The evidence that the Caban symbol is in some sense phonetic appears to me to be too strong to be rejected. In the first place, one of its chief elements is the corkscrew figure, which, as shown under the preceding day, appears to have b as its consonant element, this sound being a prominent element of both cib and caban. It also has been shown that it is not out of place in the woman glyph, under the supposition that this is also phonetic, as chup or chupal is the Maya name for woman, and the change from b to p is not uncommon. It is found in several places as that out of which plants are growing, as [LXVII], 16, from Tro. 32b, which appears to represent some leguminous plant supported by a stake driven into the ground. It is that on which persons are sitting Indian fashion, and on which others are lying; again, it is that out of which a serpent is arising. As “earth,” “ground,” will furnish an entirely satisfactory explanation in all these cases, there is no apparent reason why it should not be accepted. As cab has “earth” as one of its leading significations, we not only find therein a connection with the day name, but also an indication of phoneticism.
In Cort. 30a is the figure shown at [LXVII], 17. The animal represented, notwithstanding the quadruped head, is conceded to be intended for the serpent. The shading around the vessel, a blotch of which is on the serpent’s nose, I take for the clay or paste out of which the vessel is being formed, or to be formed. In the division immediately below is a representation of what appears to be some step in the manufacture of vessels. May this not be correctly interpreted by kancab, “la terra roja o amarilla,” or “red clay?” Henderson gives cancan as an equivalent term of kankan. As I have not seen a copy of the colored edition of this codex, I can not say whether this interpretation is borne out by the color of the shading. If this interpretation be correct, the serpent figure must be used symbolically or as a true rebus.
In Tro. 9*c an individual is represented lifting what is supposed to be honey or honeycomb out of a box-shape object on which is the caban symbol. This symbol is presumed to indicate the contents—“honey.” If this supposition be correct, then, as cab is the Maya name for “honey,” we have in this coincidence in sound and glyph another indication of pboneticism. Support is given to this interpretation by the fact that this is found in what is known as the “bee section,” and that on the upper division of the same plate the same figure, with the caban symbol upon it, is seen in the hands of an individual who holds it to a bee.
As the character when used otherwise than a day symbol is frequently, perhaps most generally, drawn with a suffix, as shown in [LXVII], 18, I suggest that it is possible it is a conventional method of representing earth or soil. By reference to the Borgian Codex, plate 11, also 19a and 61b, it will be seen that where earth is introduced into the picture it is indicated by heavy and wavy lines, as shown in [LXVII], 19. This bears a very strong resemblance to the suffix of [LXVII], 18. The corkscrew or root figure is added as appropriate, as an element, in forming an earth figure. Such, I am inclined to believe, is the origin of the symbol which, when used to indicate anything else than earth, is used phonetically or ikonomatically. The figure shown in [LXVII], 20, from Dres. 30a, which Seler calls a serpent, is merely the representation of a clay image and the seat or oratorio in which it is placed. It is probably from something of comparatively small size, burnt in one piece. The mark of the earth symbol, to distinguish the substance of which it is made, is certainly appropriate. In Tro. 6b we see another on which is quite a different symbol, indicating, as will hereafter be shown, that the material is wood.
The compound character in [LXVII], 21, is found in Tro. 9*b and 10*c. It occurs in the latter twice, the parts, however, reversed in the parallel groups, while in that of 9*b one is above the other. These variants do not necessarily indicate a difference in the signification, as can readily be ascertained by comparing characters in the numerous parallel groups. Omitting the prefix, this maybe rendered mak-cab, “to eat honey without chewing (that is, by sucking); to break into a hive and steal the honey.” By reference to the plates on which the symbols are found the appropriateness of this rendering will be apparent, if I rightly interpret the figures below the text. There we see the twisted red symbols denoting the fire kindled beneath the hives, or beehouses, by which to drive out or destroy the busy little workers. In one of the fires we observe bone symbols, probably denoting a method of giving to the smoke an unpleasant odor, as rags were formerly used in some sections of our country for the same purpose.
The characters shown in [LXVII], 22 and 23, are from the upper part of Cort. 22, which is supposed to be the right half of the so-called “title page” of the Tro. Codex. These are interpreted by Seler, and probably correctly, as indicating “above” and “below” ([LXVII], 22, the former, and [LXVII], 23, the latter). By following the line in which these characters are found, through the two pages, beginning at the left of the plate of the Tro. Codex, the result appears to be as follows, giving the signification of the characters so far as known: First, the four cardinal points in one direction, then two characters apparently corresponding with the two we have figured, one of which is partly obliterated; next the cardinal points in an opposite direction, after which follow the two characters shown in [LXVII], 22 and 23. As the right half of the first (22) is the cab or caban symbol, it is presumable that it has here substantially the same phonetic value. It is probable, therefore, that the whole compound character maybe rendered yokcabil (or okcabil), “above the earth,” or as Henderson, who gives two words of this form, interprets the first, “over, above the earth, above.” The second ([LXVII], 23) has also as its chief part the cab symbol, and the upper right-hand portion appears to have x’m as its chief phonetic elements. It is possible that cabnix; “a stair,” “downward,” given by Henderson, furnishes the phonetic equivalent of the compound character. These six directions, according to Dr J. W. Fewkes,[257-1] were noted by the Tusayan Indians in some of their religious ceremonies. Mr Cushing says the same thing is true in regard to some of the Zuñi ceremonies.
Plate [LXVII], 24, is a compound character from Dres. 39b, below which the long-nose deity holds in his hand a peculiar article ([LXVII], 25), “as if,” says Seler, “pouring out of a bottle.” That the prefix has the interior cross-hatched when complete appears from a number of other places, as, for example, in the upper division of the same plate. This, as heretofore stated, gives the x or ch sound. It is possible, therefore, that the symbol, omitting the right portion, should be interpreted xachcab, “abrir de par en par,” or hechcab, “to open little by little, to develop, discover it” (Henderson). As the right portion has a character resembling the Muluc symbol as its chief element, and below it the u glyph, we may translate it muyal, “cloud.” This would give as the meaning of the entire symbol “open the cloud”—that is, “to pour out the rain.” As this is connected with a rain series, and we see a similar glyph (though with different prefix) on plate 38b, where the same deity is in the midst of a rain storm and holding in his hand a similar object, the rendering appears to be, at least, appropriate. It is to be further observed that this combined Caban and Muluc symbol is found frequently in connection with rain storms and cloud symbols.
According to the interpretation given [LXVII], 22 and 24, the compound symbol shown at 26, from Dres. 35b and 34b, should be rendered Yokcabil muyal, “the cloud above.” As we see in both places, in the picture under the text, the looped serpent inclosing water, which Dr Seler considers the “water sack” or cloud, this interpretation is appropriate. As further confirmation of the interpretation given [LXVII], 22, attention is called to the picture in Tro. 32*c over which the same symbol is found. Here the allusion is doubtless to the basket-like covering over, or “above,” the black deity lying on a mat.
Maya, edznab or ezanab; Tzental, chinax; Quiche-Cakchiquel, tihax; Zapotec, gopaa; Nahuatl, tecpatl.