94 MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA 
symbols black spots and dotted lines are sometimes 
drawn upon his body and a curious device like a per- 
centage sign upon his cheek. The Death God in com- 
plete form is rarely shown in the earlier sculptures, 
although grinning skulls and interlacing bones occur as 
temple decorations. As has already been pointed out, 
Mayan religion was strongly dualistic and the evil 
Fig. 36. Gods in the Dresden Codex: God B, the Long-Nosed 
God of Rain; God A, the Death God; God G, the Sun God. 
powers are usually to be identified by death symbols 
such as a bare bone for the lower jaw, or the percentage 
symbol noted above on the cheek. Death heads of 
several kinds are frequent in the hieroglyphic inscrip- 
tions. 
The Maize God, figured so frequently on the ancient 
monuments and in the Mayan codices may be the same 
that in the time of the Conquest was called Yum Kaax, 
Lord of the Harvest. He is represented as a youth with 
a leafy headdress that is possibly meant to represent an 
opening ear of maize. The kan sign, a grain of maize, 
is constantly associated with him. He appears to be at 
