576 THE INSCRIPTIONS AT COPAN. 
Codex Peresianus cover the period from 1241 (beginning of Katun 2 Ahau) to 1438 
(end of Katun 10 Ahau). Unfortunately, it appears more probable from the nature 
of the pictures in this section of the codex that they refer to rites and ceremonies 
which took place at the ends or installations of these katuns rather than to his- 
torical events which occurred in the corresponding periods. Always we have the 
same principal elements—a large figure on the left, apparently a deity, offering 
the head of Kukulcan to a smaller figure seated on a platform or dais. Above there 
hovers a bird, which differs in the different pictures, and below we see a vessel 
holding corn, 7. ¢., the sign for the day Kan. The similarity of these ro pictures 
strongly suggests that they refer to certain rites and ceremonies which took place 
when one katun ended and another began,! and the large figure present in each is 
probably to be interpreted as the deity presiding over the corresponding katun. 
In a word, it appears probable that these pages of the Codex Peresianus treat of 
ritualistic rather than historical matters. 
Up to this point all the evidence examined has been drawn exclusively from 
archeological sources; let us next turn to the documentary evidence touching 
upon the prevalence of this custom. So explicit-is Nakuk Pech upon this point 
that a quotation from his chronicle, already previously cited, will bear repetition 
here: 
“Tn this year [1517] the katun ended, and then ended the putting in place of the town- 
stone, for at each twentieth stone they came to place the town-stones, formerly, when the 
Spaniards had not yet come to Cuzamil, to this land; since the Spaniards came, it has 
999 
ceased to be done.’’? 
The entries in the second chronicle from the Book of Chilan Balam of Chu- 
mayel bearing upon this point tend to indicate that just prior to the time of the 
Spanish Conquest at least, several towns combined to celebrate this festival, the 
town-stone (u tunil balcah) first being put up in one town, and that for the next 
katun, in another, and so on: 
[Katun] 12 Ahau: the stone of Otzmal was taken. 
[Katun] ro Ahau: the stone of Zizal* was taken. 
[Katun] 8 Ahau: the stone of Kancaba was taken. 
[Katun] 6 Ahau: the stone of Hunnacthi was taken. 
[Katun] 4 Ahau: the stone of Ahtiku was taken; in this katun took place 
the pestilence, in the fifth tun of Katun 4 Ahau. 
[Katun] 2 Ahau: the stone of Chacalna was taken. 
[Katun] 13 Ahau: the stone of Euan was taken. 


1Says Landa in describing this ceremony: “If the Spaniards had not been here they would have adored the 
idol of 11 Ahau until the year of [15]51, which are 10 years and at the 1oth year they would have set up another 
idol, 9 Ahau, and they would have honored it, guiding themselves by the prognostications of 11 Ahau [from the 
year of 1541] until the year of [15]61, and then taking it away from the temple and putting there the idol of 7 
Ahau [surely a mistake for 9 Ahau, see following] and guiding themselves by the prognostications of 9 Ahau for 
another 10 years [apparently until 1571], and thus they made a complete round; in this manner they venerated 
their katuns for 20 years [each], and [for ?] 10 they arrange their superstitions and tricks, which are so many and 
of such a sufficiency as to deceive simple people, who look not at things as do those who are versed in the affairs 
of nature, and the dealings which the demon has with them.” (Landa, 1881, p. 103.) In this highly confused 
and confusing passage it is hard to make out just what method of procedure Landa is trying to describe, introduc- 
ing as he does the idols for three katuns, 11 Ahau, 9 Ahau, and 7 Ahau, in a period of 30 years (1541 to 1571). 
The only natural assumption is that each deity presided over a full katun, reigning from the end of the preceding 
katun to the end of its own, 7. ¢., 20 years. This introduction of a half-katun might, however, be construed as indi- 
cating that the idol of a specific katun was not placed in the temple until the katun over which it presided was 
half completed, and that it was not taken therefrom until the first half of the next katun had passed; but this 
seems to be going far out of the way indeed, to help a passage which is beyond help. 
*Brinton, 1882, p. 227. 
Possibly the modern Sisal, on the northern coast of Yucatan, the principal port during the Spanish Period. 
