I fail to understand why this authority applies the symbol to the “stalk,” when it is the fruit, the ear, the grain, which furnishes food, and may therefore be very properly used as the symbol of food.
In plate [LXV], 5, is presented a copy of one of these corn offerings as found on Tro. 9*b. As the vessel containing the offering appears to be a vase, pot, or olla, it seems improbable that the offering it contains should consist of maize stalks. It is true, however, that instances occur, as on plates 21-23, Troano, where the stalk rises from the kan symbols contained in a vessel, but these are evidently given in a figurative sense, as the vessel rests on a serpent. But even here there is evidence that the symbol denotes the grain or ear, and not the stalk, as in the lower right-hand corner of plate 21 a human figure is represented as feeding a bird with the symbol, which can not be construed in this instance as representing the stalk.[227-1]
Ximenes, who gives the Cakchiquel name as cat, says it refers to a net used for carrying maize, but means “lizard.” Dr Seler, referring to this statement, says he strongly suspects that “the Mexican equivalent of this character has furnished him with this interpretation.” He adds further that, in his opinion, “it has no connection with the Maya root kan, kaan, ‘rope,’ ‘cord,’ ‘mat-cord,’ and kan—Quiche-Cakchiquel, k’an (gan)—‘yellow.’” He believes the Maya term is derived from kaanan, kanan, which signifies “to be superfluous,” “overflow,” “to abound.”
Dr Brinton thinks that the Zapotec guache, translated by Seler “frog or toad,” is more likely a variant of gurache or gorache, “iguana.”
It is apparent from these widely different opinions that the signification of none of the names, save that of the Mexican calendar—cuetzpallin, “lizard”—has been satisfactorily determined.
In attempting to ascertain the signification of the names of the day, exclusive of the Mexican calendar, it is best to exclude from consideration at first the signification of the latter, and allow it to have no influence in arriving at a conclusion. The attempt by Dr Brinton to force agreement with the latter appears to be unsatisfactory.
I am inclined to agree with Dr Seler that the Maya symbol for the day kan and the Mexican symbol for tecpatl, “flint,” are based on the same fundamental concept, if the flint-like symbols on plate 12 of the Borgian Codex, one of which is shown in plate [LXV], 6, are tecpatl figures; of this, however, there is considerable doubt. Seler’s opinion is based on those of this type. There can be no doubt that here this spindle-shape figure represents the shooting plant, the central stock or stem, or, what is far more likely, the seed which gives birth to the plant. Although they occupy the position of the stock or stem, yet from the form, the fact that some of them have the eye, and that from them the roots stretch downward, I am inclined to believe they are intended to denote the seed. The kan symbol, as above stated, is also represented in the codices as that which gives birth to the plant, as that from which the sprouting plant springs. It is probable, therefore, that it was originally taken from the grain of maize, which it fairly represents.
Now it is well known that “yellow” is one of the primary meanings of kan, and that the word is closely associated with fruit, the “yellow” referring in a large degree to the ripening fruit, especially of the maize plant. According to Henderson one signification of kan is “ripe, as fruit, timber,” and, according to Perez, kankanil is “sazon en [que] las frutas, aunque no esten maduras por estar las mas tomando el color amarillo.” In Cakchiquel kan (gan) signifies “yellow, ripe, rich.” According to Otto Stoll, vuich (or vuach), which is almost identical with the Zapotec name of the day, is the word for “fruit” in several of the Maya dialects. According to the vocabulary of Cordova, as given by Ternaux-Compans, “yellow” in Zapotec is nagache, and in Fuller’s MS. Vocabulary it is na-gutchi, the na being a prefix signifying “thing.” The anonymous author, however, writes it brechii. We also notice that “gold” in this language is yache, probably referring to the color. It is likely, therefore, that the Zapotec name of this day signifies “yellow, ripe, mature,” referring to fruits, especially maize.
When maize was introduced into New Zealand it was named kanga, probably after the Malay tangkai, the name for an “ear of corn.” The Meztitlan name of the day is Xilotl, “an ear of corn,” or “a young maize shoot.” These facts seem to show that the symbol has some reference to maize, and tend to confirm the view expressed above, that the compound symbol shown in plate [LXIV], 9, denotes “maize bread.” The presence of the kan character in the symbol of the month Cumhu or Cumku or Humku (plate [LXV], 7) is difficult to explain on the theory that it retains here the signification given it as the symbol of the day Kan, whether considered ideographic or phonetic, unless we suppose the name is incomplete and should have kan added to it. I am somewhat disposed to believe that it is sometimes used alone to denote bread, and is then to be interpreted by uah. Take, for example, the figure in Tro. 30d. Here we see a dog seated on a kan symbol, with the same symbol taking the place of the eye. As pek is dog in Maya and pecuah the tortilla or bread of maize, and the compound glyph in plate [LXIV], 9, is in the text, this may be an instance of the true rebus method of representing a word. Another instance of a similar character will be given under the day Caban. Possibly the kan glyph in the month symbol may have there the signification uah.
The fact must be borne in mind that this character, as before stated, is often, and perhaps most frequently, used, except where it indicates the day, merely as the symbol of corn or maize. As an example, take the compound character shown in plate [LXV], 8, from Tro. 33c. In the picture under the text is the Corn god represented with the dead eye and bound with cords; above his head is a dog-like animal bearing burning torches. This representation, taken in connection with what is seen in the other divisions of the plate, appears, as heretofore stated, to denote the burning drought of summer, which is destroying the maize crop. As the right portion of the compound character is the cimi symbol, probably representing death, the whole character very likely indicates the dying corn. I have not found any combination where the rendering of the symbol by kan proves satisfactory. In fact, with the exception of the kan-imix combination heretofore mentioned, kan is very seldom combined with other glyphs, there being only some two or three in the Tro. Cod., and three or four in the Cortesian Codex. It appears, however, a number of times in combination in the Dresden Codex, but as yet I am unable to interpret any of them satisfactorily.