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  from 
  the 
  former 
  the 
  

   Aztec 
  doubtless 
  origi- 
  

   nally 
  borrowed 
  the 
  

   idea 
  of 
  writing. 
  

  

  The 
  Aztec 
  writing 
  

   is 
  simpler 
  than 
  the 
  

   Maya, 
  and 
  is 
  better 
  

   known, 
  probably 
  as 
  

   high 
  as 
  90 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  

   its 
  signs 
  and 
  symbols 
  

   having 
  been 
  deciph- 
  

   ered. 
  Their 
  hiero- 
  

   glyphs 
  may 
  be 
  di- 
  

   vided 
  into 
  three 
  

   groups, 
  as 
  follows: 
  

  

  1. 
  Signs 
  represent- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  calendar, 
  such 
  

   as 
  the 
  hieroglyphs 
  for 
  

   the 
  days, 
  months, 
  and 
  

   the 
  year; 
  

  

  2. 
  Signs 
  represent- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  names 
  of 
  per- 
  

   sons 
  and 
  places, 
  such 
  

   as 
  the 
  hieroglyphs 
  for 
  

   Montezuma 
  and 
  Teno- 
  

   chtitlan 
  (the 
  Aztec 
  

   name 
  for 
  Mexico 
  

   City) 
  ; 
  

  

  3. 
  Signs 
  represent- 
  

   ing 
  events 
  or 
  natural 
  

   objects, 
  such 
  as 
  the 
  

   hieroglyphs 
  for 
  war, 
  

   conquest, 
  death, 
  ac- 
  

   cession 
  of 
  rulers, 
  fes- 
  

   tivals, 
  eclipses, 
  comets, 
  

   earthquakes, 
  volcanic 
  

   eruptions, 
  gold, 
  jade, 
  

   feathers, 
  etc. 
  

  

  By 
  means 
  of 
  these 
  

   three 
  groups 
  of 
  signs, 
  

   painted 
  in 
  books 
  made 
  

   of 
  fiber-paper 
  or 
  deer- 
  

   skin, 
  the 
  Aztec 
  re- 
  

   corded 
  the 
  principal 
  

   events 
  of 
  their 
  history, 
  

   not, 
  to 
  be 
  sure, 
  as 
  long 
  

   narratives 
  glowing 
  

   with 
  eulogistic 
  descrip- 
  

   tions 
  of 
  the 
  valorous 
  

   deeds 
  of 
  kings 
  and 
  em- 
  

   perors, 
  but 
  as 
  brief 
  

   synopses 
  of 
  the 
  prin- 
  

   cipal 
  events, 
  none 
  the 
  

   less 
  historically 
  accu- 
  

   rate, 
  however, 
  because 
  

   of 
  their 
  brevity. 
  

  

  