Note 19 — SYMBOLS OF THE CARDINAL POINTS.
Reading edition
14 Study Manuscript Troano, pp. 69-74.
15 Les. Doc. Ecrit. l’Antiq. Ameriq.
16 Zeits. für Ethn., 1879.
17 Study Manuscript Troano, pp. 68-70.
18 Vol. III, p. 471.
19 P. 234.
20 P. 209.
21 P. 82.
22 P. 209.
23 See also hisDechiff. Ecrit. Hierat., p. 42.
24 Relacion, p.208.
25 Des couleurs consideres comme Symboles des Points de l’Horizon chez des Peuples du Noveau Monde, in Actes de la Societe Philologique, tome VI. See also his Recherches sur les Noms des Points de l’Espace, in. Mem. Acad. Nat. Sci. et Arts et Belles Lettres de Caen, 1882.
Since the above was written I have received a copy of his Ages ou Soleils, in which he gives the Mexican custom of assigning the colors as follows: blue to the south, red to the east, yellow to the north, and green to the west.—P. 40.
26 Hist. Gen. de las Cosas de Nueva Espana, tome 2, p. 256.
27 Hist. Ant. Mex., vol. 1, p. 42.
28 Churchill’s Voyages, vol. IV, pp. 491, 492.
29 Hist. Mex. Cullen’s Transl., I, 292.
30 Idea de Una Nueva Historia General de la America Septentrional, pp. 54-56.
31 Hist. Amer. Dec. II, B. 10, Chap. 4. Transl. vol. 3, pp. 221-222.
32 Historia de las Indias de Nueva Espana, Mexico, 1880. Tom. II., pp 252-253.
33 Trato. 3º Lam 1ª.
34 Zeit. für Ethnologie, 1879.
35 Anales Mus. Mex., I, Entrag. 7, p. 299.
36 Monarq. Indiana, lib. X, cap. 36.
37 Tom. 1, Entrag. 7, tom. II, and continued in tom. III.
38 A fact mentioned by Leon y Gama (Dos Piedras, pt. I, p. 16), and Veytia (Hist. Antiq. Mej., tom. I, p. 58). See, also, Müller, Reisen, tom. III, p. 65, and Boturini, Idea, p. 125.
39 I see from Charencey’s “Ages ou Soleils,” just received, that he concludes the arrangement by the Mexicans was as follows:
1. Tochtli — Rabbit — Blue — Earth — South.
2. Acatl — Cane — Red — Water — East.
3. Tecpatl — Flint — Yellow — Air — North.
4. Calli — House — Green — Fire — West.
40 See note 39 on page 47.
41 By “air” in this connection “wind” is really intended.
42 Kingsborough, vol. VI, pp. 196, 197.
43 See also Chavero’s statement to the same purpose, Anales Mus. Mes., tom. 11, entrag. 4, p. 244.
44 l. c. See also the colored wheel in Kingsborough, Mex. Antiq., Vol. IV. Copied from one in Boturini’s collection, the same as Gemelli’s.
45 l. c.
46 Y acabados los cincuenta y dos años tornaba la cuenta á cetochliacatl, que es la caña figura dedicada al oriente que llamaban tlapcopcopa, y tlavilcopa, casihacia la lumbre, ó al sol.
47 See the various views presented by Chavero, Anales Mus. Mex. Tom. II Entrag. 2, and authorities referred to by Bancroft, Native Races, II. p. 504, note 3.
48 Kingsburough, Mex. Antiq., Vol. III.
49 Dr. Brinton, “The Maya Chronicles,” p. 53, informs us that “the division of the katuns was on the principle of the Belran system of numeration, as xel u ca katun, ‘thirty years;’ xel u yox katun, ‘fifty years.’ Literally these expressions are, ‘dividing the second katun,’ ‘dividing the third katun,’ xel meaning to cut in pieces, to divide as with a knife.” This appears to be the idea intended in the figure of the Cortesian plate.
50 P. 281, pl. 69.
51 Dos Piedras, pt. 1, p. 16.
52 Travels in Cent. Amer., vol. I, p. 156. Monument N, plate. Mr. Gustav Eisen, in a MS. lately received by and now in possession of the Smithsonian Institution, also mentions another similar head as found at Copan. This, he says, is on the side of an altar similar to that described by Stephens, except that the top wants the hieroglyphics. The sides have human figures similar to the other; on one of these is the head of an “Alligator.”
53 Ibid., 2d plate to p. 158.
54 Stephens’ Trav. Cent. Amer. III Frontispiece.