Fig. 37.—Supposed Derivatives of the Sun Sign.
No. 3 may be a modification of the kin. It is given in Landa’s alphabet, where it stands for be, footprints. It may also be the stones of the hearth, and signify “house.” As a “directive sign,” it stands for the point south, and the color yellow; and it appears as an occasional variant of the day-signs lamat, muluc, and chuen.
No. 4 is thought by Seler to be merely an ornamental form of the kin sign; but by Förstemann is taken for the monogram of the planet Venus, at least in the Cod. Dres., where it is very frequent on pp. 46–50. It is repeated with slight variations on the Copan pottery.
Fig. 38.—The Knife Signs.
The flint knife was an important implement. Landa speaks of the numerous large ones kept by the priests for slaughtering their victims.[[115]] They were called ta, and licil dzicil; in Tzental, chinax, from chi, to bite. Fig. [38], Nos. 1, 2, and 4, show the usual forms in which they are drawn, the small squares at the end being the biting edges. No. 3, surmounted by the “trinal” sign, refers probably to lightning. No. 6 is a rare sign for a dog, showing his biting teeth (Cod. Tro., p. 25). The flint knife typifies sacrifice, death, war, the East, and fire. As a rebus, it could stand for ta, excrement; tah, a dramatic representation, etc.
No. 5 is a very common affix. It has been regarded as a variant of the knife (Seler, etc). But it is too constantly distinguished from it to have this meaning. I consider it the sacred bean, with which divination was practiced and lots cast. This was called bul, a word which, as an affix, means “all,” the whole of anything, as bulkin, “the whole day.” This may suggest its signification.
Fig. 39.—The “Fish and Oyster” Sign.
The curious objects in Fig. [39] were long a puzzle to me, and have not been explained by previous writers. I believe them to be representations of the food products of the sea, showing a fish and two shellfish. My reasons for this are that in Cod. Dres., p. 34, they are seen along with other food-offerings (see Fig. [30]); in some places the fish tail is unmistakeable (Cod. Dres., pp. 6, 7, 36); in Cod. Cort., pp. 20, 21, they are associated with a fishing bird,—a pelican or cormorant; in Cod. Dres., p. 50, the two shells are replaced by one conch shell; and in Cod. Dres., p. 67, a fish and two shells are painted separately, to represent food from the sea. The two shells are often seen in other relations, as sprinkled with blood (Cod. Tro., p. 18*), and as an affix (see Fig. 31, No. 10). I shall refer to this as the “fish and oyster” sign.