Representation of Deities of the Maya Manuscripts

Representation of Deities of the
Maya Manuscripts

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Manuscripts, by Paul Schellhas, Translated by Selma Wesselhoeft and
A. M. Parker
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Title: Representation of Deities of the Maya Manuscripts Papers of the
Peabody Museum of American Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard
University, Vol. 4, No. 1
Author: Paul Schellhas

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REPRESENTATION OF DEITIES OF THE MAYA
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Papers of the Peabody Museum of American Archaeology and
Ethnology, Harvard University Vol. IV.--No. 1
REPRESENTATION OF DEITIES OF THE MAYA MANUSCRIPTS
by
DR. PAUL SCHELLHAS
Second Edition, Revised With 1 Plate of Figures and 65 Text
Illustrations
Translated by Miss Selma Wesselhoeft and Miss A. M. Parker
Translation revised by the Author

Cambridge, Mass. Published by the Museum December, 1904.

NOTE.

In order to make more widely known and more easily accessible to
American students the results of important researches on the Maya
hieroglyphs, printed in the German language, the Peabody Museum
Committee on Central American Research proposes to publish
translations of certain papers which are not too lengthy or too
extensively illustrated. The present paper by one of the most
distinguished scholars in this field is the first of the series.
F. W. PUTNAM. Harvard University September, 1904.

PREFACE.
Since the first edition of this pamphlet appeared in the year 1897,
investigation in this department of science has made such marked
progress, notwithstanding the slight amount of material, that a revision
has now become desirable. It can be readily understood, that a new
science, an investigation on virgin soil, such as the Maya study is,
makes more rapid progress and develops more quickly than one
pertaining to some old, much explored territory.
In addition to numerous separate treatises, special mention should be
made of Ernst Förstemann's commentaries on the three Maya
manuscripts (Kommentar zur Mayahandschrift der Königlichen
öffentlichen Bibliothek zu Dresden, Dresden 1901, Kommentar zur
Madrider Mayahandschrift, Danzig 1902, and Kommentar zur Pariser
Mayahandschrift, Danzig 1903) which constitute a summary of the
entire results of investigation in this field up to the present time.
The proposal made in the first edition of this pamphlet, that the Maya
deities be designated by letters of the alphabet, has been very generally
adopted by Americanists, especially by those in the United States of
America. This circumstance, in particular, has seemed to make it
desirable to prepare for publication a new edition, improved to accord
with the present state of the science.
Warmest thanks are above all due to Mr. Bowditch, of Boston, who in

the most disinterested manner, for the good of science, has made
possible the publication of this new edition.
January, 1904. P. SCHELLHAS.

THE MATERIAL OF THE MANUSCRIPTS.
The three manuscripts which we possess of the ancient Maya peoples
of Central America, the Dresden (Dr.), the Madrid (Tro.-Cort.) and the
Paris (Per.) manuscripts, all contain a series of pictorial representations
of human figures, which, beyond question, should be regarded as
figures of gods. Together with these are a number of animal figures,
some with human bodies, dress and armor, which likewise have a
mythologic significance.
The contents of the three manuscripts, which undoubtedly pertain to the
calendar system and to the computation of time in their relation to the
Maya pantheon and to certain religious and domestic functions, admit
of the conclusion, that these figures of gods embody the essential part
of the religious conceptions of the Maya peoples in a tolerably
complete form. For here we have the entire ritual year, the whole
chronology with its mythological relations and all accessories. In
addition to this, essentially the same figures recur in all three
manuscripts. Their number is not especially large. There are about
fifteen figures of gods in human form and about half as many in animal
form. At first we were inclined to believe that further researches would
considerably increase the number of deities, but this assumption was
incorrect. After years of study of the subject and repeated examination
of the results of research, it may be regarded as positively