuh are such expressions as zakil qolem, zakil tzih, literally 

 "the whiteness life, the whiteness words," which mean "the glory of 

 life, the glory of speech." The mythical mother and father of the race 

 are called zakil al, zakil qaJiol, she who gives birth to whiteness, he who be- 

 gets whiteness, where the whiteness is to be understood as mental clear- 

 ness, knowledge, enlightenment. Varea gives zak iricaJi, to make clear, 

 to explain, zak, a clearing in the woods, and other derivatives. 



In closing this exegetical study, I would point out one fact developed by 

 it, to which I attach considerable weight, and that is that the names 

 analyzed indicate unmistakably a source immeasurably remote from 

 Christian thought, and thus prove the aboriginal origin of this important 

 myth. Can any one maintain that it was an echo of missionary teaching, 

 when the names it applies to the highest god are such as "the Great 

 Hog," "the Fox, mighty in Magic," "the Syphilitic One," and the like? 

 Such appellations, at first sight so degrading to the notion of God, can 

 only be understood by taking into account modes of thought, and associa- 

 tions of ideas wholly divergent from those to which these tribes were in- 

 troduced by the ministers of the Christian religion. 



Stated Meeting^ December ^c?, 1881. 



Present, 6 members. 

 President, Mr. Praley, in tlie Chair. 



Letters accepting membership were received from John Evans, 

 dated Nov. 5, 1881, Nasli Mills, Hamel-Hempstead ; Henrj 

 H. Gorringe, Nov. 30, Portland, Oregon ; William Gladstone, 

 Prime Minister of England, Nov. 15, 10 Downing St., White- 

 hall (through G. L. Gower) ; and B. Stallo, Nov. 18, Cincinnati. 



A letter of acknowledgment was received from the Eoyal 

 Institution, London. (Proc. 107, 108 ; Trans. XY, 3.) 



A letter of envov was received from the North China 



