Animal Figures in the Maya Codices | Page 5

dog, curiously enough, does not seem to be represented
by an offering-glyph although he has a glyph of his own when
appearing in other connections. The iguana and fish are shown entire
although drawn very small; the head is the only part usually shown of
the turkey and the haunch of venison of the deer. The head and feet of
the lizard, as has been noted, may also be shown by a glyph. The turkey
and iguana glyphs are very often found with a Kan sign indicating an
offering of maize and bread as well as that of the animal. In connection
with glyphs showing various offerings of food, there is one which
occurs especially in the Tro-Cortesianus (as in 106a). This shows a row
of points themselves running to a point over a Kan sign. This, as will be
pointed out later (p. 318) may also represent an iguana. The jar
containing a representation of the honey comb (as in Tro-Cortesianus
107b) might come in here in the consideration of the offering-glyphs.
In many instances the common offerings shown by glyphs are found
associated with the signs for the four cardinal points but there does not
seem to be any strict uniformity as to the special offering associated
with each direction. In Dresden 29b, the lizard glyph is found in the
same group with the sign commonly assigned to the east, the turkey
with the south, the iguana with the west, and the fish with the north
while in Dresden 29c, the deer is associated with the east, the fish with
the south, the iguana with the west, and the turkey with the north. The
iguana is usually found with the sign for the west and the fish with that
of the south. The others vary greatly in the assignment of the various
directions.
Schellhas (1904, p. 17) considers that the fish, the lizard, "the sprouting
kernel of maize or (according to Förstemann, parts of a mammal,
game)" and a vulture's head are symbols of the four elements. The head
which Schellhas interprets as that of the vulture is certainly the head of

a turkey. He remarks that these signs of the four elements appear with
god B in the Dresden manuscript. Other gods, as he also notes, are
found with these four offering-glyphs. There seems to be a fifth glyph,
however, (as in Dresden 29b) which we have interpreted as that of a
lizard.
ANIMALS AS RAIN BEARERS. Various animals are associated with
the rain and water. The serpent is most frequently represented in this
connection. Snails, fish, the turtle, and the frog, as well as the
lizard-crocodile figure in Dresden 74 are naturally found associated
with water. The vulture-headed figure in Dresden 38b and the vulture
as a bird in Tro-Cortesianus 10a both appear in the rain. The peccary
(Dresden 68a), and the turkey (Tro-Cortesianus 10b) appear associated
with the rain as well as with the constellation bands. The scorpion
(Tro-Cortesianus 7a) encloses the rain within its legs.
The connection of an old female figure occurring in many places in the
codices with the rain will be discussed later (p. 316) when considering
the serpent. It remains at this place to comment upon the woman in
Tro-Cortesianus 30b from whose breasts water is flowing. She is
represented as having animal figures seated on her two outstretched
hands and on her right foot together with another animal at her side.
God B sits on her left foot. This picture immediately recalls
representations in the Mexican codices where the various parts of the
body of a god are associated with various day signs, ten of which have
animal names. In the Maya picture, a jaguar is shown on the right hand,
a peccary on the left, a dog on the right foot, and a rabbit beside the
body at her right. The peccary is not represented among the Nahua day
signs but the other three are found, namely the oceolotl (jaguar),
itzcuintli (dog), and tochtli (rabbit).
ANIMAL HEAD-DRESSES. Animal figures appear perhaps most
frequently as head-dresses of the various gods in the codices. Here, as
elsewhere, from all that can be made out, the religious character is
uppermost as in addition to being a decoration, they undoubtedly have
some religious signification. Birds occur by far most commonly in this
connection. Both male and female figures seems to have these

head-dresses. The same bird is often found as the head-dress of several
different gods as, for example, the turkey which appears with gods A, B,
C, E, and N. The vulture, on the other hand, when used as a head-dress
for male figures, appears exclusively with god F. The whole bird is
seldom represented on the head-dress of the male figures. It is usually
only the head and a part of the