'' 39 " l< II MAYA CHRONOLOGY: GLYPH G OF THE LUNAR SERIES

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1 MAYA CHRONOLOGY: GLYPH G OF THE LUNAR SERIES F BY J. ERIC THOMPSON OLLOWING the Initial Series of the vast majority of Maya inscriptions on stone is a group of glyphs, usually some eight in number, known as the Supplementary or Lunar Series. All but two of these glyphs have been deciphered within the last decade through the efforts of Dr. S. G. Morley' and more particularly Dr. John E. Teeplea. The two glyphs that so far have Sylvanus G. Morley, The Supplementary Series in the Maya Inscriptions Holmes Anniversary Volume, Washington The Inscriptions at Copan. Appendix 6, Carnegie Institution of Washington, No. 219, Washington, *John E. Teeple, Maya Inscriptions: Glyphs C, D, and E of the Supplementary Series. Am. Anthr., n.s., 27: , Maya Inscriptions IV. Am. Anthr., ns., 29: , Maya Inscriptions VI. Am. Anthr., n.s., 30: , The dates supplied by nr. Morley were as follows: Piedras Negras Stele 1 (left side) U " " 3 " " I4 IL u 4 n " M " 5 '' '( I1 U U 6 U '' I( 1i ( " li 46 'I 'I " '' 10 " " '' 11 'I " I( '' 39 " l< II " Pusilha Stele H (2nd Initial Series) u n " " I (2nd Initial Series) Tikal ' Uaxactun " Naachtun" 1 (right side) " 2 (left side) Macanxoc l(2ndinitialseries) U (I K The further dates added by the writer were: Tila Stele A u u B Hermann Beyer, Las nos Estelas Mayas de Tila Chis. Memorias de la Sociedad Alzate, vol. 47. Copan West AltarofStele Hieroglyphic Stairway Date

2 ~~ ~~ 224 A Af ERICA N A R THIZOPOLOGIST [N. s., 31, 1929 eluded decipherment are the first two of the series, glyphs G and F. The component elements of glyph F vary but slightly, and there seems every reason to believe that its meaning, as Dr. Morley suggests, is only general. Either something like Here begins the Lunar count or possibly it represents some deity connected with the night or moon. Glyph G, on the other hand, is variable. Sometimes there is a numerical coefficient, sometimes the glyph stands alone. Unfortunately this glyph is not a constant component of the Lunar Series. Only about 70% of them contain glyph G. This naturally makes the task of elucidating its meaning more difficult. The writer believes Glyph G represents the deity who ruled over the night preceding the day of the Initial Series to which it was attached. In Mexico the nine lords of the night were of very great importance. For the Maya area we have, unfortunately, little information. Nevertheless a passage in the Chilan Balam of Chumayel, translated by Martinez, would seem to point to the conclusion that among the Maya, too, they played a part of ritual significance. The passage in question, which describes the creation, relates the doings of nine gods. They appear to have behaved more or less as they wished before the dawn and when the world was still in darkness. Possibly these nine gods did not correspond to the nine of Mexico, but the mythological concepts of the two areas are so closely interwoven that one may hazard Temple Los Iligos Stele S. G. Morley, The Inscriptions at Copan. N ashington, Pusilha Lintel J. Eric Thompson, Man, 70, Tonina Stele Tonina Stele Comitan Stele Frans Blom and Oliver La I arge, Tribes and Temples. Tulane, New Orleans, Copan Stele I> A. P. Maudslay, Biologia Centrali-Americana. London, Naranjo Hieroglyphic Stairs Block T. A. Joyce, The Hieroglyphic Stairway at Naran jo, Guatemala. International Congress of Americanists, Goteborg, The Leyden Plate

3 THOMPSON] MA Y A CHRONOLOC Y 225 that there was probably a connection. If glyph G does in fact represent the lords of the night, we should find at least nine variants, which only occur at intervals of nine days or multiples of nine days. As there were 360 days in a Tun (Maya year) each variant would occupy the same position in every Tun (360 divided by 9 leaves no remainder). In other words, the variant that occupied, for example, would recur at , , , etc., all through the Tun, occupying, of course, the Tun position The material at the disposal of the writer was composed of the group of 80 Lunar Series, published Fig. 1. by Dr. Morley in the Holmes Anniversary Volume, twenty further unpublished drawings kindly supplied by Dr. Morley, and thirteen more dates gathered by the writer from various publications. These yield eighty-one examples of glyph G. Unfortunately no less than fifty of these record Tun endings. Presuming that the series of nine lords of the night began on the first day of the Tun, the god of the ninth day, or rather the eighth night, would be associated with the last day of a Tun. Of the forty-nine Tun endings forty-seven have the Kin-maize form of glyph G, either face variants or normal forms (fig. 1). The connection between the maize deity and the number eight has been known for a long while, and one is not surprised to find the Kin-maize deity associated with the eighth night. The two Tunending dates that appear not to agree are:

4 226 AMERICAN AlV THROPOLOGIST [N. S., 31, * Copan Stele Y axchilan Stele The first of these is a doubtful reading. Both the Tun and Uinal dates are effaced and the month is suppressed. There is a choice of twenty-seven dates in the Katun ending on 6 Ahau, any one of which might be the date in question. The second may represent a variant of the Kin-maize glyph. The black and white halves, sometimes met with in this glyph, are present, as also is the maize superfix. In addition to these Tun-ending dates there are four further dates, which occur at intervals of nine days from a run-ending, and therefore were ruled over by the Kin-maize deity. They are: Copan, West Altar of Stele All four of these dates have the Kin-maize variant as required. A word of explanation is due as to the reading of no. 8. This is the Initial Series date from Holactun, which Morley reads as This interpretation, in view of the recent discoveries of ninth cycle Initial Series in Yucatanand Campeche,is obviously wrong. Furthermore, the style of the glyphs is that current in the middle of the ninth cycle. The presence of the small beetle glyph also points to a cycle nine date. The only Tun 13 ending on 2 Ahau, that is at all possible, is The Initial Series date day sign is surely 7 Muluc. The Uinal coefficient is either four or fourteen. Finally, the date is two days after a new moon. The only date that fulfills all these conditions and is not too far removed from the terminal date of the inscription is Muluc 12 Cumhu. The new moon two days earlier, as indicated by glyph D, is exactly twenty-seven moons from the famous new moon date Dates associated with the first day of the group of nine lords of the night are four in number. The corresponding Initial Series are : * The numbers before Initial Series are those used by Morley in his list of eighty Lunar Series.

5 THOMPSON] MA YA CHRONOLOGY As these are the first days of the group of nine, the preceding night, over which the deity rules, is the ninth and last. Therefore Fig. 2. we find a hand signifying ending (fig. 2). Stele H at Pusilha yields the date This requires the variant for one, although the Kin-maize variant is given. Dr. Teeple informed the writer that the lunar series of this date was also incorrect. It would appear, then, that an error was made by the astronomer who made the calculation, or Dr. Morley read the Initial Series wrongly. LB Fig. 3. There are only two examples of a date that has a glyph G, and corresponds to the second day of the group of nine (fig. 3) Glyph G in the second of these two dates is almost obliterated. The headdress would seem to indicate, at first glance, the Kinmaize variant, However, there is an oval object in front that never occurs with the Kin-maize variant, but resembles to a certain extent the bracket-like object in front of no. 7.

6 228 AMERICAN A N TH ROPO LOG IST [N. s., 31, 192Y There are three examples of a date that has a glyph G occupying the third position in the group of nine. The glyph seems to have as its main element dots or small circles similar to those found in the month sign Mol. No. 78 of Morley s series, too, belongs to this group. Unfortunately the Initial Series is not surely known. Morley himself queries the reading and as the Fig. 4. lunar series is not stated in full one can presume that Morley s reading is incorrect. Setting aside this date the three are: Fig. 5. Dates that occupy the fourth position in the group of nine yield four examples of glyph G Piedras Negras Stele With these dates glyph G has the form of a god that resembles god D. The tassel on the forehead seems to be a constant element, and with the exception of the last date all are associated with the

7 THOMPSON] MA FA CHRONOLOGI' 229 number seven. (Morley pointed out to the writer that he had incorrectly drawn no. 34 with a coefficient of thirteen instead of seven as shown in Maler's photograph.) The Piedras Negras date might be the Kin-maize variant, but the headdress is not oval shape, as it should be if this was indeed this variant. One must remember, too, that the tendency of a copier of glyphs would be Fig. 6. to draw a partially obliterated glyph in a form resembling the Kin-maize glyph, which form such an overwhelming number of the examples of glyph G. Of a date occupying the fifth position in the group of nine there are three examples (fig. 6). Leyden Plate Los Higos Stele m Fig. 7. In all three cases there is a coefficient of five, cross-hatchings and a series of dots. The Leyden plate example is interesting as a demonstration of the great antiquity of the conception of the nine lords of the night. The earliest date at Uaxactun ( ) is also correctly assigned to the Kin-maize deity. The sixth position yields but two dates (fig. 7) O.

8 230 AMERICAN ANTHROPOI.OGIST [N. s., 31, 1929 The distinguishing features would appear to be the ear-flap and the circle below. The seventh position is occupied by five examples of glyph G (fig. 8). Copan Hier. Stairs, date Piedras Negras Stele The constant element seems to be a sacred flame, either to the left of, or above the glyph. No. 77 in some respects bears more Fig. 8. resemblance to the normal variant for four, although it also resembles the required seven. Possibly it is incorrectly placed here. There is no case of a glyph G occupying the eighth position. Of the eighty-one examples of glyph G swenty-six fit into the scheme put forward in this paper. Two are doubtful, and three are probably incorrect owing to wrong readings of the Initial Series or an error on the part of the original sculptor or the astronomer priest who gave him his instructions. Dates 62 and 78 can almost certainly be attributed to wrong readings. Stele H at Pusilha is almost certainly an error of the sculptor, as the lunar series is also in disagreement. Besides establishing the cult of the nine lords of the night among the Maya, glyph G will

9 THOMPSON] illil YA CHRONOLOGY 23 1 now serve as a check on doubtful readings, and in combination with glyphs D and E and glyph C, during the period of uniformity, should supply the dates of partially obliterated Initial Series. In fact with these four glyphs during the period of uniformity a totally obliterated Initial Series could be restored with certainty, provided the monument could be dated stylistically within five Katuns. FIELD MUSEUM, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS PosmxIPT Note: After the above was forwarded for publication the writer had an opportunity of going over with Dr. Morley a large amount of unpublished material in the latter's possession. The following dates with glyph G were recovered: Itsimte St i( " Uaxactun " Jaina " Macanxoc St. 1 Back2ndI.S. 9.12, Macanxoc St. 1 Front Naranjo St u St Probably required variant for 1. There is a clear coefficient of 9, and what is probably a hand grasping a small head. Required glyph for 4 with coefficient of 7. Required glyph for 4 with coefficient of 7. The number of Initial Series at Naranjo that were governed by the lord of the fourth night is very striking, much more than the law of averages calls for. It would seem that this deity was considered particularly lucky at this city. The coefficients of five, seven, and nine attached to the fifth, fourth, and first positions of glyph G do not appear to have any connection with the calendar. Presumably they are part of the names of the respective ding deities.