Page:A Study of the Manuscript Troano.djvu/180

114 which it falls. Because each one changes its position according to his own count; yet, for all that, the dominical letter of the year which follows does not fail to come up correctly."

It appears that the Chiapenec, Tzendal, Soconuscan, Quiche, and Cakchiquel calendars began the list of days with Imox, following it with Ik or Igh. This fact indicates a common origin of the calendars and of the people. It also renders the statement of some of the old authorities, that the names of the days were taken from the names of their deities and heroes, quite plausible. If this be true, we have possibly in the seven days here given the names of the seven chief deities; and the characters on the page are to be read in columns, each column having at the top one of these sacred names. The characters in the second line appear to accord with this view, as the first four, counting from the left, are those which I have attempted to prove indicate the four cardinal points. As a further examination of this plate would require me to enter into a discussion of the characters themselves I will defer further notice until I reach that subject.

If the figures furnish us with any evidence by which to judge of the contents, I decide without any hesitancy that Plates I*-X* of this part of the work relate to one general subject, to wit, the work and festivals of the apiarists. We may be somewhat surprised to find so large a portion of the Manuscript devoted to the festivals of this limited class, whose industry was generally considered of but minor importance except in certain localities. But here again, as I believe, we detect the cunning of the priests. This was a scheme to supply their board with honey. Moreover, it is quite probable this Manuscript pertained to a section where the production of honey was an important industry.

The objection to the theory that these plates relate to these particular festivals may be raised, that the insects represented by the figures on them are not bees, but beetles (coleopterous insects).