Animal Figures in the Maya Codices | Page 3

or the feathering around the eye of the macaw. In the case of the
glyphs, a term employed to designate the regular and usually square
characters appearing in lines or columns throughout the codices and
inscriptions, we find both the realistic drawing and that where
conventionalism has come in.
THE TONALAMATL. The Maya codices are made up, for the most
part, of the records of the sacred period of two hundred and sixty days,
a period called in Nahuatl, tonalamatl, and other numerical calculations.
The tonalamatl was used for purposes of divination in order to find out
whether good or bad fortune was in store for an individual. It is not
necessary at this place to go into the different means taken to record
this period of time or its methods of use. It may be well, however, to
explain the usual distribution of the pictures in the codices, including
those of animals, in connection with the representation of the
tonalamatl. A normal period is shown in Dresden 6c-7c. A column of
five day signs occurs in the middle of 6c with a single red dot over it.
To the right of this column stretches a horizontal line of numbers
consisting of alternate groups of black and red lines and dots. Under
each pair of red and black numbers there is usually a human form and
over each pair a group of four glyphs belonging to the figure below.
Schellhas (1904) has classified the various figures of gods appearing in
these vignettes of the tonalamatl and lettered them. References
throughout the paper will be made to the gods by letters and the reader
is referred to Schellhas' paper. Animal figures often take the place of
these gods as in the second picture in Dresden 7c where the screech owl
is shown with human body. The greater number of animal figures in the
codices occur in some connection with these tonalamatls.

MYTHOLOGICAL ANIMALS. Where figures are shown with human
body and animal head standing alone in the place usually occupied by
one of the various deities in the tonalamatl, there can be little doubt
that they have a mythological meaning and are to be taken, either as
gods themselves, or as representing certain of the gods. All of the
animals are by no means shown in this position. The screech owl, or
Moan bird (as in Dresden 10a) appears most frequently in this way. The
king vulture (Dresden 8a), the dog (Dresden 7a), and the parrot
(Dresden 40b) come next in descending importance. The animals
represented as copulating (as in Dresden 13c) might also be considered
as mythological animals as well as the full drawings of the jaguar
(Dresden 8a) and the other animals when they occur alone in the
regular vignette of the tonalamatl. The four priests in Dresden 25a-28a
should also be regarded as representing, in all probability, the dog as a
mythological animal. The idea of worshipping animals as gods in
themselves is strengthened by noting the ease with which the Maya
people worshipped the horse which was left behind by Cortes in his
march from Mexico across to Honduras (Villagutierre, 1701, pp.
100-101).
ASTRONOMICAL IDEAS. Animals frequently have a part to play in
relation to the constellations. Throughout the codices and, to a less
degree, in the stone carvings, we find what have usually been
considered to be glyphs for several of the constellations. Numerous
calculations in the codices make it clear that the Mayas had a good
knowledge of astronomy. These glyphs are usually oblong in shape and
three or more are arranged together end to end. We have called these
the constellation bands. Various attempts have been made to identify
these signs of the various constellations. Animals frequently are
pictured below these bands. The dog with fire brands in his paws and
often attached to his tail is shown in several places coming head
downward from one of these bands (as in Dresden 36a). The peccary is
also shown in the same position although the fire brands do not appear
(Dresden 68a). A figure with macaw head occurs once standing beneath
one of these bands with fire brands in his hands (Dresden 40b). The
serpent (as in Dresden 36a), the lizard-crocodile-like animal in Dresden
74, the turtle (Tro-Cortesianus 71a), the vulture (Dresden 38b), the

turkey (Tro-Cortesianus 10b), and the deer (Tro-Cortesianus 47a) all
appear in connection with these constellation bands. It is impossible at
this time to decide upon the part these various animals play in relation
to distinct constellations. In addition to the animals named, several of
the gods, especially god B, are found below these bands. One of these
signs, the one identified by Förstemann as standing for Saturn, is
composed of the head of the crocodile more or less conventionalized.
Förstemann (1902, p. 27)