It has been thought desirable, for the advancement of the study of Maya hieroglyphs, that the interpretation of the conventionalized animal figures, which so frequently occur in the Maya codices, should be undertaken. The Peabody Museum Committee on Central American Research therefore requested Dr. A. M. Tozzer to prepare a paper on the subject, and to secure the valuable cooperation of Dr. Glover M. Allen, a zoologist familiar with the animals of Mexico and Central America, to aid in the identi

The vowels and consonants have their continental sounds with the following exceptions:—...

The various peoples inhabiting Mexico and Central America in early pre-Columbian times were accustomed to record various events, especially in regard to their calendar and the religious ceremonials in relation to it, on long strips of skin or bark. These were usually painted on both sides and folded together like a screen. Several of these codices are still in existence from the Nahua and Zapotec areas in Mexico, but only three have come down to us from the Maya region which is included in the p

SYNOPTIC CONSIDERATION OF THE MEANING AND OCCURRENCE OF ANIMAL FORMS Before taking up the different animals in the codices it may be well to consider some of the more common ways in which the figures occur and their connection with the surrounding figures. Manner of representation. The entire body of the animal may be represented realistically or the head alone may be shown. The animal head is frequently attached to a human body. The animal may appear conventionalized to a greater or less extent

ZOOLOGICAL IDENTIFICATION AND ETHNOLOGICAL EXPLANATION OF ANIMAL FORMS. In the descriptions of the animals which follow the general plan will be to consider first the identification purely from a zoological point of view, and, secondly, the connection and, wherever possible, the meaning of the use of the various animal figures wherever they occur. MOLLUSCA Fasciolaria gigantea. Representations of this marine shell are found in several places in the codices. It is the only large Fusus -like speci

Aubin Manuscript, See Seler 1900-1901. Beyer, Herman. 1908, The symbolic meaning of the dog in ancient Mexico; in American Anthropologist (N. S.), Vol. X, pp. 419-422, Washington. Bologna Codex, See Cospiano Codex. Borbonicus Codex, See Hamy, 1899. Borgia Codex, See Seler, 1904-1906. Brasseur de Bourbourg, Charles Etienne. 1869-1870, Manuscrit Troano. Etudes sur le système graphique et la langue des Mayas; 2 vols., 4 o Paris. Brinton, Daniel Garrison. 1893, The native calendar of Central America

Transcriber’s Note The following errors and inconsistencies have been maintained. Misspelled words and typographical errors: The following words had inconsistent hyphenation: Blow-fly / Blowfly cross-hatched / crosshatched pit-fall / pitfall The following words had inconsistent spelling: dechiffrement / déchiffrement Fégerváry-Mayer / Fejérváry-Mayer / Fejervary-Mayer Rélacion / Relacion rôle / role...