A Primer of Mayan Hieroglyphics

by Daniel G. Brinton

Fig. 84.—Inscription on a Vase from a Quiche Tomb, Guatemala.

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The limits which I have prescribed for this work do not permit me to add further comparisons in Mayan palæography. Fortunately, the student can find ready access to abundant examples. The inscriptions of Copan and Quiriguá, of Chichen Itza, and Palenque, are or will be represented with admirable fidelity in Mr. Maudslay’s work already referred to; others from Tikal have been made accessible by the labors of Berendt, Charnay and de Rosny; and we are justified in believing that before many years the intelligent explorations of competent archæologists will add hundreds of texts from the relics in stone, clay, and wood which still exist to attest the character of ancient Mayan literature.

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The most urgent duty resting upon the present generation of students interested in this subject is to collect and accurately reproduce as many of these texts as possible, before they are destroyed or lost. Extended comparisons will ultimately reveal their meaning, as will readily be seen from the advances in that direction chronicled in the preceding pages.

I. INDEX-VOCABULARY OF MAYA WORDS.

(T. signifies the Tzental dialect.)

• ac, a tortoise, or turtle, [35], [74]
• acan, mead, [42]
• ac ek, a constellation, [35]
• aghan, T., young ear of maize, [62]
• ahau, ruler, lord, [41]; a day name, [115]
• ahau can, rattlesnake, [68], [75]
• ahau can mai, chief priest, [68]
• ahau katun, [22]
• ahau tzab can, the rattlesnake, [75]
• ah-caluac, the staff bearer, the mayordomo, [52]
• ah-ch’om, a vulture, [73]
• ah-chun can, high priest, [68]
• ah-coy-can, v. p. 110, note
• ah-cunal than, word-conjurer, [68]
• ah-kin, priest, [68]
• ah-kin-mai, chief priest, [68]
• ah koh-keuel, a masked priest, [69]
• ahlo, the macaw, [73]
• ah-mac ik, wind conjurer, [68]
• ah-poou, the milky way, [35]
• ah-pul, a conjurer, [68]
• ah-uai-chac, rain conjurer, [68]
• ah-uai xibalba, conjurer of departed souls, [68]
• ah-zahcab, Venus, [34]
• akbal, night, darkness, [56]; a day name, [116]
• alau (64,000,000), [19]
• anhel, to stand erect, [46]
• bacab, [40]
• bac-baquetic, a numeral, [19]
• balam, the jaguar, [72]
• bak, four hundred, [19]
• bat, an axe; hail, [104]
• batab, a chief, [104]
• batul, to fight, [104]
• be, footprints, [88]
• be che, a bridge, [113]
• ben, or been, a day name, [91], [113]
• ben-ik, a graphic sign, [90], [123]
• bolon, nine, [25]
• bolon paxche, a large drum, [92]
• budz ek, a comet, [35]
• bul, a bean; all, the whole, [89]
• bulcabal, a destruction, [46]
• caan, the sky, [52]
• cab, down, downward, etc., [60], [99], [114]
• caban, a day name, [114]
• cac, to pull out, [86]
• calab (160,000), [19]
• calacal, perforated, [52]
• caluac, the “staff of office,” 52, [128], [130]
• camach, a jaw bone, [85]
• canan, a sentinel, guardian, [34]
• canan chulchan, Venus, [34]
• canzicnal, serpent being, [41]
• cauac, a day name, [115]
• cayob, T., a drum, [93]
• ceh, a deer; a month name, [119]
• chaam, the (molar) teeth, [43]
• chac, red, strong; water, etc., [34], [40], [109]
• chac ek, Venus, [34]
• chacal ik, strong wind, [40]
• cham, a jaw bone, [85]
• chamal dzutan, shooting stars, [35]
• che, tree, wood, [45]
• chebel, to paint; a paint brush, [42]
• chel, the rainbow, [40]
• ch’en, a month name; a well, [118]
• chi, to bite, [89]; a mouth, [112]
• chibil kin, a solar eclipse, [36]
• chibil u, a lunar eclipse, [36]
• chicchan, a day name, [111]
• chich, strong, powerful, swift, hard, [96]
• chich kuch, to twist thread, [96]
• chimal, shield, [34]
• chimal ek, the north star, [34]
• chimal ik, the north wind, [34]
• chimil, a medicine bag, [128]
• chinax, T., a knife, [89]
• chu, a calabash, [112]
• chuen, a day name, [23], [112]
• chulchan, the sky or heavens, [34]
• chun, the first, the beginning, [23], [113]
• ci, to trickle, [114]
• cib, a day name, [114]
• cicil, a knife, [84]
• cimi, a day name, [111]
• coz, an owl, [73]
• cuceb, a squirrel, [109]
• cucul, covered; revolving, [56], [109]
• culinte, T., a drum of wood, [93]
• cum, a vase, [41], [48]
• cum ku, a month name, [121]
• cun, to conjure, [44]
• cuzaan, or cuzam, a swallow, [42]
• dzacab, a generation, [25]
• dzacah, to heal by magic rites, [93]
• dzacatan, a medicine drum, [93]
• dzicnial, [39]
• dzip, to skin animals, [42]
• dziz, coolness, cold, [42]
• eb, a day name, [113]
• eb-che, a ladder, [77]
• ebtun, a stone stairway, [113]
• ebzah, to sharpen, [113]
• ek, star; black, [34]; dyewood, fat, [109]
• ek chuh, scorpion, [67]
• ezanab, a day name, [114]
• ghan, T., maize, [62]
• haycabal, a destruction, [46]
• hobnil, hollow; the belly, [40]
• hozan, disembowelled, [41]
• hub, a snail, [75]
• hun, one, [25]
• hunab, only, sole, [37]
• hunbalan u, the moon in conjunction, [36]
• ibach, an armadillo, [72]
• ical, or ic, T., black, [67]
• ich, an eye; a face; twins, [84]
• ik, wind, breath, life, soul, etc., [50], [115]
• ik, a day name, [91], [115]
• ikomne, a comet, [35]
• imix, a day name, [115]
• itz, fluid, [52]
• ix, feminine prefix, [40]
• ix-bouat, a prophetess, [68]
• ix chel, the rainbow, [40]
• ix-cunal than, a conjuress, [68]
• ix kan leom, a spider-web, [40]
• ix kin, priestess, [68]
• ix nuc, old woman, [43]
• kaax, a knot; a harvest-field, [41]
• kab, a hand, arm, finger, juice, sap, tears, [83]
• kaba, a name, [83]
• kabil, his hand, [38]
• kak, fire, [42], [120]
• kak mo, a bird, [39]
• kal, twenty, [19]
• kan, money, food, etc., [109]
• kan kin, a month name, [120]
• katun, [11], [22], [28]
• kax or kaax, a knot, [91]
• kax pol, the tress of the hair, [91]
• kaxala, to rain; the rain, [91]
• kayab, a month name, [120]
• kin katun, [28]
• kin, }
• kinal, } see p. 87
• kinam, }
• kinchil (3,200,000), [19]
• kin ich (deriv.), [39]
• koh, a mask, [69]
• ku, a god; divine, [37]
• kuch, a vulture, [46], [73]
• kul, divine, [95]
• kukum, a feather, [95]
• kup, to sacrifice, to cut, [69]
• lakin chan (deriv.), [38]
• lamat, a day name, [111]
• licil dzicil, a knife, [89]
• lilābal, a sprinkler, [104]
• lom, a lance, [43]
• lum, the earth, [48]
• maax, a monkey, [72]
• mac, to extinguish; a cover; a turtle; a month name, [119]
• mach, to grasp, [83]
• mai or maay, dust, smoke, fume, [25], [68]
• mam, a numeral, [19]; grandfather, [128]
• manik, a day name, [39], [111]
• matzab, antennæ, rays, [98]
• mechun, a numeral, [19]
• mehen ek, a constellation, [35]
• men, a day name, [114]
• miatz, a scholar, [25]
• moan, see muan
• mol, a month name, [118]
• molay ik, a hurricane, [112]
• moo, the macaw, [73]
• moxic, T., a day name, [39]
• muan, a falcon, cloudy, [74]; also, a month name, [120]
• muc, to cover, to bury, [61]
• much, a frog, [75]
• mucul canan, Venus, [34]
• mucul mam, a numeral, [19]
• mucul u, the waning moon, [61]
• muluc, a day name, [111]
• muyal, clouds, [48], [52], [74]
• muyan, see muan
• nak caan, the sky, [99]
• na, a house, [37]
• nen, a mirror, [105]
• noh, great, strong; right hand, [34]
• noh ek, great star, [34]
• nohnial, [39]
• nuc, old, [43]
• nech, provisions, [42]
• oc, to enter; a day name, [112]
• ol, the soul or spirit, [48]
• oxlahun, thirteen, [25]
• paakal, to frighten, [44]
• pacat, face, [44]
• pax, a musical instrument, [92]; a month name, [120]
• paxan, completed, finished, [92], [125], [129]
• pax che, a wooden drum, [92]
• pec, to rattle, to thunder, [63], [71]
• pec chac, thunder, [63]
• pechhec hol, flat-headed, [62]
• pek, a dog, [71]
• pic, eight thousand, [19]
• picit, a fan, [105]
• pixan, the soul, [25]
• pocam, a cleansing, [55]
• pop, a mat; a month name, [116]
• ppeta, to perform religious rites; to cry with pain, [69]
• ppua, dew, [42]
• pputum, small, [43]
• ppuz, bent over, [43]
• puch, to spoil, to undo, to destroy, [44]
• puhaa, to blow forth water from the mouth, [98]
• puy, a shell, [19]
• ta, a knife; excrement, [89]
• tah, a dramatic representation, [89]
• tab, cord, twenty 19, [42]
• tamacaz, the milky way, [35]
• tan kukul, before the gods, [44]
• tankul, a drum, [93]
• tem, an altar of stone, [48]
• tixl (Cak.), the tapir, [55]
• tub, to spit, [42]
• tun, a stone, a jewel, [42]
• tunkul, see tankul
• tup, to stop up, to extinguish; also, ear-rings, [85], [120]
• tupul u uich kin, a solar eclipse, [36]
• tzab, rattles of the rattlesnake; the Pleiades, [35], [63]
• tza ec, a comet, [35]
• tzapa, short, [43]
• tzec, a scorpion; a month name, [117]
• tzekel, a death’s head, [117]
• tzimin, the tapir, [55]
• tzotzceh (3,200,000), [19]
• tzuc, a five-day period, [28]
• U, the moon.; a necklace; his; 36, [86], [87]
• ua or ual, a dot, [97]; a fan, [105]
• uac, six, [43]
• ual, month, [118]
• u nupptanba, the moon in opposition, [36]
• uil, food; advantageous, [86]
• uinal, month; twenty, [87]
• uinic, a man, [43], [87]
• uo, a frog, [75]; a month name, [116]
• uooh, a book; a letter, [116]
• ut, a snail, [75]
• xamach, a platter, [58]
• xaman, north, [34]
• xaman ek, the north star, [34]
• xanab xux, a bee, [60]
• xel, a comb, etc., [86]
• xicin, an ear; a shell, [85]
• xik, wing of a bird, [84]
• xikal, a queen, [84]
• xiix, bran, husks of grain, [97]
• xoc, to sing, to chant, [42]
• xoc, the breech clout, [91]
• xul, a planting stick, [105]; to end; a month name, [117]
• xulab, an ant, [36]
• xulub, horns, [118]
• xux, a wasp, [60]
• xux ek, Venus, [60]
• yax, green; blue; fresh; strong; virile; early, [95]; a month name, [119]
• yax che, green tree, [45], [48]
• yax kin, a month name, [118], [129]
• yax kukul, a feather ornament, [95]
• yé, to appear, to show oneself, [43]
• yetal, and, [100]
• yum, father, ruler, [41]
• zac, white, east, v. pp. 109, [110]; a month name, [119]
• zacal, to weave, [109]
• zacan, bread, [109]
• zac ik, east wind, [41]
• zac nohol ik, southeast wind, [41]
• zac xaman ik, northeast wind, [41]
• zac zini, white being, [41]
• zaztal ek, Venus, [34]
• zec, a month name, [117]
• zin, to stretch out, [75]
• zinaan, a scorpion, [75]
• zinaan ek, a constellation, [75]
• zinil, the earth, [75]
• zip, a month name, [117]
• zipik kin, the sunset, [117]
• zodz, a bat; a month name, [117]
• zuhuy, a virgin, [42]

II. INDEX OF AUTHORS.

• Aguilar, [26], [45]
• Allen, H., [86], [95], [103], [119], etc.
• Baeza, P., [93]
• Becker, H. F., [137]
• Beltran de Santa Rosa, [44]
• Berendt, C. H., [48], [74], [93], [110], [138]
• Boas, F., [62]
• Boban, E., [104]
• Brasseur, Abbé, [13], [14], [15], [23], [51], [83], [86], [90], [112], etc.
• Carrillo, C., [62]
• Charencey, H. de, [12]
• Charnay, D., [11], [143]
• Chavero, A., [54], [79], [97], [109]
• Chilan Balam, Books of, [46], [47], [109]
• Clarke, W. P., [83]
• Cresson, H. T., [13], [15]
• Cogolludo, P., [39], [47], [51]
• Culin, S., [24]
• Cushing, F. H., [48]
• Dieseldorff, E. P., [104]
• Dupaix, C., [95]
• Duran, D., [66], [92]
• Fewkes, J. W., [41], [55], [57], [70]
• Förstemann, E. W., [12], [13], [18], [29], [33], [74], etc.
• Hernandez, P. R., [37]
• Herrera, A., [39]
• Holden, E. S., [11], [13]
• Kingsborough, Lord, [12], [95]
• Landa, D. de, [14], [26], [35], [39], [43], [54], [68], [104], [116]
• Lara, D., [60], [93]
• Las Casas, B., [37]
• Leon, M., [26]
• Lizana, P., [37]
• Mallery, G., [83], [99]
• Maudslay, A. P., [11], [12], [21], [23], [102], [136]
• Motul, Dicc., [37]
• Nuñez, de la Vega, [25], [39], [62], [67], [68], [113]
• Nuttall, Z., [26], [32], [105]
• Orantes, S., [138]
• Parry, F., [50]
• Peet, S. D., [101]
• Peñafiel, A., [97]
• Perrin, P., [12]
• Pineda, E., [113]
• Pineda, V., [19]
• Pio Perez, [41], [119]
• Plongeon, Dr. Le, [11], [15], [95]
• Popol Vuh, [48], [50], [61]
• Pousse, A., [12], [21], [31], [79], [80], [101]
• Putnam, F. W., [11]
• Rada y Delgado, J. D., [14]
• Rau, C., [13]
• Rochefoucauld, F. A., [16]
• Rosny, L. de, [12], [14], [85], [115], [137]
• Saville, M. H., [92]
• Schellhas, P., [12], [43], [50], [51], [62], [71], [81], [121], [136], etc.
• Schrader, Dr., [26]
• Schultz-Sellack, Dr., [41]
• Seler, E., [10], [25], [32], [43], [44], [45], [71], [83], [86], [124], etc.
• Squier, E. G., [141]
• Stephens, J. L., [11]
• Stone, W., [72]
• Thomas, C., [13], [16], [24], [29], [32], [34], [50], [51], [76], [86], [128], etc.
• Thompson, E. C., [136]
• Valentini, F., [86]
• Waldeck, F., [54]
• Ximenes, F., [50], [96]