Page:A Study of the Manuscript Troano.djvu/124

72 for the letter "T," I think there can be no doubt that when combined with the side wing it signifies "sun" or "day," both words being the same in the Maya language. I find that Brasseur and Dr. Valentini reached the same conclusion respecting this character, which bears some resemblance to the Mexican symbol for day, and a still closer resemblance to that for year. I am satisfied, therefore, that these two characters refer to the east and the west, and hence that the only point left for us to decide is, which appertains to the east and which to the west. This I think may be determined from the plates of the Dresden Codex. If No. 1 on Plate 27 must there be either south or east, and our reasoning showing that it could not be either south or north be correct, it follows that it must signify east, the direction assigned to the Kan year, and that here it refers to the final resting place of the idol Kan-u-Uayeyab.

If I am so far correct then character No. 1 (Fig. 8) signifies east, No. 2 north. No. 3 west, and No. 4 south.

If we turn now to Plates 46, 47, 48, 49, and 50 of this Codex we find on each, two square groups or masses of characters consisting of either five or six transverse lines and four columns. One transverse line of each group is composed of these four characters, which, as I believe, are here used to indicate the cardinal points. Assuming my interpretation of them to be correct, it will be necessary to read these lines from right to left to obtain the order given by Perez; for example the lines on these plates read, as the characters stand, thus:

 First group, Plate 46.—North, east, south, west. Second group, Plate 46.—West, north, east, south. First group, Plate 47.—North, east, south, west. Second group, Plate 47.—West, north, east, south. First group, Plate 48.—North, east, south, west. Second group, Plate 48.—West, north, east, south.

And the same on Plates 49 and 50. Reading these. from the right to the left we have the order given by Perez, but the initial days will be as