ANIMAL FIGURES IN THE MAYA CODICES 291 



Dresden manuscript. Other gods, as he also notes, are found 

 with these four offering-glyphs. There seems to be a fifth glyph, 

 however, (as in Dresden 29b) which we have interpreted as that 

 of a lizard. 



Animals as rain bearers. Various animals are associated 

 with the rain and water. The serpent is most frequently repre- 

 sented in this connection. Snails, fish, the turtle, and the frog, 

 as well as the lizard-crocodile figure in Dresden 74 are naturally 

 found associated with water. The vulture-headed figure in 

 Dresden 38b and the vulture as a bird in Tro-Cortesianus 10a 

 both appear in the rain. The peccary (Dresden 68a), and the tur- 

 key (Tro-Cortesianus 10b) appear associated with the rain as well 

 as with the constellation bands. The scorpion (Tro-Cortesian- 

 us 7a) encloses the rain within its legs. 



The connection of an old female figure occurring in many 

 places in the codices with the rain will be discussed later (p. 316) 

 when considering the serpent. It remains at this place to com- 

 ment upon the woman in Tro-Cortesianus 30b from whose 

 breasts water is flowing. She is represented as having animal 

 figures seated on her two outstretched hands and on her right 

 foot together with another animal at her side. God B sits on 

 her left foot. This picture immediately recalls representations 

 in the Mexican codices where the various parts of the body of a 

 god are associated with various day signs, ten of which have 

 animal names. In the Maya picture, a jaguar is shown on the 

 right hand, a peccary on' the left, a dog on the right foot, and a 

 rabbit beside the body at her right. The peccary is not repre- 

 sented among the Nahua day signs but the other three are 

 found, namely the oceolotl (jaguar), itzcuintli (dog), and tochtli 

 (rabbit). 



Animal head-dresses. Animal figures- appear perhaps 

 most frequently as head-dresses of the various gods in the codi- 

 ces. Here, as elsewhere, from all that can be made out, the relig- 

 ious character is uppermost as in addition to being a deco- 

 ration, they undoubtedly have some rehgious signification. 

 Birds occur by far most commonly in this connection. Both male 

 and female figures seems to have these head-dresses. The 



