ANIMAL FIGURES IN THE MAYA CODICES 335- 



representations. A stone carving from Chichen Itza (PI. 20, 

 fig. 10) pictures a harpy eagle eating an egg-shaped object, 

 and another similarly engaged is copied from the Codex 

 Vaticanus 3773 (PL 20, fig. 14). The former is considered 

 to be a vulture by Maudslay, but the presence of feathers 

 covering the head excludes this interpretation. In two 

 stone glyphs (PI. 20, fig. 1,3), occurs a large bird apparently 

 devouring something held in its talons, as in PL 20, fig. 10. 

 From this general resemblance, it seems probable that both 

 represent the harpy, although no crests are shown on the 

 glyphs. In the Dresden and the Tro-Cortesianus occur a 

 few figures of crested birds that probably are the same species. 

 The crest feathers are reduced to two, however, or, in some 

 cases, what may be a third projecting forward from the base 

 of the bill (PL 20, figs. 5, 7, 12, 13). The last two figures 

 are not certainly identifiable, though it is probable that 

 they represent the harpy. 



The eagle seems to be the bird associated with warriors 

 in the codices. Seler (1900-1901, p. 89) notes that the 

 eagle and the jaguar are both the mark of brave warriors 

 among the Nahuas. In the Aubin manuscript, the warrior 

 god, Yaotl, is always associated with the eagle (quauhtli). 

 In the Maya pantheon, god M is usually considered the war 

 god, as he is almost always armed with a spear. He is seen 

 in Dresden 74 (PL 20, fig. 13), and in Tro-Cortesianus 109c 

 with an eagle as a head-dress. There are other gods, how- 

 ever, who wear a similar head covering. God L appears in 

 Dresden 14b (PL 20, fig. 7) and again in 14c (PL 20, fig. 5) 

 with an eagle head-dress. God D in Dresden 23c (PL 20, 

 fig. 11) has an eagle coming from a Tun sign on top of his 

 head. The eagle is probably represented at the prow of 

 a boat in Dresden 43c (PL 20, fig. 12) in which god B is row- 

 ing. In Tro-Cortesianus 88c (PL 20, fig. 4), a bird which 

 may represent the eagle appears sitting on a Cimi (death) 

 sign. Above in the glyphs the character for the south is 

 shown. Here, clearly, there is some connection between the 

 signs of the cardinal points in the line of glyphs and the 

 various creatures pictured below. 



