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QUEEN MOO AND THE EGYPTIAN SPHINX
QUEEN MOO
AND
THE EGYPTIAN SPHINX
AUGUSTUS LE PLONGEON, M.D.
AUTHOE OF
'SACRED MTSTEEIBS AMONG THE MAYAS AND THE QUICHl&S"
A SKETCH OF THE AXCIENT INHABITANTS OF PERU AND THEIR
CITILIZATION, ETC., ETC., ETC.
NEW YORK
1896
PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOE
AGENTS
CrNoiNNATi, Ohio.— The Eobebt Clakke Co., 35 East Fourth Street
New York.—The JIetaphysical Publishing Compant, 503 Fifth Avenue
Brooklyn. — A. F. Fabnell & Son, 40 Court Street
London, England.— Kegan Paul, Trench, Tkubner & Co., Paternoster House
Charing Cross Koad, W. C.
Bsquest of
Alice Cheney Baltzell
Entered according to act of Congress, April, 1896, by AtJGDSTUs Le Plonoeon,.

in the ofBce of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington
All rights of translation and reproduction reserved
L4
Press ot J. J. Little & Co.

Astor Place, New York
TO MY WIFE,
ALICE D. LE PLONGEON,
MY CONSTANT COMPANION DURING MT EXPLORATIONS
OP THE
RUINED CITIES OF THE MAYAS,
WHO,
IN ORDER TO OBTAIN A GLIMPSE OF THE HISTORY OF THEIR BUILDERS,
HAS EXPOSED HERSELF TO MANY DANGERS,
SUFFERED PRIVATIONS, SICKNESS, HARDSHIP;
MT FAITHFUL AND INDEFATIGABLE COLLABORATOR AT HOME;
THIS WORK IS
AFFECTIONATELY AND RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED.
AUGUSTUS LE PLONGEON, M.D.
Brooklyn, February 15, 1896.

LIST OF AUTHORS QUOTED.
A. Charencey, Hyacinthe de.

Acosta, Jose de. Chou-King.
Acts of the Apostles. Chronicles.
^lian, Claudinus. Cicero, Marcus Tullius.
Alcedo, Antonio de. Cieza de Leon, Pedro.

Ancona, Eligio. Clement of Alexandria.
Aristotle. Clement of Rome.
Codes Qortesianus.
B. CogoUudo, Diego Lopez de.
Bancroft. Colebrooke, H. T.
Beltran de Santa Eosa, Pedro. Confucius — Kong-foo-tse.
Bernal Diez del Castillo. Cook, Captain James.
Berosus.
Bhagavata, Purana. D.
Birch, Henry.
Blavatsky, H. P.
Daniel, Book of.
Brassenr de Bourbourg.
De Rouge, Olivier Charles Camille.
Diodorus Siculus.
Brinton, Daniel G.
Dion Cassius.
British and Foreign Review.
D'Orbigny, Alcide Dessalines.
Brugsch, Henry.
Dubois de Jancigny, Adolphe Philt-
Bunsen, Christian Karl Julius.
bert.
Burckhardt Barker, William.
Du Chaillu, Paul.
C. Duncker, Maximilian Wolfgang.
Cartaud de la Villate.
E.
Chal-ilas.
Champollion Pigeac. Ellis, William.

Champollion le Jeune. Emerson, Ralph Waldo.
Euclydes. Layard, Sir Henry.

Eusebius. Lenorraaut, Frangois.
Le Plongeon, Alice D.
P. Le Plongeon, Augustus.
Flaubert, Gustave. Lepsius, Karl Richard.
Leviticus, Book of.
G. Lizana, Bernardo.
Garcllasso de la Vega. London Times.
Book of.
Genesis, Lucius IH. (Pope).
Gordon Gumming, C. F. Lyeli, Charles.
Gi'ose, Henry.
M.
H. Macrobius.
Mahabharata, Adiparva Vyasa(other-
Haeckel, Ernest.
wise Krishna Dwaipayana).
Haliburton, R. G.
Manava-Dharma-Sastra.
Heber, Bishop Reginald.
Marco Polo.
Heineccius, Johann Gott.
Marcoy, Paul (Lorenzo de St. Bricq).
Herodotus.
Markham, Clement R.
Herrera, Antonio de.
Matthew's Gospel.
Hilkiah (the High Priest).
Molina, Cristoval de.
Homer.
Moore, Thomas.
Horapollo.
Moses de Leon.
Horrack.
Miiller, Friedrich Maximilian.
Hue, Abbg Evariste Regis.
Humphreys, Henry Noel. N.
I.
New York Herald.
Isaiah, Book of. O.
Oman, John Campbell.

J.
Ordonez y Aguiar Ramon de.
Joshua, Book of.
Osburn, William.
Juvenal, Decimus Junius.
Ovidius.
K. P.
Kenrick, John. Paley, Dr.
Kings, H. Book of. Papyrus IV., Bulaq Museum.
Kingsborough (Lord), Edward King. Pausanias.
Klaproth, Heinrich Julius. Philostratus.
Piazzi Smyth, C.
Pictet, Adolphe.
Land a, Diego de. Pierret.
Las Casas, Bartolomfi de. Pio Perez, Juan.
Plato. Sclater, P. L.
Plinius. Beiss, Joseph Augustus.
Plutarch. Squier, George E.
Popol-Vuh. Stephens, John L.
Porphyry. St. Hilaire, Barthelgmy.
Proclus. Strabo.
Procopius.
E. Tertnllian.
Ranking, John. Theopompus de Quio.
Rau, Charles. Thucydides.
Rawlinsou, George. Torquemada, Juan de.
Rawliuson, Sir Henry. Troano MS.
Renan, Ernest. Two Chelas.
Rig-veda.
Ripa, Father. V.
Robertson, "William. Valeutini, Philipp J. J.
Rochefort. Valmiki, Ramayana.
Rockhill Woodville, W.
Roman, Fray Geronimo. W.
Rosny, Lgon de. Ward, William.
Wheeler, J. Talboys.
Wilkinson, Sir Gardner.
Salisbury, Stephen. Wilson, John.
Santa Buena Ventura, Gabriel de. Witttke, Heinrich.
Sayce, A. H.
Schellhas. Y.
Schoolcraft, Henry R. Young, Dr.
ILLUSTRATIONS.
Engraved ty F. A. Bingler & Co., of New York, from photographs and

drawings by the author.
PLATES PAOB
I.
III.
Fossil Shells
n. Map of Maya Empire, from Troano MS.
Modern Map of Central America, witli Maya symbols
.... . .
xviii
xlii
xliv
TV. Map of Drowned Valleys of Antillean Lands, by Prof. J. W.
Spencer, by his permission xlv
V. Map of West Indies, from Troano MS Ix
among
VI. Banana Leaf, a token of hospitality
Islanders. From Captain
VII. Serpent Heads found in
Cook's Atlas
Cay's Mausoleum, Chiclien
....
the South Sea
. .
3
4
Vm. Serpent Head with Crown, carved on the entablature of the
wing of King Canchi's palace at
east facade of the west
Uxmal 5
IX. Ruins of Prince CoL's Memorial Hall at Clilcnen . . 7
discovered by the author .......

X. Columns of the Portico of Prince Coil's Memorial Hall,
XL Altar at the Entrance of Funeral Chamber in Prince Coil's

8
Memorial Hall, discovered by the author ....

XII. One of the Atlantes supporting the Table of the Altar in
11
Xin.
XIV.
Prince Coh's Memorial Hall
OfBcials at
I
Burmese Embassy at Paris .....
Sculptured Wall in the Chamber at the Foot of Prince
12
13
XV. i Coh's Memorial Hall 14

Part of the East Facade of West Wing of King Canchi's
XVI.
Palace at XJxnial, with Cosmic Diagram
Maya Cosmic Diagram
.... 16
XVII.
XVin.
XIX.
Sri-Santara, Hindoo Cosmic Diagram
Ensoph, Chaldean Cosmic Diagram
..... 17
33
36
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
PLATES PAGE
XX. Head -with Phoenician Features, discovered by the autlior
in 1875 iu the royal box tennis court at Chicbeii . . 58
XXI. A Native Girl of Yucatan 63
XXII. Caribs of the Island of St. Vincent. From Edwards's
" History of tlie British Colonies iu the West Indies " . 64
XXIII. Portal of Eastern Fa9ade of the Palace at ChiclkeLi, Tab-
leau showing the Creator in the Cosmic Egg
XXIV. Kneeling Cynocephalus. From the Temple of Death at
... 69
Uxiiial 77
XXV. Portico, with inscription resembling those of Palenque . 81
XXVI. Portrait of a Maya Nobleman called Cancoli. A bas-
relief on one of the antte of the portico of Prince Coil's
Memorial Hall at CMclleii 83
XXVII. Portrait of a Maya Nobleman called Clliich. A bas-
on one of the
relief antte of the portico of Prince Coil's
Memorial Hall 83
XXVIII. Portrait of a Maya Chieftain called Cul. on
Bas-relief
one of the jambs of the entrance to the funeral chamber
Memorial Hall
in Prince Coil's 82
XXIX.
XXX.
Priest and Devotee.
in the British Museum .......
Sculptured slab from Manchg, now
83
XXXI. Queen ZoD.

Obelisk, from Copan.
Saville ;
One of the atlantes supporting the table of

....
Photographed by Mr. Marshall H.
reproduced by his permission 83
XXX 1 1.
the altar in Prince Coil's Memorial Hall
A Maya Matron. One of the atlantes supporting the
... 84
table of the altar in Prince Coil's Memorial Hall . . 84

XXXni. A Caiiob Vase. Used in religious ceremonies . . 86
XXXIV. Slab from Altar in the Temple of God of Rain. Palenque 109
XXXVI.
Drawing by the author
Fish. Bas-relief
.......
XXXV. Restoration of the Portico of Prince Coil's Memorial Hall.
from Pontiff Cay's Mausoleum at Clii-

130
cnen 131
,__-_|. 1 Sculptured Zapote Beam, forming the lintel of the en-
trance to funeral chamber in Prince Coil's Memorial
XXXVTTT I
' Hall. Casts from moulds made by the author . . 133

XX XIX Fresco Painting in Funeral Cliamber in Prince Coil's Me-
morial Hall. Queen Moo
when yet a young girl consult-
ing Fate by the ceremony which the Chinese call Pou . 138
XL. Fresco painting. Queen Moo
asked in Marriage . . 130
XLI. Attitude of Respect among the Egyptians . . . 131
XLH. Attitude of Respect among tlie Mayas. Statue of Prince

Coll exliumed from Mausoleum by the author
his . 133
XLin. Attitude of Respect among the Mayas. Columns of Ka-
tnns at Ak6 133
XLIV. Fresco Painting in Funeral Chamber in Prince Coil's Me-
morial Hall. Queen Moo's Suitor consulting Fate 133 .
XLV. Fresco Painting in Funeral Chamber in Prince Coil's Me-

morial Hall. Citaiu, the Friend of Queen Moo, con-
sulting an Aruspice . . . .134 . . .
XL VI. Fresco Painting in Funeral Chamber in Prince Coil's Me-

morial Hall. Prince Aac in Presence in the H-ineil . 134
XLVn. Fresco Painting in Funeral Chamber in Prince Coh's Me-
morial Hall. Highpriest Cay consulting Fate . . 135
XLVin. Fresco Painting in Funeral Chamber in Prince Coil's Me-
morial Hall. Prince Coll in Battle
XLIX. Fresco Painting in
....
Funeral Chamber in Prince Coil's Me-
136
A
morial Hall.
Warriors, abandoned by
L. Fresco Painting in Funeral
its Inhabitants ....
Village, assaulted by Prince Coil's
Chamber in Prince Coil's Me-

137
morial Hall. Prince Coli's Body prepared for Cremation 138

LI. Fresco painting in Prince Coil's Memorial Hall. Prince
Aac proffering his Love to Queen Mdo . . 139
Ln. Queen Mdo a Prisoner of War. Plate xvii., part ii., of
Troano MS 143 ."
.
Lm. Account of the Destruction of the Land of Mu. Slab in
mould made by the author ......

the building called Akali-Dili at Cliiclieii. Cast from
LIV. Account of the Destruction of the Land of Mu. Plate

146
v., part ii., of Troano MS 147

LV. Calendar and an Account of the Destruction of the Land
)
LVI. of Mu.
1 From the Codex Cortesianus .147 . . .
LVn. Mausoleum of Prince Coh. Restoration and drawing by

the author 155
LVin. A Dying Warrior.
leum ..........Bas-relief from Prince Coli's Mauso-
155
LIX. Leopard eating a Human Heart: Totem of Prince Coll.
A bas-relief from his Mausoleum
LX. Macaw eating a Human Heart: Totem of Queen Mdo.
..... 157
A bas-relief from Prince Coil's Mausoleum 157 . . .
LXI. Salutation and Token of Respect in Thibet. From the

book by Gabriel Bondalot, " Across Thibet " .158 .
LXn. A Dying Sphinx (a leopard with a human head) that was

placed on the top of Prince Coil's Mausoleum . . 158
LXIII. Javelin Head and Arrow Points, found with the Charred
Remains of Prince Coh in his Mausoleum . . . 159
LXIV. Egyptian Sphinx. Reproduced from a photograph by Mr.
Edward Wilson, by his permission
LXV. Portrait of Queen Moo. From a demi-relief adorning
.... 159
the entablature of the east fa9ade of the Governor's House

at Uxmal 166
LXVI. Portrait of Bishop Landa,
second Bishop of Yucatan.
From an oil painting in the Chapter Hall of the Cathe-
dral at Merida reproduced by permission of the present
;
bishop 169
LXVn. Autograph of the Historian, Father Lopez de CogoUudo.
The original is in the possession of the present Bishop of
Yucatan 173
LXVIII, Mezzo-relievo
Kabul
LXIX. Fresco Painting
in Stucco
at Izamal.
on
A Human
in tlie Funeral
tlie Frieze of
Sacrifice
Chamber
....
the Temple of
of Prince Coil's
197
Memorial Hall. Adepts consulting a Seer 333

LXX. Fresco Painting in the Funeral Chamber of Prince Coil's
..........
Memorial Hall.
Mirror
A Female Adept consulting a Magic
LXXI. Part
the
of Parade
Winged Cosmic
LXXn. The Lord of the Yucatan
of the Sanctuary at
Circle
Forests.
......
Uxmal.
From life .
Image of
318
236
LXXin. Part of Fafade of the Sanctuary at Uxmal. Cosmic
symbols carved on the trunk of the Mastodon . . 256
PREFACE,
'
' To accept any authority as final, and to
dispense with the necessity of independent in-
vestigation, is destructive of all progress.
(Man by two Chelas.)
" What you have learned, verify by expe-

rience, otherwise learning is vain."
(Indian Saying.)
I^- this work I offer no theory. In questions of history

theories prove nothing. They are therefore out of place. I
leave my readers to draw their own inferences from the facts
presented for their consideration. Whatever be their conclu-

sions is no concern of mine. One thing, however, is certain
—neither their opinion nor mine will alter events that have
happened in the dim past of which so little is known to-day.
A record many of these events has reached our times writ-

of
ten, by those who took part in them, in a language stiU spoken
by several thousands of human beings. There we may read
part of man's history and follow the progress of his civilization.
The study— 1«, situ —of the relics of the ancient Mayas has
revealed such striking analogies between their language, their
religious conceptions, their cosmogonic notions, their manners
and customs, their traditions, their architecture, and the lan-
guage, the religious conceptions, the cosmogonic notions, the

manners and customs, the traditions, the architecture of the
VIU PREFACE.
ancient civilizecl nations of Asia, Africa, and Europe, of which

we have any knowledge, that it has become evident, to my
mind at least, that such similarities are not merely effects of
hazard, but the result of intimate communications that must
have existed between all of them; and that distance was no
greater obstacle to their intercourse than it is to-day to that of
the inhabitants of the various countries.
It has been, and still is, a favorite hypothesis, with certain
students of ethnology, that the Western Continent, now known
as America, received its human popiilation, therefore its civili-
zation, from Asia. True, there is a split in their ranks. They

are not quite certain if the immigration in America came from
Tartary across the Strait of Behring, or from Hindostan over
the wastes of the Pacific Ocean. This, however, is of little
consequence.
There are those who pretend, like Ivlaproth, that the cradle
of humanity is to be found on the plateau of Pamir, between
the high peaks of the Himalayan ranges, or lilce Messrs. Eenan
and Barthelemy Saint-Hilaire, who jjlace it in the region of
the Timeeus, in the countries where the Bible says the "Gar-
den of Eden" was situated while others ; are equally certain
man came from Lemuria, that submerged continent invented
by P. L. Sclater, which HaeckeP believes was the birthplace
of the primitive ape-man, and which they say now lies under
the waves of the Indian Ocean. The truth of the matter is,
that these opinions are mere conjectures, simple hypotheses,

and their advocates know no more when and where man first
appeared on earth than the new-born babe knows of his sur-

roundings or how he came.
The learned wranglers on this shadowy and dim point
' Haeckel, Ernst, Hist, of Creation, vol. ii., p. 326.
PREFACE. is
forget that all leading geologists now agree in the opinion that
America is the oldest known continent on the face of the
planet; that the fossil remains of human beings found in vari-
ous parts of it, far distant from each other, prove that man
lived there in tunes immemorial, and that we have not the
slightest ray of light to illumine the darkness that surrounds
the origin of those primeval men. Furthermore, it is now

admitted by the generality of scientists, that man, far from
descending from a single pair, located in a particular portion
of the earth's surface, has appeared on every part of it where
the biological conditions have been propitious to his develop-
ment and maintenance; and that the production of the various
species, with their distinct, well-marked anatomical and intel-
lectual characteristics, was due to the difference of those bio-

logical conditions, and to the general forces calling forth
animal life prevalent in the places where each particular spe-
cies has appeared, and whose distinctive marks were adapted
to its peculiar environments.
The Maya sages doubtless had reached similar conclusions,
since they called their country Mayacli ; that is, "the land
first emerged from the bosom of the deep," "the country
of the shoot ; " and the Egyptians, according to Herodotus,
boasted that "their ancestors, in the 'Lands of the West,'
were the oldest men on- earth."
If the opinion of Lyell, Humphry, and a host of modern

geologists, regarding the priority of America's antiquity, be
what right have we
correct, to gainsay the assertion of the
Mayas and of the Egyptians in claiming lUiewise priority for
their people and their country ?
It is but natural to suppose that intelligence in man was

developed on the oldest continent, among its most ancient
X PRE FACS.
inhabitants ; and that its concomitant, civilization, grew apace

with its development. "When, at the impulse of the instinct of
self-preservation, men linked themselves into clans, tribes, and
nations, history was born, and with it a desire to commemo-
rate the events of which it is composed. The art of drawing
or writing was then invented. The incidents regarded as
most worthj!" of being remembered and preserved for the
knowledge of coming generations were carved on the most
enduring material in their possession — stone. And so it is that
we find to-day the cosmogonic and religious notions, the rec-
ords of natural phenomena and predominant incidents in the

history of their nation and that of their rulers, sculptured on
the walls of the temples and palaces of the civilized Mayas,
Chaldeans, and Egyptians, as on the sacred rocks and in the
hallowed caves of primitive rmcivilized man.
It is to the monumental inscriptions and to the books of the
Mayas that we must turn if we wish to learn about the pri-

meval traditions of mankind, the development of civilization,
and the events that took place centuries before the dim myths
recorded as occurrences at the beginning of our written
histoiy.
Historians when writing on the universal history of the

race have never taken into consideration that of man in
America, and the role that in remote ages American nations
played on this world's stage, and the influence they exerted
over the populations of Asia, Africa, and Europe. Still, as
far as we can scan the long vista of the past centuries, the
Mayas seem to have had direct and intimate communications
with them.
This fact is new revelation, as proved by the uni-
indeed no
versality of the name Maya, which seems to have been as well
PREFACE. xi
known by all civilized nations, thousands of years ago, as is to-
day that of the English. Thus we meet with it in Japan, the
Islands of the Pacific, Hindostan, Asia Minor, Egypt, Greece,

Equatorial Africa, ISTorth and South America, as well as in
the countries known to us as Central America, which in those
tunes composed the Maya Empire. The seat of the Govern-
ment and residence of the rulers was the peninsula of Yucatan.

"Wherever found, the name Maya is synonymous with power,
wisdom, and learning.
The existence of the Western Continent was no more a
mystery to the inliabitants of the countries bordering on the
Mediterranean than to those whose shores are bathed by the
waves of the Indian Ocean.
Vahniki, in his beautiful epic the " Ramayana," says that,
in times so remote that the " sun had not yet risen above the
horizon," the Mayas, great navigators, terrible warriors,
learned architects, conquered the southern parts of the Indo-
Chinese peninsula and established themselves there.
In the classic authors, Greek and Latin, we find frequent
mention of the great Saturnian continent, distant many thou-
sand stadia from the Pillars of Hercules toward the setting
sun. Plutarch, in his "Life of Solon," says that when the
famed Greek legislator visited Egy]3t (600 years before the
Christian era), Sonchis, a priest of Sais, also Psenophis, a
priest of Hehopolis, told him that 9,000 years since, the rela-
tions of the Egyptians with the inhabitants of the " Lands of
theWest " had been interrupted because of the mud that had
made the sea impassable after the destruction of Atlantis by
earthquakes.
The same author again, in his work, " De Facie in Orbe
Lunge," has Scylla recount to his brother Lampias all he had
xii PREFACE.
learned concerning them from a stranger he met at Carthage

returning from the transatlantic countries.
That the Western Continent was visited by Carthaginians a
few years before the inditing of Plato's "Atlantis," the por-
traits of men with long beards and Phcenician features, discov-

ered by me in 1S75, sculptured on the columns and antse of the
castle at Chicrien, bear witness. Diodorus Siculus attributes
the discover}^ of the Western Continent to the Phoenicians, and
describes it as " a country where the landscape is varied by
very lofty mountains, and the temperature is always soft and
equable." Procopius, alluding to it, says it is several thousand
stadia from Ogygia, and encloses the whole sea, into which a
multitude of rivers, descending from the highlands, discharge
their waters. Theopompus, of Quio, speaking of its magni-
tude, says: "Compared with it, our world is but a small
island; " and Cicero, mentioning it, makes use of nearly the
same words :
'
' Omnis enin terr« qufe colitur a vobis parva
qugedam est insida. " Aristotle in his work, " De Mirabile
Auscultatio, " giving an account of it, representsit "as a very
large and fertile country, well watered by abundant streams; "

and he refers to a decree enacted by the Senate of Carthage
toward the year 509 b.c, intended to stem the current of emi-
gration that had set toward the Western Lands, as they feared
it might prove detrimental to the prosperity of their city. The
belief in the former existence of extensive lands in the middle
of the Atlantic, and their submergence in consequence of seis-
mic convidsions, existed among scientists even as far down as

the fifth century of the Christian era. Proclus, one of the
greatest scholars of antiquity, who during thirtj^-five years
was at the head of the ISTeo-Platonic school of Athens, and
was learned in all the sciences known in his days, in his
'
' Com-
PREFACE. xiii
mentaries on Plato's Timseus," says: "The famous Atlaatis
exists no longer, but we can hardly doubt that it did once, for
Marcellus, who wrote a history of Ethiopian affairs, saj^s that
such and so great an island once existed, and that it is evi-
denced by those who composed histories relative to the external
sea, for they relate that in this time there were seven islands
in the Atlantic sea sacred to Proserpine; and, besides these,
three of immense magnitude, sacred to Pluto, Jupiter, and

Ifeptune; and, besides this, the inhabitants of the last island
(Poseidonis) preserve the memory of the prodigious magnitude
of the Atlantic island as related by their ancestors, and of its
governing for many periods all the islands in the Atlantic sea.
From this isle one may pass to other large islands beyond,
which are not far from the firm land near which is the true
sea."
It is well to notice that, like all the Maya authors who have
described the awful cataclysms that caused the submergence of
the ^^
Land of Mil," Proclus mentions the existence of ten
countries or islands, as Plato did. Can this be a mere coinci-
dence, or was it actual geographical knowledge on the part of
these writers ?
Inquiries are often made as to the causes that led to the
interruption of the communications between the inhabitants of
the Western Continent and the dwellers on the coasts of the
Mediterranean, ^fter they had been renewed by the Cartha-
ginians.
It is evident that the mud spoken of by the Egyptian
priests had settled in the course of centuries, and that the sea-
"weeds mentioned by Hamilco had ceased to be a barrier suffi-

cient to impede the passage, since Carthaginians reached^ the
shores of Yucatan at least five hundred years before the Chris-
xiv PREFACE.
tian era.' These causes may be found in the destruction of

Carthage, of its commerce and its ships, by the Eomans under
Publius Scipio. The Romans never were navigators. After
the fall of Carthage, public attention being directed to their
conquests in Northern Africa, in Western Asia, and in Greece
to their wars with the Teutons and the Cimbri; to their own
cIatI dissensions and to the many other political events that
preceded the decadence and disintegration of the Eoman Em-

pire; the maritime expeditions of the Phoenicians and of the
Carthaginians — their discoveries of distant and transatlantic
countries became well-nigh forgotten. On the other hand,
those hardy navigators kept their discoveries as secret as
possible.
With the advent and ascendency of the Christian Church,
the remembrance of the existence of such lands that still lin-
gered among students,'' as that of the Egyptian and Greek

civilizations, was utterly obliterated from the mind of the
people.
If we are to believe Tertullian and other ecclesiastical
writers, the Christians, during the first centuries of the Chris-
tian era, held in abhorrence aU arts and sciences, which, like
literature, they attributed to the Muses, and therefore regarded

as artifices of the devil. They consequently destroyed all ves-
tiges as well as all means of culture. They closed the acade-
mies of Athens, the schools of Alexandria; burned the libra-
ries of the Serapion and other temples of learning, which
contained the works of the philosophers and the records of
' Juan de Torquemada, Monarquia Indiana, lib. iii., cap. 3. Lizana
(Bernardo), Bevocionario de nuestra Seflora de Itzamal, etc., part 1, folio
5, published by Abb6 Brasseur, in Landa's Las Cosas de Yucatan, pp. 349

et passim.
- Clement of Rome, First Epistle to the Corinthians, chapter viii.,versel2.
PREFACE. XV
their researches in all branches of human knowledge (the

power of steam and electricity not excepted). They depopu-
lated the countries bathed by the waters of the Mediterranean
plunged the populations of Western Europe into ignorance,
superstition, fanaticism; threw over them, as an intellectual
mortuary paU, the black wave of barbarism that during the

Middle Ages came nigh wiping out all traces of civilization
which was saved from total wreck by the followers of Ma-
homet, whose great mental and scientific attainments illumined
that night of intellectual darkness as a brilliant meteor, too
soon extinguished by those minions of the Church, the members
of the Holy Inquisition established by Pope Lucius III. The
inquisitors, imitating their worthy predecessors, the Metropoli-
tans of Constantinople and the bishops of Alexandria, closed
the academies and public schools of Cordoba, where Pope
Sylvester II. and several other high dignitaries of the Church
had been admitted as pupils and acquired, under the tuition
of Moorish philosophers, knowledge of medicine, geography,
rhetoric, chemistry, physics, mathematics, astronomy, and the

other sciences contained in the thousands of precious volumes
that formed the superb libraries which the inquisitors wantonly
"^^
destroyed, alleging St. Paul's example.

Abundant proofs of the intimate communications of the
ancient Mayas with the civilized nations of Asia, Africa, and
Europe are to be found among the remains of their ruined
cities. Their peculiar architecture, embodying their cosmo-
gonic and religious notions, is easily recognized in the ancient
architectm'al monuments of India, Chaldea, Egypt, and Greece

in the great pyramid of Ghizeh, in the famed Parthenon of
Athens. Although architecture is an unerring standard of the
'The Acts of the Apostles, chapter xix., verse 19.
xvi PREFACE.
degree of civilization reached by a people, and constitutes,
therefore, an important factor in historical research ; although

it is as correct a test of race as is language, and more easUy
applied and understood, not being subject to changes, I have
refrained from availing myself of it, in order not to increase
the limits of the present work.

I x'eserve the teachings that may be gathered from the
study of Maya monuments for a future occasion; restricting
my observations now principally to the Memorial Hall at
Chiclleii, dedicated to the manes of Prince Coli by his sister-
wife Queen M<5o ; and to the mausoleum, erected by her order,

to contain his efBgy and his cremated remains. In the first
she caused to be painted, on the walls of the funeral chamber,

the principal events of his and her life, just as the EgyjDtian
kings had the events of their own lives painted on the walls of
their tombs.
Language is admitted to be a most accurate guide in tracing
the family relation of vai'ious peoples, even when inbabiting
countries separated by vast extents of land or water. In the
present instance, Maya, still spoken by thousands of hiiman
beings, and in which the inscriptions sculptured on the walls of
the temples and palaces in the ruined cities of Yucatan are

written, as are also the few books of the ancient Maya sages
that haAê come to our hands, will be the thread of Ariadne
that will guide us in following the tracks of the colonists from
Mayacli in their peregrinations. In every locality where their
name is found, there also we meet with their language, their
religious and cosmogonio notions, their traditions, customs,
architecture, and a host of other indications of their presence
and permanency, and of the influence they have exerted on

the civilization of the aboriginal inhabitants.
PREFACE. xvii
My readers will judge for themselves of the correctness of

this assertion.
The reading of the Maya inscriptions and books, among

other very interesting subjects, reveals the origin of many
narratives that have come down to us, as traditions, in the
sacred books of various nations, and which are regarded by
many as inexplicable myths. For instance, we find in them
the history of certain personages who, after their death, be-
came the gods most universally revered by the Egyptians,
Isis and Osiris, whose earthly history, related by Wilkinson
and other writers who regard it as a myth, corresponds ex-
actly to that of Queen Moo and her brother-husband Prince
Coh, whose charred heart was found by me, preserved in a
stone urn, in his mausoleum at Cliiclieii.

Osiris, we are told, was killed by his brother through jeal-
ousy, and because his murderer wished to seize the reins of the
government. He made war against the widow, his own sister,
whom he came to hate bitterly, after having been madly in

love witli her.
In these same books we learn the true meaning of the tree
of knmoledge in the middle of the garden; of the temptation

of the woman by the serpent offering her a fruit. This offer-
ing of a fruit, as a declaration of love, which was a common

occurrence in the every-day life of the Mayas, Egyptians, and
Greeks, loses all the seeming incongruity it presents in the
narrative of Genesis for lack of a word of explanation. But
this shows how very simple facts have been, and stiU are, made
use of by crafty men, such as the highpriest Hilkiah, to de-
vise religious speculations and impose on the good faith of
ignorant, credulous, and superstitious masses. It is on this story
of the courting of Queen M6o by Prince Aac, the murderer of

xviii PREFACE.
her husband —purposely disfigured bj^ the scheming Jewish

priest Hilkiah, -n-ho made the woman appear to have yielded to
her tempter, perhaps out of spite against the prophetess IIul-
dah, she having refused to countenance his fraud and to
become his accomplice in it^ —that rests the whole fabric of
the Christian religion, which, since its advent in the world, has
been the cause of so much bloodshed and so many atrocious
crimes.
In these Maya writings we also meet with the solution of
that much mooted question among modern scientists the ex- —
istence, destruction, and submergence of a large island in the
Atlantic Ocean, as related by Plato in his " Timjeus " and

" Critias," in consequence of earthquakes and volcanic erup-
tions. Of this dreadful cataclysm, in which perished sixty-
four millions of human beings, four different authors have left

descriptions in the Maya language. Two of these narratives
are illustrated —that contained in the Troano MS.,' the other in

the Codex Cortesianus. The third has been engraved on stone
in relief, and placed for safe-keeping in a room in a building at
Chicllen, where it exists to-day, sheltered from the action of
the elements, and preserved for the knowledge of coming gen-

erations. The fourth was written thousands of miles from
Mayacli, in Athens, the brilliant Grecian capital, in the form
of an epic poem, in the Maya language. Each line of said
poem, foi'med bj^ a composed word, is the name of one of the

letters of the Gi'eek alphabet, rearranged, as we have it, four
hundred and three years before the Christian , era, under the
archonship of Euclydes.
'
3 Kings, chap, sxii., verse 14 et passim; also 2 Chronicles, chap,
xxxiv., verse 34.
' See Appendix, note iii.
Page xviii. Plate I.
PREFACE. xix
Fleeing from the wrath of her brother Aac, Queen Moo

directed her course toTs'ard the rising sun, in the hope of
findiug shelter in some of the remnants of the Laiul of
Mil, as the Azores, for instance. Failing to fall in with such
place of refuge as she was seeking, she continued her jour-
ney eastward, and at last reached the Maya colonies that
for many years had been established on the banks of the
NUe. The settlers received her with open arms, called
her the "Little sister," iolu {Isis), and proclaimed her their
queen.
Before leaving her mother-country in the West she had
caused to be erected, not only a memorial hall to the memory
of her brother-husband, but also a superb mausoleum in which
were placed his remains and a statue representing him. On
the top of the monmnent was his totem, a dying leopard with
a human head —a veritable sphinx. Once established in the
land of her adoption, did she order the erection of another of
his totems —again a leopard with human head —to preserve
his memory among her followers? The names inscribed on
the base of the Egyptian sphinx seem to suggest this conjec-
ture. Through the ages, this Egyptian sphinx has been the
enigma of history. Has its solution at last been given by the
ancient Maya archives ?
In the appendix are presented, for the first time in modern
ages, the cosmogonic notions of the ancient Mayas, re-discov-
ered by me. They wiU be found identical with those of the
other civilized nations of antiquity. In them are embodied

many of the secret doctrines communicated, in their initia-
tions, to the adepts in India, Chaldea, Egypt, and Samothra-
cia. —the origin of the worship of the cross, of that of the
tree and of the serpent, introduced in India by the ISTagas, who

sx PREFACE.
raised such a magnificent temple in Cambodia, in the city of
Angor-Thom, to their god, the seven-headed serpent, the Ali-

ac-cliapat of the Mayas, and afterward carried its worship
to Akkad and to Babylon. In these cosmogonic notions we
also find the reason why the number ten was held most sacred
by all civilized nations of antiquity ; and whj^ the Mayas, who
in their scheme of numeration adopted the decimal system, did
not reckon by tens but by fives and twenties; and whj^ they
used the twenty -millionth part of half the meridian as stand-
ard of lineal measures.
In the following pages I simply offer to my readers the re-
lation of certain facts I have learned from the sculptures, the
monumental inscriptions carved on the walls of the ruined pal-
aces of the Mayas ; the record of which is Likewise contained

in siTch of their books as have reached us. I venture only such
explanations as will make clear their identity with the concep-
tions, on the same subjects, of the wise men of India, Chaldea,
Egypt, and Greece. I do not ask my readers to accept d priori

my own conclusions, but to follow the sound advice contained
in the Indian saying quoted at the beginning of this preface,
" Yerify it/ experience wliat you have learned ; " then, and only
then, form your own opinion. When formed, hold fast to it,
although it may be contrary to your preconceived ideas. In

order to help in the verification of the facts herein presented, I
have illustrated this book with photographs taken in sitti,,
drawings and plans according to actual, careful surveys, made

by me, of the monuments. The accuracy of said drawings and
plans can be easily proved on the photographs themselves. I
have besides given many references whose correctness it is not

difficult to ascertain.
This is not a book of romance or imagination but a work ;

PREFACE. xxi
one of a series —intended to give ancient America its proper

place in the universal Kistory of the world.
I have been accused of promulgating notions on ancient
America contrary to the opinion of men regarded as authori-
ties on American archaeology. And so it is, indeed. Mine is
not the fault, however, although it may be my misfortune,

since it has surely entailed upon me their enmity and its conse-
quences. But who are fhose pretended authorities f Certainly
not the doctors and professors at the head of the universities
and colleges in the United States ; for not only do they know
absolutely nothing of ancient American civilization, but, judg-
ing from letters in my possession, the majority of them refuse
to learn anything concerning it.
It may be inquired, On what ground can those who have

published books on the subject, in EurojDe or in the United
States, establish their claim to be regarded as authorities?
"What do they know of the ancient Mayas, of their customs
and manners, of their scientific or artistic attainments? Do
they understand the Maya language? Can they interpret
one single sentence of the books in which the learning of the
Maya sages, their cosmogonic, geographical, religious, and

scientific attainments, are recorded ? From what source have
they derived their pretended knowledge? ISTot from the
writings of the Spanish chroniclers, surely. These only
wrote of the natives as they found them at the time of, and
long after, the conquest of America by their countrymen,
whose fanatical priests destroyed by fire the only sources of

information—the books and ancient records of the Maya
philosophers and historians. Father Lopez de Cogolludo, in
his "Historia de Yucathan," ^ frankly admits that in his time
'Cogolludo, Historia de Yucathan, lib. iv., cap. iii., p. 177.
xxii PREFACE.
no information could be obtained concerning the ancient his-
tory of the Mayas. He says: "Of the peoples who first
settled in this kingdom of Tucathan, or their ancient history,

I have been unable to obtain any other data than those which
follow." The Spanish chroniclers do not give one reliable
word about the manners and customs of the builders of the
grand antique edifices, that were objects of admiration to
them as they are to modern travellers. The only answer of
the natives to the inquiries of the Spaniards as to who the
builders were, invariably was, We do not know.
For fear of wounding the pride of the pseudo-authorities,
shall the truth learned from the wox'ks of the Maya sages and
the inscriptions carved on the waUs of their deserted temples
and palaces be withheld from the world? Must the errors
they propagate be allowed to stand, and the propagators not
be called upon to prove the truth of their statements ?
The so-called learned men of our days are the first to
oppose new ideas and the bearers of these. This opposition
will continue to exist until the arrogance and self-conceit of
superficial learning that still hover within the walls of colleges

and universities have completely vanished ; until the generality
of intelligent men, taking the trouble to think for themselves,

cease to accept as implicit truth the ipse dixit of any quidam
who, pretending to know all about a certain subject, pro-
nounces magisterially upon it; until intelligent men no longer
follow blindly such self-appointed teachers, always keeping in
mind that "to accept any authority as final, and to dispense
with the necessity of independent investigation, is destructive
of all progress." For, as Dr. Paley says: " There is a princi-
ple which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance
this principle is contempt prior to examination."
PREFACE. xsiii
The question is often asked, " Of what practical utility can
the kno'n-ledge that America was possibly the cradle of man's

civilization be to mankind ? " To some, of but little use truly;
but many there are who would be glad to know the origin of
man's primitive traditions recorded in sacred books in the shape
of myths or legends, and what were the incidents that served
as basis on which has been raised the fabric of the various reli-
gions that have existed and do exist among men, have been
and still are the cause of so many wars, dissensions, and per-
secutions. This knowledge woidd also serve to disclose the
source whence emanated all those superstitions that have
been and are so many obstacles in the way of man's physical,
intellectual, and moral progress; and to free his mind from
all such trammels, and make of him, what he claims to be,
the most perfect work of creation on earth; also to make
known the fact that Mayach—not India — is the true mother
of nations.
Then, perhaps, will be awakened, in the mind of those in
whose power it is to do it, a desire to save and preserve what
remains of the mural inscriptions carved on the walls of the
ruined palaces and temples of the Mayas, that are being torn
to pieces by individuals commissioned by certain institutions in
the United States and other places to obtain curios to adorn
their museums, regardless of the fact that they are destroying
the remaining pages of ancient American history with the
reckless hand of ignorance, thus making themselves guilty of
the crime of leze-history as well as of iconoclasm.
Perhaps also will be felt the necessity of recovering the
libraries of the Maya sages (hidden about the beginning of
the Christian era to save them from destruction at the hands
of the devastating hordes that invaded their country in those
xxiv PREFACE.
times), and to learn from their contents the wisdom of those

ancient philosophers, of which that preserved in the books
of the Brahmins is but the reflection. That wisdom was no
doubt brought to India, and from there carried to Babylon
and Egypt in very remote ages by those Maya adepts (Jf aacal
— "the exalted "), who, starting from the land of their birth
as missionaries of religion and civilization, went to Burniah,
where they became known as Nagas, established themselves
in the Dekkan, whence they carried their civilizing work all
over the earth.

At the request of friends, and to show that the reading of
Maya inscriptions and books is no longer an unsolved enigma,
and that those who give themselves as authorities on ancient
Maya paleography are no longer justified in giiessing at, or in
forming theories as to the meaning of the Maya symbols
or the contents of said writings, I have translated verbatim
the legend accompanying the image, in stucco, of a human
sacrifice that adorned the frieze of the celebrated temple of
Kabul at Izamal.
This legend I have selected because it is written with hie-
ratic Maya characters, that are likewise Egy]3tian.^ Any one
who can read hieratic Egyptian inscriptions will have no diffi-
culty in translating said legend by the aid of a Maya diction-
ary, and thus finding irrefutable evidence : 1. That Mayas and

Egyptians must have learned the art of writing from the same
masters. Who were these ? 2. That some of the ruined mon-
uments of Yucatan are very ancient, much anterior to the
Christian era, notwithstanding the opinion to the contrary of
the self-styled authorities on Maya civilization. 3. That
See Le Plongeon's ancient Maya hieratic alphabet compared with the

'
Egyptian hieratic alphabet, in Sacred Mysteries, Introduction, p. xii.

PREFACE. SXT
nothing now stands in the way of acquiring a perfect knowledge

of the manners and customs, of the scientific attainments, reli-
gious and cosmogonic conceptions, of the history of the builders

of the ruined temples and palaces of the Mayas.
May this work receive the same acceptance from students of
American archseology and universal history as was vouchsafed
to " Sacred Mysteries among the Mayas and the Quiches." It
is written for the same purpose and in the same spirit.
Augustus Le Plongeon, M.D.

New York, January, 1896.
INTRODUCTION.
oeigijst of the name mayach.
The country known to-day as Yucatan, one of the states

of the Mexican confederacy, may indeed be justly regarded
by the ethnologist, the geologist, the naturalist, the philologist,
the archffiologist, and the historian as a most interesting field
of study. Its area of seventy-three thousand square miles,
covered with dense forests, is literally strewn with the ruins of
numerous antique cities, majestic temples, stately palaces,
the work of learned architects, now heaps of debris crumbling
imder the inexorable tooth of time and the impious hand of
iconoclastic collectors of reUcs for museums. Among these the
statues of priests and kings, mutilated and defaced by the
action of the elements, the hand of time and that of man, lie
prostrate in the dust. Walls covered with bas-reliefs, inscrip-
tions and sculptures carved in marble, containing the pane-
gyrics of rulers, the history of the nation, its cosmogonical

traditions, the ancient religious rites and observances of its
xxviii INTRODUCTION.
people, inviting decipherment, attract the attention of the

traveller. The geological formation of its stony soil, so full of
curious deposits of fossil shells of the Jurassic period (Plate I.);
its unexplored caves, supposed dwellings of sprites and elves,
creatures of the fanciful and superstitious imagination of the

natives; its subterraneous streams of cool and limpid water,
inhabited by bagres and other fish —are yet to be studied by
modern geologists; whilst its flora and fauna, so rich and so
diversified, but imperfectly known, await classification at the
hand of naturalists.
The peculiar though melodious vernacular of the natives,

preserved through the lapse of ages, despite the invasions
of barbaric tribes, the persecutions by Christian conquerors,
ignorant, avaricious, and bloodthirsty, or fanatical monks
who believed they pleased the Almighty by destroying a civ-
ilization equal if not superior to theirs, is full of interest

for the philologist and the ethnologist. Situated between 18°
and 21° 35' of latitude north, and 86° 50' and 90° 35' of longi-
tude west from the Greenwich meridian, Yucatan forms the

peninsula that divides the Mexican Gulf from the Caribbean
Sea.
Bishop Landa '
informs us that when, at the beginning of
the year 1517, Francisco Hernandez de Cordova, the first of
the Spaniards who set foot in the country of the Mayas, landed
on a small island which he called Mucjeres, the inhabitants, on
being asked the name of the country, answered U-lvivmiil
ceh (the land of the deer) and U-liiumil ciitz (the land of
the turkey).^ Until then the Europeans were ignorant of the
existence of such a place; for although Juan Diaz Soils and
' See Appendix, note i.
' Diego de Landa, JRelacion de las Cosas de Yucatan, chap, ii., p. 6.

INTROnUGTlO-N. sxix
Vicente Tanes Pinzon came in sight of its eastern coasts in

1506, they did not land nor make known their discovery.^
Herrera, in his Decadas, tells us that when Columbus, in
his fourth voyage to America, was at anchor near the island
of Pinos, in the year 1502, his ships were boarded by Maya
navigators. These came from the west; from the country
known to its inhabitants under the general name of the Great
Cau (serpent) and the Cat-ayo (cucumber tree).^ The penin-
sula, then divided into many districts or provinces, each gov-
erned hj an independent ruler who had given a peculiar title
to his own dominions, seems to have had no general name.

One district was called Cliacan, another Cepech, another
Clioaca, another Mayapan, and so on.^ Mayapan, how-
ever, was a very large
district, whose king was regarded as
suzerain-by the other chieftains, previous to the destruction of

his capital by the people, headed by the nobility, they having
become tired of his exactions and pride. This rebellion is said

to have taken place seventy-one years before the advent of the
Spanish adventurers in the country. The powerful dynasty
of the Cocomes, which had held tyrannical sway over the
land for more than two centuries, then came to an end.*
Among the chroniclers and historians, several have ven-
tured to give an etymology of the word Maya. None, how-
ever, seem to have known its true origin. The reason is very
simple.
At the time of the invasion of the country by the turbu-
'
Antonio de Herrera, Hist, general de los heelios de los Castellanos en las
islas y la tierra Jirme del Oceano. (Madrid, 1601.) Decada 1, lib. 6, cap. 17.
- Ibid. Decada 1, lib. 5, cap. 13.
' Landa, Belacion, etc., chap, v., p. 30.
* Cogolludo, Historiade Yucaihan, lib. iv., cap. iii., p. 179. See Appen-
dix, note ii.
XXX INTRODUCTION.
lent and barbaric Nahuatls, the books containing the record of

the ancient traditions, of the history of past ages, from the
settlement of the peninsula by its primitive inhabitants, had
been carefully hidden (and have so remained to this day) by
the learned philosophers, and the wise priests who had charge
of the libraries in the temples and colleges, in order to save the
precious volumes from the hands of the barbarous tribes from

the west. These, entering the country from the south, came
spreading ruin and desolation.' They destroyed the principal
cities; the images of the heroes, of the great men, of the cele-
brated women, that adorned the public squares and edifices.
This invasion took place in the year 522, or thereabout, of the

Christian era, according to the opinion of modern computers.^
As a natural consequence of the destruction, by the invad-
ers, of Cliictien-Itza, then the seat of learning, the Itzaes,
preferring ostracism to submitting to their vandal-like con-
querors, abandoned homes and colleges, and became wan-
their
derers in the desert.^ Then the arts and sciences soon decUned;
with their degeneracy came that of civilization. Civil war
that ine\atable consequence of invasions — political strife, and
religious dissension broke out before long, and caused the dis-
memberment of the kingdom, that culminated in the sack and

bui'ning of the city of Mayapaii and the extinction of the
royal family of the Cocomes in 1420 a.d., two hundred and
seventy years after its foundation.^ In the midst of the social
cataclysms that gave the couj) de grdce to the Maya civiliza-
' Philip J. J. Valentini, Katunes of the Maya Sistorij, p. 54.

" Juan Pio Perez (Codex Maya), U Tzolan Katunil ti Mayab
(§ 7):
" Liaixtun ii Katiinil binciob Ali-Ytzaob yalan che, yalan
aban, yalan ak ti uumyaob lae." ("Toward that time, then, the
Itzaes went in the forests, lived under the trees, under the prune trees,
under the vines, and were very miserable.")

" Cogolludo, HUtm'ia de YucatJum, lib. iv. cap. 3, p. 179.
,
INTRODUCTION. xxxi
tion, the old traditions and lore were forgotten or became dis-
figured. Ingrafted with the traditions, superstitions, and

fables of the ISTahuatls, they assumed the shape of myths.
The great men and women of the prunitive ages were trans-
formed into the gods of the elements and of the phenomena of
nature.
The ancient libraries having disappeared, new books had to
be written. They contained those myths. The Troano and
the Dresden MSS. seem to belong to that epoch. They con- ^
tain, besides some of the old cosmogonical traditions, the tenets

and ]3recepts of the new religion that sprang from the blend-
ing of the ceremonies of the antique form of worship of the
Mayas with the superstitious notions, the sanguinary rites,
and the obscene practices of the phallic cult of the Nahuatls
the laws of the land and the vestiges of the science and knowl-
;
edge of the philosophers of past ages that still lingered among

some of the noble families, transmitted as heirlooms, by word
of mouth, from father to son.^ These books were written in
new alphabetical letters and some of the ancient demotic or

popular characters that, being known to many of the nobil-
ity, remained in usage.
With the old orders of priesthood, and the students, the
knowledge of the hieratic or sacred mode of writing had
disappeared. The legends graven on the facades of the tem-
ples and palaces, being written in those characters, were no
'
See Appendix, note iii.
Diego de Landa, Selacion de las Corns de Yucatan (chap, vii., p. 42)^

°
"Que ensenavan los hijos de los otros sacerdotes, y a los hijos segundos
de los sefiores que los llevaban para esto desde ninos."
Lizana (chap. 8), Historia de Nuestra Senora de Ttzamal : " La liistoria. y
autores que podemos alegar son unos caracteres mal entendidos de muchos
J'
glossados de unos indios antiguos que son hijos de los sacerdotes de sus
dioses, que son los que solo sabian leer y adevinar."
sxxii INTRODUCTION.
longer understood, except perhaps by a few archceologists, who

were sworn to secrecy. The names of the builders, their his-
tory, that of the phenomena of nature they had witnessed,
the tenets of the religion they had professed — all contained,
as we have said, in the inscriptions that covered these antique
waUs —Avere as much a mystery to the people, as to the mul-
titudes which have since contemplated them with amazement,
during centuries, to the present day.
Bishop Landa, speaking of the edifices at Izamal, asserts ^
that the ancient buildings of the Mayas, at the time of the

arrival of the Spaniards in Yucatan, were already heaps of
ruins — objects of awe and veneration to the aborigines who
lived in their neighborhood. They had lost, he says, the
memory of those who built them, and of the object for which
they had been erected. Tet before their eyes were their
fagades, covered with sculptures, inscriptions, figures of human
beings and of animals, in the round and in bas-relief, in a
better state of preservation than they are now, not having
then suffered so much injurj'' at the hand of man, for the
natives regarded them, as their descendants do still, with rev-
erential fear. There were recorded the legends of the past
a dead letter for them as for the learned men of the present
age. There, also, on the interior walls of many apartments,
were painted in bright colors pictures that would grace the
parlors of our mansions, representing the events in the history
of certain personages who had flourished at the dawn of the
life of their nation; scenes that had been enacted in former

ages were portrayed in very beautiful bas-reliefs. But these
speaking tableaux Avere, for the majority of the people, as
'
Landa, Relacion de las Cosas (p. 328): " Que estos edificios de Izamal
eran xi a xii por todos, sin aver memoria do los fuudadores."
INTRODUCTION. xxxiii
much enigmas as they are to-day. Still travellers and sci-
entists are not wanting who pretend that these strange build-
ings were constructed by the same race now inhabiting the
peninsula or by their near ancestors ^
—regardless of Cogolludo's
assertion^ "that it is not known who their builders were, and
that the Indians themselves preserved no traditions on the sub-
ject;" unmindful, likewise, of these words of Lizana: "That
when the Spaniards came to this country, notwithstanding
that some of the monuments appeared new, as if they had
been built only twenty years, the Indians did not Uve in them,
but used them as temples and sanctuaries, offering in them
sacrifices, somethnes of men, women, and children; and that
^
their construction dated back to a very high antiquity."
The historiographer â?" excellence of Yucatan, Cogolludo,
informs us that in his day —the middle of the seventeenth
century —scarcely a Uttle more than one hundred years after
the Conquest, the memory of these adulterated traditions was
already fading from the mind of the aborigines. " Of the
people who first settled in this kingdom of Yucathan," he says,
"nor of their ancient history, have I been able to find any

more data than those I mention here." '
The books and other writings of the chroniclers and his-

torians, from the Spanish conquest to our times, should there-
fore be considered well-nigh valueless, so far as the history of
the prunitive inhabitants of the country, the events that tran-
S]3ired in remote ages, and ancient traditions in general are
'
John L. Stephens, Incidents of Travels in Yucatan, vol. ii., p. 458. Dg-
sirfe Charnay, North American Review, April, 1883.
' Diego Lopez de Cogolludo, Sistoria de Yucathan, lib. iv., chap, iii.,
p. 177.
' Lizana, Historia de Nuestra Senora de Ytzamal, chap. ii.
* Cogolludo, Sistoria de Yucathan, lib. iv., chap, iii., p. 177.

xxxiv INTRODUCTION.
concerned, seeing that CogoUudo saj'-s they were unable to pro-

cure any information on the subject.
'
' It seems to me that it
is time," he saj^s, "to spealc of the various things pertaining
to this country, and of its natives ; not, however, Avith the ex-
tension some might desire, mentioning in detail their origin

and the countries whence they niay have come, for it would be
difficult for me to ascertain now that which so many learned
men were unable to find out at the beginning of the Conquest,
even inquiring with great diligence, as they affirm, particu-
larly since there exist no longer any papers or traditions among
the Indians concerning the first settlers from whom they are
descended; our evangelical ministers, who imported the faith,
in order to radically extirpate idolatry, having burned all char-
acters and paintings they could get hold of in which were
written their histories, and that in order to take from them
all remembrances of their ancient rites." '
Those who undertook to write the narrative of the Con-

quest and the history of the country, in order to procure the
necessary data for this, had naturally to interrogate the na-
tives. These were either unable or unwilling to impart the
knowledge sought. It may be that some of those from whom
inquiries Averemade were descendants of the JSTahuatls, igno-
rant of the ancient history of the Mayas. Others maj^ have
been some of the Mexican mercenaries who dwelt on the coasts,
where they were barely tolerated by the other inhabitants,
They, from the first,
because of their sanguinary practices.
had welcomed the Spaniards as friends and allies —had main-
tained with them intimate relations during several years,^ be-
'
Cogolludo, Historia de Tucathan, lib. iv., chap, iii., p. 170.
' Nakuk Pecli. An ancient document concerning the Nakuk Pecli
family, Lords of Cliicxulub, Yucatan. This is an original document be-
longing to Srs. Regil y Peon, of Merida, Yucatan.
INTRODUCTION. xxxv
fore the invaders ventured into the interior of the country.

Feai'ing that if they pleaded ignorance of the history it might
be ascribed to unwillingness on their part to answer the ques-
tions ;
dreading also to alienate the goodwill of the men with
long gowns, who defended them against the others that handled
the thunderbolts — those strangers covered with iron, now mas-
ters of the country and of their persons, who on the slightest
provocation subjected them to such terrible punishments and
atrocious torments —they recited the nursery tales with which
their mothers had lulled them to sleep in the days of their
childhood. These stories were set down as undoubted tradi-
tions of olden times.

Later on, when the Conquest was achieved, some of the
natives who reallj^ possessed a knowledge of the myths, tra-
ditions, and facts of history contained in the books that those
same men with long gowns had wilfillly destroyed by feed-
ing the flames with them, notwithstanding the earnest prot-
estations of the owners, invented plausible tales when ques-
tioned, and narrated these as facts, unwilling, as they were, to
tell the truth to foreigners who had come to their country un-
invited, arms in hand, carrying war and desolation wherever
they went ;
^ slaughtering the men ;
^ outraging the wives and
^
the ragins ;
^ destroying their homes, their farms, their cities ;
spreading ruin and devastation throughoiit the land ;

^ dese-
' Cogolludo, Historia de Tucathan, lib. ii., chap, vi., p. 77.

''
Landa, Las Cosas de Yucatan, chap, xv., p. 84, et passim. Bernal Diez
de Castillo, Historia de la Conquista de Mexico, cliap. 83.
^ Landa, Las Cosas de Yucatan, chap, xv., p. 84. Bartholome de la.s Ca-
sas, Tratado de la Destruccion de las Indiaa, Reyno de Yucathan, lib. viii.,
cap. 27, p. 4.
•
Cogolludo, Hist, de Yucathan, lib. iii., chap, xi., p. 151. Landa, Las
Cosas, eh. iv.
' Ibid.
XXX vi INTRODUCTION.
crating the temples of their gods; trampling underfoot the

sacred images, the venerated symbols of the religion of their
forefathers ;
' imposing upon them strange idols, that they said
were lOienesses of the onl}^ true God and of his mother ' —an
assertion that seemed most absurd to those worshippers of the
sun, moon, and other celestial bodies, who regarded Kii, the
Divine Essence, the uncreated Soul of the "World, as the only
Supreme God, not to be represented under anj^ shape. Yet,
by lashes, torture, death even, the victims were compelled to
pay homage to these images, with rites and ceremonies the
purport of which they were, as their descendants still are,
unable to understand, being at the same time forbidden to

observe the religious practices which they had been accustomed
to from times immemorial.^ More, their temples of learning
were destroyed, with their libraries and the pi'ecious volumes
that contained the history of their nation, that of their lLLus-
trious men and women whose memory they venerated, the
'
Cogolludo, Hist, de Yucathan, lib. iii., chap, x., p. 147. Landa, Las
Cosas, cbap. iv.
' Ibid., lib. iv., chap, xviii., p. 239. Laiida, Lns C'osas, chap. iv.
Landa, Las Cosas de Yucatan, chap, xli., p. 316.

^
Cogolludo, Hist, de Yucathan, lib. iv., chap, vi., p. 189. "Los religiosos
de esta provincia, por cuya atencioa corrid la conversiou de estos iiulios, a
nuestra santa fe catolica, con el zelo que tieuen de que aproueobassen en
ella, no solo demolieron y quemavon todos los simulacros que adoraban,
pero auu todos los escritos (que a su modo teniau) con que pudieran re-
cordar sus memorias y todo lo que presumierO tendria motiuo de alguua
supersticion 6 ritos gentilicos."
Then when speaking of the auto-de-fe ordered by Bishop Landa, which
took place in the city of Mani towards the end of 1561, he says " Con el :
rezelo de esta idolatria, hizo juutar todos los libros y caracteres antiguos
que los indios tenian, y por quitarles toda ocasion y memoria de sus anti-
guos ritos, quantos se pudieron hallar, se queuiaron publicamente el dia del
auto y a las bueltas con ellos sus historias de antiguedades " (lib. vi., chap.
1., p. 309).
INTRODUCTION. sxxvii
sciences of their wise men and philosophers.'

How, then, could
it be expected that they should tell what they knew of the his-
tory of their people, and treat as friends men whom they

hated, and with reason, from their heart of hearts? men —
who held their gods in contempt men who had, without prov-
;
ocation, destroyed the autonomjr of their nation, broken up

their families, reduced their kin to slavery, brought misery
upon them, gloom and mourning throughout the land.^
!N"ow that three hundred and fifty-five years have elapsed

since theu' country became part of the domain of the Spanish
Crown, one might think, and not a few do try to persuade
themselves and others, that old feuds, rancor, and distrust
must be forgotten; in fact, must be rej^laced by friendship,

confidence, gratitude, even, for all the blessings received at the
hands of the Spaniards —not the least among these, the de-
struction of their idolatrous rites, the Icnowledge of the true

God, and the mode of worshipping He likes best —notwith-
standing the unfair means used by their good friends, those of
the long gowns, to force such Messings and knowledge upon
them, and cause them to forget and forego the customs and
manners of their forefathers.^ To-day, when the aborigines
are said to he free citizens of the Republic of Mexico, entitled
to aU the rights and privileges that the constitution is sup-

posed to confer on all men born within the boundaries of the
country, they yet seek —and with good cause—the seclusion of
the recesses of the densest forests, far away from the haunts
of their white felloio-citizens, to perform, in secrecy, certaia
ancient rites and religious practices that even now linger

'
CogoUudo, Hist, de Yucathan, lib. ii., chap, xiv., p. 108, et passim.
^ Landa, Las Gosas de Yucatan, chap, sv., p. 84, et passim.
'
Cogolludo, Hist, de Yucathan, lib. v., cap. xvii., xviii., p. 396, et pas-
sim. Las leyes inas en orden al Ken espiritual de los Indies.
sxxviii INTRODUCTION.
among them, to Tvhich they adhere with great tenacity, and

that the persecution and ill-treatment they have endured have
been powerless to extirpate.^ Yes, indeed, up to the present
time, they keep whatever knowledge of their traditions they
may stOl possess carefully concealed in their bosoms ; theii' lips
are hermetically sealed on that subject.

Their confidence in, their respect and friendship for, one not
of their blood and race must be very great, for them to allow
him to witness their ceremonies, or become acquainted with
the import of certain practices, or be told the meaning of pecul-
iar signs and symbols, transmitted to them orally by their
fathers. This reserve may be the reason why some travellers,
unable to obtain any information from the aborigines, have

erroneously asserted that they have lost all traditionary lore;
that all tradition has entirely disappeared from among them.^
Maya was the name of a powerful nation that in remote
ages dwelt in the peninsula of Yucatan and the countries,

to-day called Central America, comprised between the Isthmus
of Tehuantepec on the north and that of Darien on the south.
That name was as well known among the ancient civilized
nations the world over as at present are the names of Spain,

France, England, etc. As from these countries colonists,
abandoning the land of their birth, have gone and still go
forth in search of new homes in far distant regions ; have car-
ried and do carry, with the customs, manners, religion, civiliza-
tion, and language of their forefathers, the name even of the

mother country to their new abodes —so we may unagine it
happened vrith the Mayas at some remote period in the past.
'
See Appendix, note iv. ; CogoUudo, Hist, de Tucathan, lib. v., cap.
xvi., svii., xviii.
' Jolin L. Stephens, Incidents of Travels in Yucatan, vol. ii., pp. 446, 44D.
INTRODUCTION. xxxix
For it is a fact that, wherever we find their name, there also
we meet with the vestiges of their language and customs, and

manj' of theu- traditions ; but nowhere, except in Yucatan, is
the origin of their name to be found.

Among the various authors who have written on that coun-
try several have endeavored to give the etymology of the
word Maya none has succeeded; for, instead of consulting
:
the Maya books that escaped destruction at the hands of the

Zumarragas, Landas, and Torquemadas, they have appealed
to their imagination, as if in their fancy they could find the
motives that prompted the primitive inhabitant to apply such
or such name to this or that locality.
Ramon de Ordonez y Aguiar ' fancied that the name Maya
was given to the peninsula on account of the scarcity of water
on its surface, and intimated that it was derived from the two
vocables ma, "no," and ha, "water" — "without water."
Brasseur," following his own pet idea, combats such explana-
tion as incorrect and says: "The country is far from being
devoid of water. Its soil is honeycombed, and innumerable
caves exist just under the surface. In these caves are deposits
of cool, limpid water, extensive lakes fed by subterranean
streams." Hence he argues that the true etymology of the
word Maya may possibly be the "mother of the waters " or
the "teats of the waters ma-y-a" —she of the four hundred
breasts, as they were wont to represent the Ephesian goddess.
Again, this explanation did not suit Seiior Eligio Ancona,^
' Ramon de Ordonez y Aguiar, the author of Historia de la Creadon del

cielo y de was a native of the ciudad Real de Chiapas. He died,
la Tierra,
very much advanced in years, in 1840, being canon of tlie cathedral of that
city.
^ Brasseur (Charles Etieune), Ma/yaYoca(mlary,vo\. ii., p. 298, TroanoMS.
^ Ancona (Eligio), IIist.deTucatan,\o\. i., chap. i. See Appendix, note v.
xl INTRODUCTION.
for lie ridicules the etymologists. •"

'U'hat nonsense. ""
he says,
"to thus rack theii' brains 1 They must be out of theii- mind
to give themselves the vrork of bringing forth these erudite
elucidations to ex]3lain the word 3Iaya, that everybody knows
is a mere SjDanish corruption of 3Iayal), the ancient name of
the country. " In asserting that the true name {iionJrre ver-
dadero) of the peninsida in ancient times was Mayab, Senor

Ancona does not sustain his assertion by any known historical
document; he merely refers to the 3Iaya dictionary of Pio

Perez, that he himself has published. He is likewise silent as
to the som-ce from which Senor Pio Perez obtained his infor-
mation concerning the ancient name of the peninsula.

Landa, Cogolludo, Lizana.^ all accord in stating that the
land was called U-liiiimil cell, ••the land of the deer."
Herrera says ^ it was called Beb (a very thorny tree), and the
" great serpent "'
Can ; but we see in the Troano ilS. that this
was the name of the whole of the Maya Empire, not the
peninsula alone. Senor Ancona, notwithstanding his sneers, is
not quite sm-e of being right in his criticism, for he also tries
his hand at etymologizing. Taking for granted that the state-
ment of Lizana is true, that at some time or other two differ-
ent tribes had invaded the country and that one of these tribes
was more nimierous than the other, he pretends that the word
Mayab was meant to designate the weaker, being composed,
as he says, of Ma, 'not,"" and yab, •"abundant."
I myself, on the strength of the name given to the birthplace
of their ancestors by the Egyptians, and on that of the tradition
handed do^wn among the aborigines of Yucatan, admitting

that one of the names given to the peninsula, 3Iayab, was cor-
' See Appendis, note t.

" Antonio de Herrera. Decada 1, lib. 7, chap. 17.
INTRODUCTION. xli
rect; considering, moreover, the geological formation of its soil,
its porousness; remembering, besides, that tbe meaning of the

TTord Mayab is a " sieve, " a " tammy,
'
' I wrote :
'
" It is very
difficult, without the help of the books of the learned priests of
Mayab, to know positively why they gave that name to their
country. I can only surmise that they called it so from the great
absorbent quality of its stony soil, which in an incredibly short
time absorbs the water at the surface. This water, percolating
through the pores of the stone, is afterward found filtered, clear
and cool, in the senates and caves, where it forms vast deposits. '
"When I published the foregoing lines, in 1881, I had not

studied the contents of the Troano MS. I was therefore
entirely ignorant of its historical value. The discovery of a
fragment of mural painting, in the month of February, 1882,^
on the walls of an apartment in one of the edifices at Kabah,
caused me to devote many months 'to the study of the Maya
text of that interesting old document. It was with consider-
able surprise that I then discovered that several pages at the
beginning of the second part are dedicated to the recital of the
awful phenomena that took place during the cataclysm that
caused the submersion of ten countries, among which the " Land
of Mu," that large island probably called "Atlantis" by
Plato and the formation of the strangely crooked line
; /" \
"
of islands known to us as "West Indies," but as the "Land of
the Scorpion " to the Mayas.^ I was no less astonished than
gratified to find an account of the events in the life of the per-
sonages whose portraits, busts, and statues I had discovered
among the ruins of the edifices raised by them at Chictien
'
Aug. Le Plongeon, Vestiges of the Mayas, p. 36.
^ North American Review, April, 1882. " Explorations of the Ancient
Cities of Central America, " Dgsire Charnay.
' Troano MS., part ii., plates vi., vii.
xlii INTRODUCTION.
and Uxmal, whose history, portra3red in tlie mural paintings,

is also recounted in the legends and the sculptures still adorn-
ing the waJls of their palaces and temples ; and to learn that
these ancient personages had already been converted, at the
time the author of the Troano MS. wrote his book, into the
gods of the elements, and made the agents who produced
the terrible earthquakes that shook parts of the " Lands of the
West to their very foundations, as told in the narrative of
'
'
the Akab-oib, and finally caused them to be engulfed by the

waves of the Atlantic Ocean. ^
The author of the Troano MS. gives in his work the adjoin-
ing map (Plate II.) of the " Land of the Beb " (midberry tree),
the Maya Empire.^ In it he indicates the localities which
were submerged, and those that still remained above water, in
that part of the world, after the cataclysm.
In the legend explanatory of his object in drawing that
chart, as inmany other places in his book,^ he gives the ser-
pent head fl^"" 'i kan, south, as syxabol of the southern con-
' '
' '
tinent. He represents the northern by th is mon ogram

that reads aac, " turtle. " By this sign ^,'"-0;.;= placed between
the two others, he intends to convey to the mind of his readers
that the submerged places to which he refers are situated be-
tween the two western continents, are bathed by the waters
of the Mexican Gulf, and more particularly by those of the
Caribbean Sea —figured by the image of an animal resem-
bling a deer, placed over the legend. It is well to remark that
this animal is typical of the submerged AntiUean vaUeys, as it
will plainly appear further on.
'
Troano MS., part ii., plates ii., iii., iv.
^ Ibid., vol. i., part ii., pi. x.
"Ibid., pi. xxiv., XXV., eij

Page xlii. Plate n.
INTRODUCTION. xliii
The lines ligMly etched here are painted blue in the origi-
nal. As in our topographical maps the edges of the Trater-
courses, of the sea and lakes, are painted blue, so the Maya
hierogrammatist figured the shores of the Mexican Gulf, indi-
cated by the serpent head. The three signs n of locality,
placed in the centre of said gulf, mark the site of the extin-
guished volcano known to-day as the Alacranes reefs. The
serpent head was, for the Maya writers, tj'pical of the sea,
whose bOlows they compared to the imdulations of a serpent
in motion. They therefore called the ocean caiiali, a word

whose radical is can, " serpent," the meaning of which is the
"mighty serpent."
The lines of the drawing more strongly etched, the end of
which corresponds to the sign ^--Ofe , are painted red, the
color of clay, kancal), and indicate the localities that were
submerged and turned into marshes. This complex sign is
formed of the emblem of countries near or in the

f=
O =H
water, and of the cross, made of dotted lines, symbol of the
cracks and crevices made on the surface of the earth by the
escaping gases, represented by the dots . and of small . . . ,
circles, O images of volcanoes.

, As to the character rS^g<3 it
is composed of two letters /V, equivalent to Maya
and Greek letter A, so entwined as to form the character X ,
equal to the Greek and Maya K, but forming a mon- ^^

ogram that reads aac, the Maya word for "turtle."
Before proceeding with the etymology of the name May-
ach, it may not be amiss to explain the legends and the other
drawings of the tableau. It will be noticed that the charac-
ters over that part of the drawing which looks like the hori-
zontal branch of a tree are identical with those placed verti-

cally against the trunk, but in an inverted position. It is, in
xliv INTRODUCTION.
fact, the same legend repeated, and so written for the better
understanding of the map, and of the exact position of the
various localities; that of the Mexican Gulf figured on the
left, and of the ideographic or pictorial representation of the
Caribbean Sea to the right of the tableau. In order to
thoroughly comprehend the idea of the Maya author, it
is indispensable to have a perfect knowledge of the con-

tours of the seas and lands mentioned by him in this instance,
even as they exist to-day. Of course, some slight changes
since the epoch referred to by him have naturally taken
place, and the outlines of the shores are somewhat altered,
particularly in the Gulf of Mexico, as can be ascertained

by consulting maps made by the Spaniards at the time of the
conquest.
The adjoining map of Central America, the Antilles, and
Gulf of Mexico, being copied from that published by the Bu-
reau of Hydrography at "Washington, may be regarded as accu-
rate (Plate III.). On it I have traced, in dotted lines, figures
that will enable any one to easily understand why the Maya
author s3rmbolized the Caribbean Sea as a deer, and the empire
of Mayacli as a tree, rooted in the southern continent, and
having a single branch, horizontal and pointing to the right,
that is, in an easterly direction.
A map of the " Drowned Yalleys of the
glance at the
Antillean Lands " (Plate IV.), published by Professor J. "W.
Spencer, of Washington, in the '
' Bulletin of the Geological
Society of America" for January, 1895, which is reproduced
here with the author's permission, must convince any one
that the ancient Maya geologists and geographei's were
not far behind their brother professors, in these sciences,
of modern times, in their knowledge, at least, of those
Page xliv. Plate III.
Page. xliv. Plate IV.
INTRODUCTION. xlv
parts of the earth they inhabited, and of the adjoining coun-

tries.^
The sign that most attracts the attention is
Eishop Landa says must be read Yax-kin, and

that of the seventh month of the Maya calendar. Literally
these words mean the " vigorous sun." If, however, we inter-
pret the sjnnbol phonetically, it gives us " the country of

the king, which is surrounded by water; " " the kingdom in the
midst of water." It will also be noticed that it is placed at the
top of the tree, to indicate that that " tree " is the kingdom.
IS'ext to it, on the left, is the name Mayach, which indicates
that it is the "kingdom of Mayach," which wiU be- ^
come plain by the analysis of the symbols. To begin with, / i
is a wing or feather, insignia worn by kings and warriors. -'—
Placed here it has a double meaning. It denotes the north,
as we will see later on, and also shows that the land is
^—^
that of the king whose emblem it is. The character ^^^
stands for aliau, the word for king, and we have already
' The adjoining map was constructed by Professor J. W. Spen-
(Plate IV.)
cer according to his own original researchesand geological studies in the
island of Cuba and in Central America, aided by the deep-sea soundings made
in 1878 by Commander Bartlett
of the United States steamship Blake. It
can be therefore accepted as perfectly accurate. During a short stay in
Belize, British Honduras, Commander Bartlett honored me with a visit.
Speaking of his work of triangulation and deep-sea soundings in the Carib-
bean Sea, he mentioned tlie existence of very profound valleys covered by its
waters, revealed by the sound. I informed him that I had become cognizant
of that fact, having found it mentioned by the author of that ancient Maya
book known to-day as Troano MS. If my memory serves me right, I showed
him the maps drawn by the writer of that ancient book, and made on a map
in my copy of Bowditch's Navigation an approximate tracing of the sub-
merged valleys in the Caribbean Sea, in explanation of the Maya maps,
showing why they symbolized said sea by the figure of an animal resem-
—
bling a deer which may have been the reason why they called the country
U-luumil cell, the " land of the deer."
slviii INTRODUCTIOy.
u-Mayach, the place of the ancestor's veretrum, or of the

shoot of the tree.
These tTvo imix differ somewhat in shape. The imix

h^>^v^N^ is meant to designate the Caribbean Sea, the eastern
^*UilP^ pai"t of which being opened to the waves of the ocean
is uidicated by the wavA* line A/Vs/W\. emblem of water. In
this instance it may also denote the mountains in the islands,
that close it,

^,^^ as
it were, toward the rising sun. The
other iinix Ll*j/oJ stands for the Gidf of Mexico, a medi-
terranean sea, completely land-locked, with a small entrance
formed by the peninsula of Florida and that of Yucatan,
and commanded by the island of Cuba. It is well to notice
that, as has been already said, some of the signs in the hori-
zontal legend ai-e the same as those in the vertical legend,
but placed in an iuvei-se position with regai'd to one an-
other. This is as it should naturally be. Of com'se, the
particular names of the various localities ia the country are
somewhat different, and the signs iudicating their position
with reference -^ to the cardinal points are not the same.

The symbol ymj imix, for instance, of the Mexican Gulf
is placed in the vertical legend to the left, that is to the west,
of the imix j j image of the Caribbean Sea, as it should
certainly be ^^ if we look at the map of Central America
from the south, when it is apparent that the Gulf of Mexico
lies to the westward of the Caribbean Sea l/inTidly-
On the
other hand, if we enter the country from the north, the
Gulf of Mexico will be to the right, and the Caribbean Sea to
the left, of the traveller, just as the Maya hierogrammatist
placed them iu the horizontal legend. ûuÂdimD"
To return to the character O'^ in which the foot of the tree
is planted. Kan not only means "south," as we have just
INTB OD UCTION. xlix
seen, but it has many other acceptations all conveying the

idea of might and power. It is a variation of can, (f^?
"serpent." The serpent, with inflated breast, ^,^j^S^?*^
suggested by the contour of the Maya Empire, was adopted as

a symbol of the same. Its name became that of the dynasty
of the Maya rulers, and their totem. We see it sculptured
on the walls of the temples and palaces raised by them. In
Mayach, in Egypt, in China, in India, in Peru, and many
other places the image of the serpent was the badge of royalty.
It formed part of the headdress of the kings ; it was embroid-
ered on their royal garments.' Khan is still the title of the
kings of Tartary, Burmah, etc. , that of the governors of prov-
inces in Afghanistan, Persia, and other countries in central
Asia.
That the tree ^vsj».-««-m-^ was' also meant by the author of
the Troano MS. J I as symbol of the Maya Empire,
there can be < ? no doubt. He himself /^)
takes pains to \y inform us of the fact,
Beb iiaacal (the beb has sprung up) between i

^ *^
p
viuc
luuniilob, the seven countries • • • • of Can.
The sign i i is painted red in the original, to indicate the
arable land, kancab. i i was the symbol of land, coun-
try, among the Mayas, as with the Egyptians; but the former
used it also as numerical for five, to which, in this case, must
be added the two units O O . So we have seven fertile lands.
The four black dots • • • • are the numerical four, and

another ideographic sign for the name of the country Can,
"serpent." This /Î^/^ is why it is placed at the foot of the
tree, like the sign ^^< 1 1 at the top to signify that it is the
kingdom. They \ii,7^ are juxtaposed to the character
^J^
'Wilkinson, Customs and Manners, vol. i., p. 163 (illust.).
xlvi INTRODUCTION.
seen that this t Q^ luumil, is the sjinbol for " land near, in,
'
or surrounded ^Û-' by water, as the Empire of Mayacli

'
'
(the peninsula of Yucatan and Central America are certainly

surrounded by water), on the north by the Gulf of Mexico, on
the east by the Caribbean Sea, on the west and south by the
Pacific Ocean. The symbol then reads Liuumil aliaii, the
"King's country," the ''kingdom."

But how do you make your rendering accord with the
meaning given to the character by Bishop Landa ? I fancy I
hear our learned Americanists asking ; and I answer. In a very
simple manner, knowing as I do the genius of the Maya peoj^le
and their language.
The ancient armorial escutcheon of the country still exists on

the western facade of the " sanctuary " at Uxmal, and in the
bas-reliefs carved on the memorial monu-

ment of Prince Coli at Chichen. The
emblem represented on said escutcheon
scarcely needs explanation. It is easily
read U-luiimil kin, the " Land of the

Sun."
The kings of Mayach, lil'ce those
of Egjq^t, Chaklea, India, China, Peru,
etc., took upon themselves the title of " Children of the Sun,"
'
and, in a boasting spirit, that of ' the Strong, the Vigorous
Sun." Ban is the Maya word for sun. But kin is also the
title of the highpriest of the sun. As in Egypt and many

other civilized countries, so in Mayach, the king was, at
the same time, chief of the state and of the religion, as in
our times the Queen in England, the Czar in Kussia, the Sultan
in Turkey, etc. The title Yax-kin ma}^ therefore have been
applied, among the Mayas, to the king and to the kingdom;

INTRODUCTION. xlvii
and my rendering of the sjonbol ^^^ll does not conflict with

that of Landa. PO:
In the tableau the Maya Empire is portrayed by the beb-
a tree Avith the trunk full of thorns. The trunk is the unage of
the chain of mountains that traverses the whole country from
north to south. There dwelt the masters of the earth, the
Tolcanoes. They gave it hfe, power, and strength. This
chain is, as it were, its backbone. It terminates at the Isthmus
of Darien, to the rin south. This is why the tree is jjlanted
in the character \~) kaii, that Landa tells us was the name
for south anciently.' At the north, the branch of the tree
extends eastward, that is, to the right of the trunk. This
branch, the peninsula of Yucatan, is represented by this
symbol c^)^^, which, with but (^^J^ a slight difference in

the drawing, is the same as that I P^pj placed in the verti-
cal legend, in an inverted ^ÎxS' position, against the
trunk of the tree, by which the author has designated the

whole country, calling it u Ma yacli, the " land of the shoot,"
the '"land of the veretnmn,'''' from the name of the peninsula
that seems to have been the seat of the government of the
Maya Empire.
The motive for the slight change in the drawing is easily
explained. The peninsula jutting out into the sea from the
mainland, as a shoot, a branch from the trunk of the tree, is in-
dicated by the representation of a yach, a vere- j<^:^. trum,

the base of which rests on the sign of land \^^J, ma
or also of a shoot, projecting beyond two /^îiiiix, symbols
of —
two basins of water that is, of the Ûiy Mexican Gulf
—
and the Caribbean Sea that are on each side of it. The
whole hieroglyph, name of the peninsula, reads therefore
' Landa, Las Cosas de Yucatan, chap, xxxiv., p. 206.
xlviii INTRODUCTION.
u-Mayach, the place of the ancestor's veretrum, or of the

shoot of the tree.
These two iiuix differ somewhat in shape. The imix

N/^>^N^M is meant to designate the Caribbean Sea, the eastern
^*Uil^ part of which being opened to the waves of the ocean
is indicated by the wavy line A/SAA/V\, emblem of water. In
this instance it may also denote the mountains in the islands,
that close it,

^^^ as it were, toward the rising sun. The
other imix L!.*^^ stands for the Gulf of Mexico, a medi-
terranean sea, completely land-locked, with a small entrance
formed by the peninsula of Florida and that of Yucatan,
and commanded by the island of Cuba. It is weU to notice
that, as has been already said, some of the signs in the hori-
zontal legend are the same as those in the vertical legend,

but placed in an inverse position with regard to one an-
other. This is as it should naturally be. Of course, the
particular names of the various localities in the country are

somewhat different, and the signs indicating their position
with reference «!^ to the cardinal points are not the same.
The symbol ^mj imix, for instance, of the Mexican Gulf
is placed in the vertical legend to the left, that is to the west,
of the imix \\ image of the Caribbean Sea, as it should

certainly be ^^ we look at the map
if of Central America
from the south, when it is apparent that the Gulf of Mexico
lies to the westward of the Caribbean Sea l/jiilili^- On the
other hand, if we enter the country from the north, the
Gulf of Mexico will be to the right, and the Caribbean Sea to
the left, of the traveller, just as the Maya hierogrammatist
placed them in the horizontal legend, îmJ^h^mA/-
To return to the character Ô in which the foot of the tree
is planted. Kan not only means "south," as we have just
INTRODUCTION. xlix
seen, but it has many other acceptations — all conveying the

idea of might and power. It is a variation of can, ^^
"serpent." The serpent, with inflated breast, ^^#î^
suggested by the contour of the Maya Empire, was adopted as
a symbol of the same. Its name became that of the dynasty
of the Maya rulers, and their totem. We see it sculptured
on the walls of the temples and palaces raised by them. In
Mayach, in Egypt, in China, in India, in Peru, and many
other places the image of the serpent was the badge of royalty.
It formed part of the headdress of the kings; it was embroid-
ered on their royal garments.' Khcm is still the title of the
kings of Tartary, Burmah, etc. , that of the governors of prov-
inces in Afghanistan, Persia, and other countries in central
Asia.
That the tree ^v^^«-»«—nv^ was also meant by the author of
the Troano MS. j I as symbol of the Maya Empire,
there can be < ? no doubt. He himself /^)
takes pains to \Lf inform us of the fact,
Beb iiaacal (the beb has sprung up) between i

^ ^ imc ,
luumilob, the seven countries • • • • of Can.

The sign is painted red in the original, to indicate the
i i
arable land, kancab. i was the symbol of land, coun-

i
try, among the Mayas, as with the Egyptians; but the former
used it also as numerical for five, to which, in this case, must

be added the two units O O . So we have seven fertile lands.
The four black dots • • • • are the numerical four, and

another ideographic sign for the name of the country Can,
" serpent." This
(^^/^ is why it is placed at the foot of the
tree, like the sign/^\\$ at the top to signify that it is the
kingdom. They \jj^^ are juxtaposed to the character X^^
'Wilkinson, Customs and Manners, vol. i., p. 163 (illust.).
1 INTRODUCTION.
kan, also, to denote its geographical position. It will be

noticed that this sign was omitted in the horizontal legend, as
it should be, since kan is the word for " south; " but it has
been replaced by ix /UO\ ("north,") which sign has been in-
corporated with the vQ/ sign, beb, /(^X thus ft^j to show
that this is the northern part of >0^ the Vl>' tree —
that is, of the country.
There remains to be x~OLx exj^lained what may be con-
sidered, in the present yi/>^ instance, the most important
character of the tableau, v^^ since it is the original name
given, in the most remote ages, to that part of the 3Iaya
Empire known on our maps as the peninsula of Yucatan. It
reads, Mayach, the "land just sprung," the "primitive

land," the "hard land." The symbol itself is an ideographic
representation of the peninsula and its surroundings, as will
be shown.
The reason that caused it to be adopted by the learned men
of Mayacb as symbol for the name of their country is indeed
most interesting. It clearly explains its etymology, and also
gives us a knowledge of the scope of their scientific attain-
ments — among these their perfect understanding of the forces
that produced the submersion of many lands, and the upheaval
of the peninsula and other places; a thorough acquaintance
with the geography of the continent wherein they dwelt, and
of the lands adjacent in the ocean; that even of the ill-fated
island mentioned by Plato,i its destruction by earthquakes,
and the sad doom of its inhabitants that remained, an histor-
ical fact, preserved in the annals treasured in the Egyptian
temples as well as in those of the Mayas. May we not assume
that the identity of traditions indicates that at some epoch,
"Plato, Dialogues, "TimtEus," ii., 517.
INTRODUCTION. li
more or less remote, intimate relations and communications

must have existed between the inhabitants of the valle}^ of
the Nile and the peoples dwelling in the " Lands of the West '
' ?
"We shall begin the interpretation |---| of the symbol

with the analysis of the character cv^ Sr\ that Landa teUs
us ' stood, among the Maya writers, either for ma, me, or mo.
Some would-be critics among the Americanists, our contempo-
raries,^ have accused the bishop of ignorance regarding the
writing system of the Mayas, or of incompetency in transmit-
ting to us the true value of this character, simply because he
gave it a plurality, or what seems to be a plurality, of meanings.
What right, it may be asked, have we to dispute the fact
asserted by Bishop Landa, j^ that in his time, among
the Mayas, the characterg^- S^^ was equivalent to ma
and perhaps to me and mo ? Had he not better opportunity
than any of us for knowing it? Did not the chiefs of the
Franciscan Order in Yucatan consider it a prime duty to

become thoroughly versed, and have all their missionaries
instructed, in the language of the natives to whom they had

to preach the gospel, and, after converting them to Chris-
tianity, to acbninister the sacraments of their Church ? Were
they not scholars, men conversant with grammatical studies ?
Who but they have reduced to grammatical rules the Maya

Landa, Relacwn de las Gosas de Yucatan, cli. xli., p. 322.
'
Heinrich Wiittke, Dei enstehung der Sdirift, S. 205, quoted and whose
"
opinions are indorsed by Professor Charles Ran, chief of the archseological

division of the National Museum (Smithsonian Institution) at Washington.
Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge, chap, v., No. 831. "The Palenque
Tablet in the United States National Museum." Dr. Ed. Seler, Uber die
Bedeutung des Zahlzeichens 20 in der Mayasehrift, in Verhandlungen der Ber-
liner GesellscTiaft fUr Anthropologie, etc., 1887, S. 337-241. J. J. Vallentini,
" The Landa Alphabet a Spanish Fabrication," in Proceedings of the
American Antiquarian Society, April, 1880.
lii INTRODUCTION.
language for the benefit of students ? Are we not told that

Bishop Landa acquired a great proficiency in it? Was he
not for many years a teacher of it ? Has he not composed a
grammar of that tongue for the use of his pupils? "What
right, then, have men in our age, innocent of all knowledge of
Maya language, even as spoken to-day, however great may

be their attainments in any other branch of learning, to pass
judgment on, worse still, to condemn, a learned teacher of
that language, charging him with ignorance and incomjDetency,
simply because he assigns various meanings to a character ?
Perhaps Mr. ChampoUion le jeune will be branded in like
manner, because he tells us that the Egyptians represented
indifferently the vowels A, I, 0, E hj the character I ?
""We see effectively," says the learned discoverer of ^ the

Egyptian alphabet, " the leaf or feather as their homo-
phones, to mean, according to the occasion, an ^, an I, an E,
and even an 0, as the ^ (aleph) of the Hebrews. So do we
find in the Egyptian tongue, written with Coptic letters, a
dialect that uses indifferently a for o, where the other two
write o only; and s where the other two write a. "We have
in the same dialect afSe and o/Se — Sitire ; ane — "reed,"
"rush," Juncus.^
' Champollion le jeune, Precis clu Systeme liieroglyphiqite des Anciens Egyp-
tiens, p. Ill, Paris, 1838.
'
Ak£ is liliewise a word belongiag to the Maya language. As in
Egyptian, it means a "reed," a "rush," a "withe." It was the name of
an ancient city the ruins of whicli still exist near Tixkokob, in Yucatan,
on the property of Dn. Alvaro Peon. It was also a family name, as can
be seen (in Appendix, note ii.) from a baptismal certificate signed by
Father Cogolludo, taken from an old baptismal register fonnd in the
convent of Cacalchen. The original is now in possession of the Right Rev.
Dn. Crecencio Carilloy Ancoua, present bishop of Yucatan, who has kindly
allowed me to make a photographic copy of Father Diego de Cogolludo's
autograph.
INTRODUCTION. Hii
Let US resume our explanation. "We have found that

in re- j-^ mote times ma was the meaning of the char-
acter gw-* Se^. Let us try to analyze its component parts in
its relation to the name Mayach, and its origin as an alphabetic

character. composed of the /"^N
It is easy to see that it is
geometrical figure [I flanked on each side by the symbol \j|\\/

imix. "Who can fail to see that this figure bears a strilc-
ing resemblance to the Egyptian sign \ that Dr. Young

translates ma,^ and Mr. ChampoUion asserts to be simply the
letter M? ^ By a strange coincidence, if coincidence there be,

the meaning of the syllable ma is the same in Maya and Egyp-
tian; that is, in both languages it signifies " earth," " place."
"The word rono'i — 'place,' 'site,'" says Mr. ChampoUion,
"of the Greek text of the Eosetta inscription is expressed in
the hieroglyphic part of the tablet by an owl for Jf, and the
extended arm for A, which gives the Coptic word p.a {ma),
'site,' 'place.'
"^
"We see that in the Troano MS. the author represented the
earth by the figure of an old man,* " the grandfather," ; mam
hence, by apocope, ma, "earth," "site," "country," "place."
Ma, in the Maya, is also a particle used, as in the Greek
language, in affirmation or negation according to its position
before or after the verb. Another curious coincidence worthy
of notice is that the sign of negation is abso- ^ lutely
the same for the Mayas as for the Egyptians, ^ I
—«. Bun-
sen = says that the latter called it nen. That word in Maya
"Dr. Young, "Egypt," Encyclopedia Britannica, Edinburgh edition,
vol. iv.
^ ChampoUion lejeune, Precis du Systeme liieroglyphique, etc., p. 34.
= Ibid., p. 125.
* Troano MS., vol. i., Maya text, part ii., plates xxv.-xxvii., etpassim.
^ Bunsen, Egyjit's Place in Universal History, Vocabulary word Nen.
liv INTRODUCTION.
means "mirror; " and Nen-lia, " the mirror of water," was
anciently one of the names of the Mexican Gulf. This also
may be a coincidence.
No one has ever told us whj' the learned hierogrammatists
of Egypt gave to the sign \ the value of ma. No one can
because nobody knows the origin of the Egyptians, of their
civilization, nor the country where it grew from infancj^ to
maturity. They themselves, although they invariabl}^ pointed
toward the setting sun when questioned concerning the father-

land of their ancestors, were ignorant of who they were and
whence they came. Nor did they know who was the inventor
of their alphabet. "The Eg)^3tians, who, no doubt, had for-
gotten, or had never known the name of the inventor of their
phonetic signs, at the time of Plato honored with it one of
their gods of the second order, Thoth, who likewise was held
as the father of all sciences and arts." ^
It is evident that we can learn nothing from the Egjqitians

of the motives that prompted the inventor of their alphabetical
characters to select that peculiar figure / to represent the
letter M, initial of their word Ma. The Mayas, we are in-

formed,^ made use of the identical sign, and ascribed to it the
same signification. We may perhaps find out from them the
reasons that induced their learned men to choose this strange
geometrical figure as part of their symbol for Ma, radical of
Mayacli, name of the peninsula of Yucatan. "Who knows

but that the same cause which prompted them to adopt it sug-
gested it also to the mind of the Egyptian hierogrammatist ?
Many will, no doubt, object that this may all be pure coinci-
dence —the two peoples lived so far apart. Very true. I do
'
Champollion, Precis du Systeme HieroglypJiique, p. 355.
" Lauda, Eelacionde las Cosas de Yucatan, chap, xli., p. 322.
INTRODUCTION. ly
not pretend it is not accidental. I merely suggest a possi-
bilitj^, that, added to other facts, may later become a probabil-

ity, if not a certainty. In the course of these pages we shall
meet with so many concurrent facts, as having existed both in
Mayach and Eg}^t, that it will become difficult to reconcile
the mind to the belief that they are, altogether, the identical
working of the human intelligence groping its way out of bar-

barism to civilization, as some have more than once hinted,
as a last resort, in their inability to deny the striking concord-
ance of these facts.
"We are told that in the origin of language names were

given to places, objects, tribes, individuals, or animals, in ac-
cordance with some peculiar inherent properties possessed by

them, such as shape, voice, customs, etc. , and to countries on
account of their climate, geological formation, geographical
configuration, or any other characteristic ; that is, by onomato-
poeia. This assertion seems to find confirmation in the sym-
bol
ll
of the Mayas ; and the name
• Mayach forms no
exception to the rule.
In fact, if we draw round the Yucatan peninsula a geometri-
cal figure enclosing it, and composed of straight lines, by follow-
ing the direction of its eastern, northern, and western
coasts, it is easy to see that the drawing so made
wlU unavoidably be the symbol [1.
That fact alone might not be deemed proof sufficient to
affirm that the Mayas, in reality, did derive their sign for Ma
from this cause, since /*N to complete it, as transmitted by
Landa, the character \jll\/ imix* is wanting on each side.
It does not require a very great eiJort of the imagina-

tion to understand what this sign is meant for. A single
' Landa, JRelaeion de las Cosaa de Yucatan, p. 204.
Ivi INTR OD UCTIOJSr.
glance will suffice to satisfy us that the drawing is intended to

represent a woman's breast, with its nipple and areola. Any
one inclined to doubt that such is the case will soon be con-
vinced by examining the female figures portrayed in the Tro-
ano MS.>
Tes, iinix is the breast, the bosom, called to-day simply im,
the word having suffered the apocope of its desinence ix, which
is a copulative conjunction and the sign of the feminine
gender.
But hosom is also an enclosed place. ^ "We say " the bosom of
the deep," le sein de la terre, el seno de los mares. ^ It was
in that sense, indeed, that the Maya sages, who invented the
characters and symbols with which to give their thoughts a
material form, made use of it. This fact becomes apparent if
'
Troano MS., part 1, plate xxii. See Appendix, note iii.
The reader may perhaps desire to know the mean-

ing of this picture. Alas! it teaches us that the
powers that govern nature were as indifEerent to the
lot of man in remote ages as they are to-day that ;
no creatures, whatever they be, have for them any

importance beyond their acting of the role which
they are called upon to play momentarily in the
creation.
/ yWWVV^ST S''^^* ^^''^'' °^
The figures are anthropomorphous representations
— the kneeling, "Land of Mu;" the male, of the
supplicating female, of the
" Lord of the Seven Fires " (volcanoes). Men
kak nuc. Mil, in an im-
ploring posture, comes to inform him that one of his volcanoes has caused
the basin at the edge of her domains to rise, and has converted the coun-
try into marshy ground. She speaks thus "Ale lia pe be be imik :
Kaan" (that is, "The basin has risen rapidly, and the land has become
marshy "). Men Kak liuc, for all consolation, replies :
" Imix be Ak
Mu?" ("So the basin in rising has caused the land to become marshy,
Mu?") This is evidently the record of a geological event — the rising of
the part of the bottom of the ocean near Mu.
' Webster, English Dictionary.
' Diceionario Espaflol por una sociedad Uteraria.

INTRODUCTION. Ivii
"we examine the drawing still more closely, and notice the four
lines drawn in the lower part, as if to shade it. If we con-
sider each line as equivalent to one unit, their sum represents
the numerical ybzw can — in the Maya language. We have
ah'eady seen that can also means "serpent," /<»s one of
the symbols for the sea, canah. Then the two V^ly imix
are placed, one on each side of the geometrical figure
|j
image of the peninsula, to typify the two gulfs whose waters
bathe its shores — on the left that of Mexico, on the right
the Caribbean Sea. That this was the idea of the invent-
ors of the sy:iibol is evident; for as the G-ulf of Mexico is
smaller than the Caribbean Sea, and the western coast line
of Yucatan shorter than the eastern, so in the drawing the
imix on the left of the figui'e' [I is smaller than the imix
on the right, and the line on the left shorter than that on the
right.
This explanation being correct, it clearly proves, as much as
a proposition of r^ that nature can be demonstrated,

that the character q-^ '
q owes its origin, among the Mayas,
to the configuration of the Yucatan peninsula, and its posi-
tion between two gulfs, and that the inventors were acquainted
with their extent and contour.
jSTot a few, even among well-read people, often express a
doubt as to the ancient Mayas having possessed accurate in-
formation respecting the existence of the various continents and

islands that form the habitable portions of the earth question- ;
ing likewise if they were acquainted even with the geography

and configuration of the lands in which they lived ; seeming to
entertain the idea that the science of general geography
belongs exclusively to modern times.
The name Blaya, found among all civilized nations of
Iviii INTRODUCTION.
antiquity, in Asia, Africa, Europe, as well as in America,

always with the same meaning, should be sufficient to prove
that in very remote ages the Mayas had intimate relations
with the inhabitants of the lands situated on those continents,

were therefore great travellers, and must, perforce, have been
acquainted with the general geography of the planet.
We must not lose sight of the fact that we know but very
little indeed of the ancient American civilizations. The annals
of the learned men of Mayacli having been either hidden
or destroyed, it is impossible for us to judge of the scope of
their scientific attainments. That they were expert architects,
the monmnents built by them, that have resisted for ages the
disintegrating action of the elements and that of vegetation,

bear ample testimony. The analysis of the gnomon discovered
by the writer in the ruins of the ancient city of Mayapan,
in 1880, proves conclusively that they had made advance in the
science of astronomy. They knew, as weU as we do, how to
calculate the latitudes and longitudes; the epochs of the sol-
stices and of the equinoxes; the division of time into solar

years of three hundred and sixtA'^-five days and six hours ; that
of the year into twelve months of thirty days, to which they
added five supplementary days that were left without name
and regarded as inauspicious. During these, as on the third
day of the Epact among the Egyptians, all business was sus-
pended; they did not even go out of their houses, lest some
misfortune should befall them. All those calculations required,
of course, a thorough knowledge of algebra, geometry, trigo-
nometry, and the other branches of mathematics. That they

were no mean draughtsmen and sculptors, the fresco paintings,
the inscriptions and bas-reliefs carved on marble, that are still
extant, bear unimpeachable testimony.

INTRODUCTION. lix
The study of the Troano MS. will convince any one that the
learned author of that book, and no doubt many of his asso-
ciates, had not only a thorough knowledge of the geographical
configuration of the "Western Continent and the adjacent islands,
but also of their geological formation. The "Lands of the
"West '
' are represented by these s}mibols, ^r>p^«yy~\ ^%<^>y^
which some have translated Atlan. ^ They ÛO/Ar SKSjmmF
^^^—^
leave no room for doubting that the ^^0^
Mayas were acquainted with the eastern coasts of said con-
tinent, from the bay of Saint Lawrence in latitude north 48° to
Cape St. Koque, in Brazil, in latitude south 5° 28'. The two signs
^^^ or n of the locality placed under the symbols repre-
sent the two large regions of the "Western Conti- /""N
nent, ]N"orth and South America ; whilst the signs \^__y
and h>S^ seen within the curve figuring the northern basin
of the Atlantic, stand for the Land of Mu, that extensive
island now submerged under the waves of the ocean.
The sign ^Q^ , as well as this h-"^^ that forms the upper
part of the symbol, is familiar to all students of Egyptology.
These will tell you that the first meant, in the Egyptian
hieroglyphs, " the sun setting on the horizon," and the second,
" the mountainous countries in the west."
As to the conventional posture given to all the statues of
the rulers and other illustrious personages in Mayach it con-
firms the fact of their geographical attainments. . If we com-
pare, for instance, the outlines of the eifigy of Prince Coll
discovered by the author at Chiclien-Itza in 1875, with
Kingsborough, Mexican Antiquities, vol. i., and Comment, vol. v. Atlan

'
is Maya but a Nahuatl word. It is composed of tlie two primitives

not a
Atl, "water," and Tlan, "near," "between." The Maya name for the
symbol is Alau.
Ix INTRODUCTION.
the contour of the eastern coasts of the American continent,

placing the head at New-
foundland, the knees at
Cape St. Eoque, and the
feet at Cajje Horn, it is
^^ easy to jDerceive that they

are identical. The shal-
low basin held on the

belly of the statue, between the hands, would then be symbol-
ical of the Gulf of Mexico and of the Caribbean Sea.^
Again, the outlines of the profile of the statue may also
represent with great accuracj^ the eastern shores of the Maya
Empire —the head being the peninsula of Yucatan, ancientl}'"
the seat of the government ; the knees would then correspond

to Cape Oraoias a Dios, in JSTicaragua ; the feet to the Isthmus
of Darien, the southern boundarj^ of the empire ; and the shal-
low basin on the belly woidd in that case stand for the Bay of
Honduras, part of the Caribbean Sea. The Antilles were
known to the Mayas as the
'
' Land of the Scorpion, '
' Ziuaaii,
and were represented \>j the Maya hierogrammatist by the
figure of that arachnid, or in his cursive writing by this
other /" N^ ^ proof evident that he was as well acquainted

as we are with the general outlines of the archipelago.
' Various other statues discovered, by the writer at CLicIlen-Itza liave

the same position, and hold a basin on the belly, between their hands.
Others, again, are to be seen in the "National Museum" of Mexico, all
having the same conventional attitude, with the head turned to the right
shoulder.
' Troano MS., part 11, plates vi., vii.
In the tableau, plate which forms the middle section of plate xiii.
v.,
in the second part of the Troano MS., the author describes the occurrence
of a certain phenomenon of volcanic origin, whose focus of action was lo-
cated in the volcanoes of the island of Trinidad, figured by the image of a
Page Ix.
Plate V.
INTRODUCTION. Ixi
The ancient Maya sages sometimes lilcened the earth to a

caldron, cum, because as nutriment is cooked in such utensil,
so also all that exists on the surface of the earth is first elab-
orated in its bosom. Sometimes, likewise, on account of its
rotundity, and because it contains the germs of all things, they

compared the earth to a calabash, kuui, full of seeds. These
similes seem to have been favorite ones, since they made fre-
quent use of them in illustrating their explanations of the

geological phenomena which have convulsed our planet. Per-
haps also the second reason was what caused them to generally
adopt a circiLlar shape for the characters they invented to give
material expression to the multitudinous conceptions of their
mind (unless it be that they gave that form to these charac-
ters from that of their skull, containing the brain, organ of
thought). The fact is that their symbol for the name May-
acli, of the peninsula of Yucatan, affects the shape of a cala-
bash, with its tendril just sprouted —a yach or ach, as the
natives call a J^'oung sprout.
What can have induced the hierogrammatists to select a
hand at the end of the scorpion's tail. The rope that connects said hand
(vith tlie raised right forefoot of the deer indicates that not only the seis-
mic action was felt throughout the length of the Caribbean Sea, from south
to north, but tliat itproduced the upheaval of some locality in the northern
parts of said sea. Beginning, naturally, the reading of the legend by the
column on the right, we find that he describes the phenomenon in the fol-
lowing words: " Oc ik ix canab ezah iiaT} " (that is, "A handful
(small quantity) of gases, escaped from the crater, caused canal* to show
the palm of his hand "). According to its location this raised forefoot may
be the upheaval of the large volcano that looms high in the air in the middle
of the island of Roatan, the largest of the group called Guanacas in the Bay
of Honduras, where the Mayas met the Spaniards for the first time in 1502.
The second column reads " Cil> canalcunte lam a ti ahau 0-"
:
("The lava having filled (raised) the submerged places, the master of the
basin," etc.) (The last sign being completely oblitei-ated, we cannot know
what the author had said.)
Ixii INTRODUCTION.
germinating calabash as part of the name of their country,

remains to be explained.
If we examine the map of the lands back of the peninsula,
it will not be difficult to discover the idea uppermost in the
mind of the draughtsman at the time of composing the sym-
bol ; and to see that he was as thoroughly acquainted with the
geography of the interior and the western shores of those
parts of the continent, as with the configuration of its eastern
coasts; also that their geological formation was no mystery
to him. jr\
By comparing this symbol ^^jfV with the shape of the
countries immediately south of v5^ the peninsula, notwith-
standing the changes that are continually taking place in the
contour of the coast lines, particularly at the mouth of rivers,^
by the action of currents, etc., we cannot fail to recognize that

the hierogrammatist
assumed it to be the
sprout of a calabash,
the body of which was
represented by the
lands comprised with-
in the segment of
a circle having for
radius the half of a line, parallel to the eastern and western
shores of the peninsula, starting from Point Lagartos, on the
northern coast of Yucatan, drawn across the country to the shore
of the Pacific Ocean on the south. For if, from the middle of
said line as centre, we describe a circumference, part of it will
follow exactly the bent of the coast line of said ocean, opposite
the northern shore of the peninsula ; another part will cross the
' Charles Lyell, Principles of Geology, vol. i., cliap. iii., p. 252.
INTRODUCTION. Ixiii
Isthmus of Tehuantepec, the northern frontier of the Maya

Empire, and, if caiTied overland on the south until it intersect
the seaboard of the Bay of Honduras, the segment of the circle

thus formed resembles the bottom of a calabash, and the
peninsula the sprout.
Analyzing the character yet more closely, we see a line of
dots on each side of the base of the sprout, the ^^ root of
which is made to repose on the curled figure ^^/ intended

to represent the curling of the smoke as it ascends into
the air from the crater of the volcanoes among the mountains,
indicated, as on our maps, by the etchings on both sides of the
body of the s}inbol. These tokens prove that the designer

knew the geological formation of the country in which he
lived ; and that the peninsula had been upheaved from the bot-
tom of the sea by the action of volcanic forces, whose centre
of activity was in his time, as it still is, in the mountains of
Guatemala, far away in the interior of the continent. By
placing the small end of the sprout deep into the figure on
the focus of the volcanic action, on the curling line of the
smoke, and by the dots, on both sides of the root of the sprout,
he shows that he knew that the upheaval of the peninsula was
effected by the expansive force of the gases, which produce
earthquakes by their pressure on the uneven under surface
of the superficial strata, too homogeneous to permit their
escape.^
Thus it is that we come to learn from the pen of an ancient
Maya philosopher that the name of his people, once upon a
time so broadly scattered over the face of the earth, had its
'
Sir Charles Lyell, Pr-inciples of Oeology, chap, xxxii., xxxiii. Augustus
Le Plougeon, "The Causes of Earthquakes," Van NostrancVs Engineenng
Magazine, vol. 6, Nos. 41, 43.
Ixiv INTRODUCTION.
origin in that of the country they inhabited, a place situated

in the northern tropical ^^ parts of the Western Continent,
in that " Land of Kiii," j^^ ' that mysterious home of their
ancestors, where the Egyptians thought the souls of their
departed friends went to dwell, which was known to its inhab-
itants as Mayach, a word that in their language meant
the "first land," the "land just sprouted," also the "hard
land," the "terra firma," as we learn from the sign || "of
aspiration, hardness, coagulation, placed each side of the
body of the calabash, to indicate, perhaps, the rocky forma-
tion of its soil, and that it had withstood the awful cata-
clysms which gj^ri—r^ swept from the face of the earth the
Zand of Mil y^^^ and many other places with their popu-
lations. The priests of Egypt, Chaldea, and India preserved
the remembrance of their destruction in the archives of their
temples, as did those of Mayach on the other side of the
ocean.
The latter did not content themselves with recording the
relation in their treatises on geology and history, but in order
to preserve its memory for future generations they caused it to

be carved on a stone tablet which they fastened to the wall in
one of the apartments of their college at Chictieii, where
it is yet seen. The natives have perpetuated, from genera-
tion to generation, for centuries, the name of that inscrip-
tion. They still call it Akalb-oib, the awful, the tenebrous
writing.
'
Gardner Wilkinson, Manners and Customs of Ancient Egyptians, vol.
Sir
iii., "Kui Land,^'' according to the Maya language the "land of
p. 70.
the gods," the birthplace of the Goddess Maya, "the mother of the gods "
and of men, the feminine energy of Brahma by -whose union with Brahma
all things were produced.
" Landa, Relacion de las Cosas de Tucatan, chap, xli.,
p. 323.
INTRODUCTION. Ixv
The history of that terrible catastrophe, recounted in vari-
ous ways in the sacred books of the different nations among

which vestiges of the presence of the Mayas are to be found,
continues to be the appalling tradition of a great portion of
mankind.
QUEEN MOO AND THE EGYPTIAN SPHINX.
We infer the spirit of the nation in great
measure from the language, which is a sort of
monument to which each forcible individual in
a course of many hundred years has contrib-
uted a stone.
(Ralph Waldo Emerson,
Essays, XX. ,
'
'
Nominalist and Realist. ")
In ages long lost in the abyss of time, when Aryan colonists
had not yet established their first settlements on the banks

of the river Saraswati in the Punjab, and the primitive Egyp-
tian settlers in the valley of the Nile did not fancy, even in
their most hopeful day-dreams, that their descendants Tvould
become the great people whose civilization was to be the
cradle of that of Europe, there existed on the "Western Conti-
nent a nation —the Maya—that had attained to a high degree
of culture in arts and sciences.
Valmiki, in his beautiful epic the "Eamayana," which is
said to have served as model to Homer's " Iliad," tells us that

the Mayas were mighty navigators, whose ships travelled
fi'om the western to the eastern ocean, from the southern to
the northern seas, in ages so remote that "the sun had not
yet risen above the horizon; " ^ that, being likewise great war-
riors, they conquered the southern parts of the Hindostanee
^ Valmiki, Ramayana, Hippolyte Fauche's translation, vol. i., p. 353.
2 QUEEN MOO AND THE EGYPTIAN SPHINX.
peninsula, and established themselves there; that, being also

learned architects, they built great cities and palaces.' These
Mayas became known in after times under the names of Da-
navas,^ and are regarded by modern historians as aborigines
of the country, or Nagds as we shall see later on. Of these
J. Talboys Wheeler in his "History of India" says:^ "The
traditions of the Nagds are obscure in the extreme ; they point,
however, to the existence of an ancient JSfaga empire in the
Dekkan, having its capital in the modern town of Nagpore,
and it may be conjectured that, prior to the Aryan invasion, the
Nagd rajas exercised an imperial power over the greatest part
of the Punjab and Hindostan. . . . The Nagds, or serpent
worshipjjers, who lived in crowded cities and were famous for
their beautiful women and exhaustless treasures, were doubt-
' Valmiki, Ramayana, vol. ii., p. 26."In olden times there was a prince
of the Dauavas, a learned magician endowed with great power his name ;
was Maya. It was he who, by magic art, constructed this golden grotto.
He was the vigvakarma ("architect of the gods ") of the principal Danavas,
and this superb palace of solid gold is the work of his hands."
Maya is mentioned in the Mahabharata as one of the six individuals
who were allowed to escape with their life at the burning of the forest of
Khandava, whose inhabitants were all destroyed.
We read in John Campbell Oman's work, The Great Indian Ejncs (p.
118) " Now, Maya was the chief architect of the Danavas, and in grati-
:
tude for his preservation built a wonderful sabTia, or hall, for the Pandavas,
the most beautiful structure of its kind in the whole world."
Dauava = Tan-lia-ba Tan, " midst; " lia, "water; " ha, a com-
'^
:
positive particle used to form reflexive desinences; "they who live in the
—
midst of the water " navigators.
This Maya etymon accords perfectly with what Professor John Camp-
bell Oman in his work The Great Indian Epics, "Mahabharata" (p. 133),
says with regard to the dwelling-place of the Danavas
" Arjuna carried war against a tribe of the Danavas, the Nivata-Kava-
chas, who were very powerful, numbering thirty millions, whose principal
city was Hiranyapura. They dwelt in the womb of the ocean." (The name
Hiranyapura means in Maya " dragged in the middle of the water jar.")
'
J. Talboys "Wheeler, History of India, vol. iii., pp. 56-57.
Page 3. Plate ri.
QUEEN MOO AND THE EGYPTIAN SPHINX. 3
less a civilized people living under an organized government.

Indeed, if any inference can be drawn from the epic legends
it woidd be that, prior to the Aryan conquest, the Ndgd rajas
Avere ruling powers, who had cultivated the arts of luxury to
an extraordinary degree, and yet succeeded in maintaining a
protracted struggle against the Aryan invaders."
Like the English of to-day, the Mayas sent colonists all
over the earth. These carried with them the language, the
traditions, the architecture, astronomy,^ cosmogony, and other
sciences — in a word, the civilization of their mother country.
It is this civilization that furnishes us with the means of ascer-

taining the role played by them in the universal history of the
world. We find vestiges of it, and of their language, in all
historical nations of antiquity in Asia, Africa, and Europe.

They are still frequent in the countries where they flourished.
It is easy to follow their tracks across the Pacific to India,
by the imprints of their hands dipped in a red liquid and
pressed against the walls of temples, caves, and other places
looked upon as sacred, to implore the benison of the gods —also
by their name, Maya, given to the banana tree, symbol of
their country,^ whose broad leaf is yet a token of hospitality
'
H. T. Colebi'ooke, "Memoirs on the Sacred Books of India," Asiatie
Researches, vol. ii., pp. 369-476, says: "Maya is considered as the author
of the Sourya-Siddlianta, the most ancient treatise on astronomy in India.
He is represented as receiving liis science from a partial incarnation of
the Sun." This work, on wbicli all the Indian astronomy is founded, was
discovered at Benares by Sir Robert Chambers. Mr. Samuel Davis partly

translated it, which relate to the calculation
particularly those sections
of eclipses. work of very great antiquity, since it is attributed to a
It is a
Maya author whose astronomical rules show that he was well acquainted
with trigonometry {Asiatic Researches, vol. ii., pp. 345-349), proving that
abstruse sciences were cultivated in those remote ages, before the invasion
of India by the Aryans. (See Appendix, note vi.)
- Codex Cortesianus, plates 7 and 8.
among the natives of the islands ;

' then along the shores of
the Indian Ocean and those of the Persian Gulf to the mouth
of the Euphrates; up that river to Babylon, the renowned
City of the Sun ; thence across the SjTian desert to the valley
of the Nile, where they finally settled, and gave the name of
their mother country to a district of Iûbia, caUing it Maiu
or Maioo.^ After becoming firml}^ established in Egypt they
sent colonists to Syria. These reached as far north as Mount
Taurus, founding on their way settlements along the coast of
the Mediterranean, in Sidon, Tyi-e, the valley of the Orontes,
and again on the banks of the Euphrates, to the north of
Babylon, in Mesopotamia.
Mayacli (that is,
'
' the land that first arose from the
bottom of the deep '
') was the name of the empire whose sov-
ereigns bore the title of Can (serpent), spelt to-day Ichan in
Asiatic countries.^ This title, given by the Mayas to their

rulers, was derived from the contour of the empire, that of
a serpent with inflated breast, which in their books and their
sculptures they represented sometimes with, sometimes without
wings, as the Egyptians did the urmus, symbol of their coun-
try, ^liansays: "It was the custom of the Egyptian kings
to wear asps of different colors in their crowns, this reptile
' CaptainJ. Cook, Voyage among the Islands of the Pacific.
Henry Brugsch-Bey, History of Egypt under the Pharaohs, vol. i., p. 363
vol. ii., p. 78 (note) and p. 174. The name is comprised in the list of the
lands conquered by Thotmes III., and iu the list found in a sepulchral
chamber in Nubia.
^ Ehan is the title
of the kings of Tartary, Burmah, Afghanistan, and
other Asiatic countries. The flag of China is yellow, with a green dragon
in the centre. That of the Angles also bore as symbol a dragon or serpent;
that of the Saxons, according to Urtti-scind, a lion, a dragon, and over
them a flying eagle that of the Mancbous, a golden dragon on a crimson
;
field; that of the Huns, a dragon. Their chief was called Kakhan short —
for Khan-Khan.
Page 4. Plate VII.
Page 5. Plate VIII.
being emblematic of the invincible power of royalty ;"* but

he does not inform us why it was selected as such an emblem,
nor does Plutarch, although he also tells us that it was the
sjTnbol of royalty.^ Pausanias^ affirms that the asp was
held sacred throughout Egypt, and at Omphis particularly
enjoyed the greatest honor. Phylarchus states the same
thing.''
StiU the Egyptian sages must have had very strong motives
for thus honoring this serpent and causing it to play so con-
spicuous a part in the mysteries of their religion. Was it per-
chance in commemoration of the mother country of their
ancestors, bejônd the sea, toward the setting sun ? There the
ancient rulers, after receiving the honors of apotheosis, were
always represented in the monuments as serpents covered with
feathers, the heads adorned with horns, and a flame instead
of a crown; often, also, with simply a crown.
It is well to remember that in Egypt the cerastes, or horned
snakes, were the only serpents, with the asp, that were held as
sacred. Herodotus^ tells us that "when they die they are
buried in the temple of Jupiter, to whom they are reputed
'
sacred.
The Maya Empire comprised aU the lands between the
Isthmus of Tehuantepec and that of Darien, known to-day
as Central America. The history of the sovereigns that had
governed it, and of the principal events that had taken place
in the nation, was written in well-bound books of papy-
rus or parchment, covered with highly ornamented wooden
» iElian, Nat. An., lib. vi., 33.
' Plutarch, De Iside et Osiride, S. 74.
^ Pausanias, BiBot., c. 31.
* jEUan, Nat. An., lib. xvii. 5.
' Herodotus, lib. ii., Ixxiv.
boards/ while the most important occurrences were likewise

carved in stone on the walls of their public edifices, to preserve
their record in a lasting and indehble manner for the knowledge
of future generations. It is from these sculptured and written
memoirs graven on their palaces at Uxmal and Chichen in
the peninsula of Yucatan, the head of the imperial serpent
and the seat of the government of the Maya Empire, that the
author has learned the history of Queen Moo and her family.
At its southern extremity and on the top of the east AvaR
.of the tennis court at Cliictien, there is a building that is of
the greatest interest to the archôlogist, the historian, and the
ethnologist ; while the architect may learn from it many useful
lessons. John L. Stephens, who ^nsited it in 1842, speaks of
it as a casket containing the most precious jewels of ancient
American art.^
It was a memorial hall erected by order of Queen Mdo,

and dedicated to the memory of her brother-husband, Prince
Coh, an eminent warrior. Those paintings so much admired
by Stephens, rivalling the frescos in the tombs of Egypt and
Etruria, or the imagery on the walls of the palaces of Babylon
mentioned by Ezekiel, were a pictorial record of the life of
Prince Coh from the time of his youth to that of his death,
and of the events that followed it. They thus form a few
' Landa, Las Cosas de Yucatan, pp. 44, 316. Cogolludo, Historia de Yu-
cathan, etc., lib. iv., cap. v.
These books were exactly like the holy books now in use in Thibet.
These also are written on parchment strips about eighteen inches long and
four broad, bound with wooden boards, and wrapped up in curiously em-
broidered silk.
C. F. Gordon Gumming, In the Himalayas and on the Indian Plains,

p. 438.
''
John L. Stephens, Incidents of Travels in Yucatan, vol. ii., p. 310, et
passim.
Page Plate IX.
pages of the ancient history of the Maya nation, and of the

last days of the Can dynasty.
This interesting edifice is now in ruins. Enough, however,
remains to have enabled the writer to make not only an accu-
rate plan of it, but a restoration perfect in all its details.
After climbing to the top of the wall, that formed a ter-
race six metres wide, levelled and paved with square marble
slabs carefully adjusted,, we find a broad stairway composed of
five steps. Ascending these, we stand on a platform, and be-
tween two marble colmnns each one metre in diameter. The
base of these columns is formed of a single monolith one
metre twenty centimetres high and two metres long, carved in
GEOUND PLAN.
the shape of serpent heads vrith mouth open and tongue pro-
truding. The shaft represents the body of the serpent, emblem
of royalty in Mayacli, as it was in Egypt and as it is yet
in many countries of Asia. It is covered with sculptured
feathers, image of the mantle of feathers worn in court cere-
monials by the kings and the highpriests as insignia of their

rank.
Between these columns there was a grand altar supported
by fifteen atlantes, three abreast and five deep, whose faces

8 QUEEN MOO AJS^D THE EGTPTIAy SPHIXX.
were portraits of friends and relatives of the dead warrior.

On this altar, placed at the door of the inner chamber, thej-
were wont to make offerings to his manes, just as the EgT|)-
tians made oblations of fruits and flowers to the dead on altars
erected at the entrance of the tombs.' From Papyrus IV., at
VERTICAL SECTION.
the Bulaq Museum, we learn that the making of offerings to

the dead was taught as a moral precept. " Bring offerings to
thy father and thy mother who rest in the valley of the tombs
for he who gives these offerings is as acceptable to the gods
as if they were brought to themselves. Often visit the dead,
so that Avhat thou dost for them, thy son may do for thee."^
' Sir Gardner Wilkinson, Manners and Customs of Ancient Egyptians,

vol. iii., chap. xvi.
' Papyrus IV., Bulaq Museum. Translation by Messrs. Brugsch and E.
de Rougfi. Published by Marietta.
Page S. Plate X.
If Ave compare this with the precepts of the " Manava-Dharma-

Sastra
— '' The ceremony in honor of the manes is superior, for
the Brahmins, to the nôrship of the gods, and the offerings to
the gods that take place before the offerings to the manes have
been declared to increase their merits '
'
^
— it will be easy to
see that these teachings must have emanated from the same
school.
This most ancient custom is likewise scrupulously followed
by the Chinese, for whom the worship of the ancestors is as
binding and sacred as that of God himself, whose representatives
they have been for their children while on earth. Confucius
in his book " Khoung-Tseu " dedicates a whole chapter to the
description of the ceremony in honor of ancestors as practised
twice a year, in spring and autumn,^ and in his book " Lun-yu "
he instructs his disciples that "it is necessary to sacrifice to
the ancestors as if they were present. '
'
^ The worship of the
ancestors is paramount in the mind of the Japanese. On the
fifteenth day of the seventh Japanese month a festival is held
in honor of the ancestors, when a repast of fruit and vegeta-

bles is placed before the Ifays, or wooden tablets of peculiar
shape, on which are written inscriptions commemorative of the
dead.
Great festivities were held by the Peruvians in honor of the
dead in the month of Aya-marca, a word which means literally
" carrying the corpses in arms." These festivities were estab-
lished to commemorate deceased friends and relations. They
were celebrated with tears, mournful songs, plaintive music,
and by visiting the tombs of the dear departed, whose provi-
1 Manava-DJmrma-Sastra, lib. iii., Sloka 203, also Slokas 137, 149, 207,
etc., et passim.
^ Confucius, KTwung-Tseu, Tchoung- Young, chap. xix.
^ Ibid., Lun-yu, chap, iii., Sloka 13.
sion of corn and chiclun they renewed through openings arranged

on purpose from the exterior of the tomb to vessels placed
^
near the body.
Even to-day the aborigines of Yucatan, Peten, and other
countries in Central America where the Maya language is
spoken, as if in obedience to this affirmation of the Hindoo
legislator —-"The manes accept with pleasure that which is
offered to them in the clearings of the forests, localities natu-

rally pure ; on river banks and in secluded places '
'
^
—are wont,
at the beginning of November, to hang from the branches of
certain trees in the clearings of the forests, at cross-roads, in
isolated nooks, cakes made of the best corn and meat they
can procure. These are for the soids of the departed to par-
take of, as their name liaual pixaii (" the food of the souls ")
clearly indicates.^
Does not custom of honoring the dead exist among us
this
to-day? The feast of " All Souls " is celebrated by the Cath-
olic Church on the second day of November, when, as at the
feast of the Feralia, observed on the third of the ides (Febru-
ary the eleventh) by the Romans, and so beautifully described

by Ovid,* people visit the cemeteries, carry presents, adorn
Cliristoval Ae Moima., The Fatles and Piles of the Tncas.
' Translation
by Clements R. Markliam, pp. 36-50.
^ Manava-Dharma-Sastra, lib. iii., Sloka 303.
° Cakes were likewise oSered to the dead in Egypt, India, Peru, etc.
*
Est honor et tumulis ; animas placare patemas,
Parvaque in extructas munera ferre pyras :
Parva petunt manes : pietas pro divite grata est
Munere ; non avidos Styx hdbet ima Deos ;
Tegula porrectis satis est velata coronis,
I
Et sparsa fruges, parvaque mica salis.
Ovid, Fast 1, V. 533, et passim.
Tombs also have their honor; our parents wish for

Some small present to adorn their grave.
Page 11. Plate XI.
QUEEN MOO AND THE EGYPTIAN SPHINX. H
with flowers, wreaths, and garlands of evergreen the resting-
place of those who have been dear to them —a very tender
and unpressive usage, speaking eloquently of the most affec-
tionate human sentiments.

Mr. E. G. Haliburton, of Boston, Mass. in a very learned ,
and most interesting paper * on the " Festival of Ancestors,"

or the feast of the dead, so prevalent among aU nations of the
earth, speaking of the singularity of its being observed every-
where at precisely the same epoch of the year, says: "It is
now, as it was formerly, observed at or near the beginning of
November hj the Peruvians, the Hindoos, the Pacific islanders,

Tonga Islands, the Australians, the ancient
the people of the
Persians, the ancient Egyptians, and the northern nations of
Europe, and continued for three days among the Japanese, the
Hindoos, the Australians, the ancient Pomans, and the ancient
Egyptians. . . . This startling fact at once drew my atten-
tion to the question, How was this uniformity in the time of
observance preserved, not only in far distant quarters of the
globe, but also through that vast lapse of time since the Peru-
vian and the Indo-European first inherited this primeval festi-
val from a common source ? " What was that source ?
When contemplating the altar at the entrance of Prince

Coil's funeral chamber, we asked ourselves. Are we stiU in
That small present we owe to the ghosts ;
Those powers do not look at what we give them, but how;

No greedy desires prompt the Stygian shades.
They only ask a tile crowned with garlands,
And fruit and salt to scatter on the ground.
The Romans believed, as did the Hindoos and the Mayas, that salt
scattered on the ground was a strong safeguard against evil spirits.
'
R. G. Haliburton, "Festival of Ancestors," Ethnological Eesea/rches
Bearing on the Year of the Pleiades.
America, or has some ancient wizard, bj' magic art, suddenly

transported us to tlie soutli of the Asiatic peninsula, in Cam-
bodia, in the old city of Angor-Thom? There also we
find similar altars, figures of serpents, and the bird-headed
god.
This bird, symbol of tlae principal female divinity, is met
with in every country where Maya civilization can be traced
—in Polynesia,^ Jajmn, India, Chaldea, Egypt, Greece, as in
Mayacli and the ancient city of Tiahuanuco on the high
plateaus of the Peruvian Andes. In Egypt the vulture formed
SCULPTTTRE IN ANCIENT CITT OF ANGOK-THOM, CAZÎEODIA.
the headdress of the Goddess Isis, or Man, whose vestments

were dyed with a variety of colors imitating feather Avork.^
Everywhere it is a myth. In Mayacli only we may perhaps
' When Banks, who accompanied Captain Cook in his first voyage, vis-
ited the great Morai at 0-Taheite, lie saw on tlie summit of the pyramid a
representation of a bird, carved in wood (the Creator). John Watson, The
Lost Solar System, vol. ii., p. 232.
''
Sir Gardner Wilkinson, Manners and Customs of Ancient Egyptians, vol.
iii., p. 375.
Page 12. Plate XII.
Page 13. Plate XIII.
QUEEN MOO AND THE EGYPTIAN SPHINX. I3
find the origin of this myth, since it was the totem of Queen
M<5o, whose name means inacaiu ; and she is generally pict-
ured, in the sculptures and inscriptions, by the figure of
that beautiful bird, whose plumage is composed of brilliant
feathers of various colors.
GODDESS ISIS AS A BIRD.'
' Gardner Wilkinson, Manners and Customs, vol. iii., chap, xiii., p. 115.
n.
On examining the adornments of the atlantes that sup-

we could not help
ported the altar, exclaiming, " Why, this is
Burmah! " And so it is. But it is also America. Tes,

ancient America, brought back to light after slimibering many
ages in the lap of Tune, to show the people of the nineteenth
centiuy that, long, long ago, intimate communications existed
between the inhabitants of the "Western Continent and those of
Asia, Africa, and Europe, just as they exist to-day; and that
ancient American civilization, if not the mother of that of his-
torical nations of antiquity, was at least an important factor
in the framing of their cosmogonic notions and primitive

traditions.
Of that fact no better proof can be obtained than by com-

paring the symbols of the universe found among the Mayas,
the Hindoos, the Chaldees, and the Eg^^tians.
The simplest is that of the Mayas. It seems to have served
as model for the others, that evidently are amplifications of it.
"We find it many times repeated, adorning the central fillet of

the upper cornice of the entablatures of the eastern and west-
Page I4. Plate XIV.
Page. H, Plate XV.
em facades of King Can's palace at IJxinal. This edifice was

also the residence of the pontiff.
A knowledge of antique geometric symbology makes it
easy to understand these cosmic diagrams. In the centre of

the figure we see a circle inscribed within the hexagon formed
by the sides of two interlaced equilateral triangles.
The Egj^tians held the equilateral triangle as the symbol
of nature, beautiful and fruitful. In their hieroglyphs it meant
"worship." For the Christians the equilateral triangle, con-
taining the open eye of Siva, is the symbol of Deity. The
Hindoos and the Chaldees regarded it as emblem of the spirit
of the universe. ExotericaUy this central circle represents the
sun, the light and life-giver of the physical world, evolved
from fire and water.

It is well known that among the ancient occultists, of all
nations, the triangle with the apex upward symbolized "fire;

"
that with the apex downward, " Avater. " The outer circle that
circumscribes the triangles is the horizon, that apparent boun-
dary of the material world, within which, in his daily travels,
the sun seems to be tied up. Hence the name Inti-huatana,

"sun's halter," given by the ancient Peruvians to the stone
circles so profusely scattered over the high plateaus of the
Andes, along the shores of Lake Titicaca,^ in India, Arabia,
northern Africa, northern Europe, where they are known as
druidical circles. Their use is stOl a matter of discussion for
European antiquaries. They disdain to seek in America for
the explanation of the motives that prompted their erection
and that of many other constructions, as weU as the origin of
' See Appendix, notesvii. and xx.
' George E. Squier, Peru : Incidents of Travels and Explorations in the
Land of the Incas, chap, xx., p. 384.
Augustus Le Plongeon, A Sketch of the Ancient Inhabitants of Peru, chap. i.
customs and traditions that continue to be among them the

themes for useless controversies.
The twelve scallops which surround the outer circle are the
twelve houses or resting-places of the sun; that is, the twelve

months of the solar year, or twelve signs of the zodiac. As
to the four double rays, those nearest to the houses of the sun
typify the primordial Four, direct emanations from the central
sun —the four Heavenly Giants who helped in fashioning the
material universe. The lower ones symbolize the four primor-
dial substances known to modern scientists as nitrogen, oxygen,
hydrogen, and carhon, whose various combinations form the
four primitive elements — fire, water, aii', and earth —into
"which these can again be resolved.
In the Appendix the esoteric explanation of the diagram is
presented as it was given by the Maya sages to their pupils in

the secrecy of the mysterious recesses of their temples. It cor-
responds precisely to the doctrine of the cosmic evolution con-

'
tained in that ancient Sanscrit book of

'
' Dzyan, ' which forms
the groundwork of Madame H. P. Blavatsky's "The Secret
*
Doctrine."
The Maya colonists who carried their conceptions of cosmic
evolution to India, fearing lest the meaning of this diagram,
purposely made so simple by the wise men in their mother
country, should not be sufficiently intelligible to the new ini-
H. P. Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine, vol. i.,

'
Is it a mere pp. 27-35. "
coincidence that the name Dzyan of the archaic Indian MS., whose trans-
lation, with commentaries, Madame Blavatsky gave to the world, is a pure
Maya word ? To write it according to the accepted manner of writing
Maya, we must replace the double consonant dz by its equivalent o. We
then have the word Qian, which means "to be swollen by fire." In the
book Dzyan, stanza iii., § 1, we read " The mother sicells, extending from
:
within without, lile the hid of the lotus ;''^ and §9: ^' Light is cold
. . .
flame, and fame is fire, and fire produces heat, which yields water ; the water
of life in the great mother.^'' . . .
Page 16. Plate XVI.
Page 17. Plate XVII.
tiates to whom thej^ communicated it in the land of their

adoption, amplified it, and composed the " Sri-San tara," mak-
ing each part of easy comprehension.
This, at first sight, may appear like an assertion of private
opinion. It is not, however. It is the stating of an histor-
ical fact, that becomes evident when we study said " Sri-San-
tara," and notice that the names of its different parts, from
Aditi, the "boundless," to Maya, the "earth," are not San-
scrit, but pure American Maya words.
ITow, if the Hindoo priests, the Brahmins, did not receive
their cosmogony from the Mayas, together with the diagram
by which they syinbohzed ' it, how did it happen that they
adopted precisely the same geometrical figures as the Mayas
to tjqaify their notions of the creation of the universe, which
we are told they borrowed from " the materialistic religion of
the non-Yedic population; " ' and that, in giving names to the
various parts of said figures, they made use of vocables not

belonging to their own vernacular, but to a language spoken
by the inhabitants of a country distant many thousand miles
from their own, and separated from it by the wastes of the
ocean, the traversing of which was by them, as it is by their
descendants, regarded as a defilement ?
"We must not lose sight of the fact that the Danavas and
the Nagas were peoples who did not belong to the Aryan stock,
and that they suffered a fierce persecution at the hands of the
Brahmins when these acquired power. ^
As to these, theii' origin is one of the most obscure points

in the annals of ancient India; they are barely mentioned in
the Vedic hymns. When, in remote times, the Aryans invaded
'
J. Talboys Wheeler, History of India, vol. iii., p. 56.
= Ibid.
2
18 QUEEN 3100 AND THE EGYPTIAN SPHINX.
the Punjab, the Brahmins had no power or authorit}^ They

were merely messengers and sacrificers. No food so pure as
that cooked by a Brahmin.^ Others among them, having a
devout turn of mind, were hermits doing penance, immersed
in contemplation. At the time of Alexander's conquest of
northern India, many lived in convents, practising occultism.
They were called gymnosophists by the Greeks, and were re-
garded as verj^ wise men.^ But it must be remembered that

the period between the establishment of the Yedic settlements
on the Saraswati and the conquest of Hindostan by the Aryans,
when they had become the leading power, probably covers an
interval of thousands of years.'
" The Aryans appear to have had no definite idea of a uni-
verse of being or of the creation of a universe." * From them,

therefore, the Brahmins could not have borrowed their ac-
count of the creation, ifvhich differs from that we might infer
from the Vedic hymns.' Still " Manu borrowed some of the
ideas conveyed in his account of the creation of the universe
by Brahma. '
'
^
From whom did he borrow them ?

" The Brahmins rarely attempted to ignore or denounce the
traditions of any new people with whom they came in contact
but rather thej converted such materials into vehicles for the
promulgation of their peculiar tenets."
The Ndgas, we have seen, were a highly civilized people,
'
J. Talboj's Wheeler, History of India, vol. ii., p. 640.
- Philostratus, Life of Apollonius of Tyaiia, lib. ii., chap. 1.5, p. 243;
lib. iii., chap. 11, p. 8. Translation of Charles Blount, London, 1680.
'
J. Talboys Wheeler, History of India, vol. ii., p. 624.
* Ibid., p. 453. Adolphe Pictet, Les Origines Indo-Europeennes, vol.
iii., p. 410.
'
J. T. Wheeler, History of India, vol. ii. , p. 453.
^ Ibid., p. 449. 'Ibid., p. 450.
QUEEN MOO AND THE EGYPTIAN SPSINX. 19
whose rulers held sway over the whole of Hindostan when the
Aryans established their first colonies on the bants of the
Saras wati. we shall see that these Nagds were orig-
Later on
inally Maya adepts, who in remote ages migrated from May-
acli to Burmah, whence they spread their doctrines among
the civilized nations of Asia and Africa. How else explain the
use of the American Maya language by the Hindoos, calling

Maya the material world? (Ma, "country ;" yach, the
mretrum of the ancestor, through which ah living earthly
things were produced.)
This query may be answered by another. Why do we
find English customs, English traditions, English language,
in America, India, Australia, Africa, and a thousand and one
other places very distant from each other, among peoples that
do not even know of each other's existence ? Why, any one
will say, because colonists from England have settled in those
countries, and naturallj^ carried there the customs, traditions,
language, religion, sciences, and civilization of the mother

country. Why, then, not admit that that which occurs in our
day has taken place in past ages ? Is not man the same in aU
times ? Has not the stronger always imjjosed his ideas on the
weaker ? If in the struggle toward eternal progress, the most
civilized has not always been physically victorious, history
teaches that iateUectually he has obtained the victory over his
conqueror in the long run ;
proving, what has so many tunes
been asserted, that mind is mightier than matter.
Civilization is radeed like the waves of the sea; one wave
follows another. Their cre^s are not of equal height. Some
are higher ; some are lower. Between them there is always a
trough more or less deep. The wave behind inevitably pushes
that immediately before it, often overwhehns it.
we compare the " Sri-Santara " with the cosmogonic dia-

If
gram of the Mayas, it does not require a great effort of

imagination to perceive that it is an amplification of the latter.
This being so, let what may be, in the Maya language,
us see
the meaning of the names of its different parts.
The use of the Maya throughout these pages, to explain
the meaning of names of deities, nations, and localities Avhose
etymon is not only unknown but a mystery to philologists,
will show the necessity of acquiring this most ancient form of
speech. It is not a dead language, being the vernacular of AveU-
nigh two millions of our contemporaries. Its knowledge will
help us to acquire a better understanding of the origin of the
early history of Egy]^)tian civilization, of that of the Chaldeans,
and of the nations of Asia Minor. It will also illumine the
darkness that surrounds the primitive traditions of mankind.

By means of it, we wiU read the ancient Maya books and
inscriptions, reclaim from oblivion part, at least, of the ancient
history of America, and thus be enabled to give it its place in

the universal history of the world. "We shall also be able to
comprehend the amount of knowledge, scientific and historical,
possessed by the wise men who wrote on stone the most strik-
ing events in the life of their nation, their religious and cos-
mogonic conceptions. Perhaps when the few books written

by them that have reached us, and the monumental inscrip-
tions still extant, have been thoroughly deciphered, many

among the learned will have to alter their pet opinions, and
confess that our civilization may not be the highest ever
reached by man. "We must keep in mind the fact that we are
only emerging from the deep and dark trough that had existed
between the Greek and Eoman civilizations and ours, and that
we are as yet far from having arrived at the top of the wave.
Before proceeding, I may remark that although the Mayas

seem to have penetrated the interior of Asia as far as Meso-
potamia, and to haTe dwelt a long time in that country as well
as in Asia Minor; that although, from remote ages, they had
sojourned in the Dekkan and other localities in the south
of India; that although the Greek language was composed in
great part of Maya, and the grammars oi both these lan-
guages were well-nigh identical '
—they and the Aryans, so far
as shown by had intercourse with each other.
philology, never
After a thorough study of Mr. Adolphe Pictet's learned work,
"Les Origines Indo-Europeennes ou les Aryas Primitifs," and
a careful examination of their language and the Greek words
derived from it, either directly, or indirectly through Sanscrit,
then comparing these with the Maya, I am bound to confess
that I have been unable to find the remotest analogy between
them. No—not one word! It might be supposed that the
name of the most abundant and necessary fluid for living
beings would be somewhat similar in languages concurring to
form a third one. ISTot so, however. The erudite Mr. Pictet
is at a loss as to the origin of the Greek word, thalassa, for
'
' sea.
'
'
2 Had he been acquainted with the Maya language, he
would easily have found it in the word thallac. that means
a "thing unstable; " hence the Greek verb tarasso thrasso — —

" to agitate." The name for water in Maya is ha, in Egyp-
tian and Chaldean a.
What are we to argue from this utter want of relation be-

tween two peoples that have had such a stupendous influence
on the civilization of Asiatic, African, and European popula-
'
Brasseur, Troano MS., vol. ii., edit. 1870. Introduction aux elements de
la langue Maya, from p. xxiv. to p. xl.
^ Adolphe Pictet, les Origines Indo-Europeemnes, vol. i., pp. 138-1.39.
tions? Shall we say that when the Mayas colonized the

countries at the south of Asia, then the banks of the Eu-
phrates, then the valley of the Nile, and later Asia Minor, it
was in ages so remote that the Aryans, regarded as a primitive

people living at the dawn of history, had not yet multiplied
to such numbers as to make it unperative for them to abandon
their native country in search of new homes ? Shall we say
that the Maya colonies much antedated the migrations of the
Aryan tribes, that, abandoning their bactrian homes only
about three thousand years before the Christian era,^ went
south and invaded the north of India; whilst others, going
west, crossed over to Europe and spread over that continent ?
This would explain the use of Maya instead of Sanscrit

words for the names of the various parts of the " Sri-Santara; "
show the Maya to be more ancient than Sanscrit; and also
account for the grammatical forms common to both the Maya
and the Greek, that the ulterior admixture of Aryan words to
the latter was unable to alter.
"We must premise the explanation of the names of the parts
of the " Sri-Santara " by stating that the letters i?, F., O, J, Q,
and 'Fare not used in the Maya language.^
From remote ages the Brahmins taught that in the begin-
ning existed the Infinite. This they called Aditi, " that
which is above all things." It is precisely the meaning of the
Maya words A titich —composed of Ah, masculine article,
the "strong," the "powerful; " and titicli, "that which is
above aU things."^ A-titich ov A-diti would then be the

"powerful superior to all things," the " Infinite. " In this
'
A. Pictet, Les Origines Indo-Europeennes, vol. iii., pp. 508-515.
^ Beltran de Santa Rosa, Arte del Idioma Maya. Gabriel de Santa
Buenaventura, Elementos de la Lingua Maya.
° Pio Perez, Maya dictionary.
Page SS. Plate XVIII.
infinite d^velt Aiim, whose name must precede all prayers, all
invocations. ^ Manu says that the monosyllable means earth, '
'
'
' ^
'
' sky,
'
' and '
' heaven. '
J. Talboj^s Wheeler says:^ "As regards the three letters

A, U, M, little can be gathered excepting that, when brought
together in the word Aum they are said by Manu to form a
symbol of the Lord of created beings, Brahma. '
' Colebrooke
says: "According, however, to the Nirukta, which is an
ancient glossary of the Vedas, the syllable Aum refers to every
deity. The Brahmins may reserve for their initiates an esoteric
meaning more ample than that given by Manu." But by
means of the- Maya language we learn its full significance.
A-U-M :
A—for All, masculine article: the fecundating power; the

father.
TJ —feminine pronoun: the basin; the generative power; the

mother.
M —Mehen : the engendered ; the son ; or, Ma, yes and no
the androgynus.
Any way we combine the three letters of the sacred mono-
syllable —in the Maya language —they give us the names and
attributes of each person of the Trimov/rti.
For instance : Au-M—thy maker.
A-U-M—thy mother's son.
U-A-M —I am the male creator.
M-TJ-A —the maker of these waters.
"We read in the first chapter of the ordinances of Manu,*
that the Supreme Being produced first the waters, and in them
'
Manava-DTiarma-Sastra, book ii., Sloka 74.
""
Hid., 76-77.
^ J. T. Wheeler, History of India, vol. ii., p. 481.
* Mana-oa-Dharma-Sastra, book i., Sloka 8.
deposited a germ, an. egg, in which He himself was born again

under the shape of Brahina, the great ancestor of all beings.
This Qg^, this golden nterus, is called Hiramyagarhha} This
word is composed of the following four Maya vocables,
hilaan, yam, kalba, ha, expressing the idea of something
floating in the water hilaan, "to be dragged
: yam, ;
'
'
"midst;" kalba, "enclosed;" ha, "water."

In it was born Brahma, the Creator, the origin of aU
beings, "he who was submerged in the waters." So reads
his name, according to the Maya Be-lami-ha : Be, " the
way;" lam, "submerged;" ha, "water."
The waters were called Nara, says Manu,^ because they
were the production of JSTara the divine spirit,
'
' the mother
of truth: " Naa, "mother; " La, "eternal tnith," that con-
tained the hidden voice of the mantras. The verb Vach,
Uach (Maya), "a thing free from fetters," the divine male;
the first embodied spirit Viradj, Uilal (Maya), '
' that which is
necessary," whose union with Maya produced all things.
Again we may ask. Is the use of Maya words in this
instance without significance? Does the similarity of the

ancient Indian architecture to that of the Mayas—which so
puzzled the learned Enghsh architect, the late James Fergus-
son —or the use of the Maya triangular arch, and no other,
in all sacred buildings in India, prove nothing? And the
practice of stamping the hand, dipped in red pigment, on the
walls of temples and palaces, as a way of invoking the benison
of the gods, or of asserting ownership to the building, as with
a seal, being common both in Mayach and India ; or the cus-
tom of carrying children astride on the hip, which was never
'H. T. Colebrooke, Notice on the Vedas, lib. ii., § vi.

'Manava-DharmorSastra, book i., Sloka 10.
QUEEN MOO AND THE EGYPTIAN SPHINX. ,25
done by the Mayas without first performing a very interest-

ing ceremonj^ called Heoinek ;
^ or the prevalence of the tree
and serpent worship, or that of the cross and the elephant,
among the Mayas as among the Hindoos — is all this without
meaning ?
In another work^ I have shown how the worship of the tree
originated in Mayach, and why it was always allied to that of
the serpent and of the monarch. But no antiquary has ever

been able to trace the origin of these cults either to Egypt,
Chaldea, or India, although it is weU known they existed in
those countries from remote ages.
The object of these pages is not to give here all the proofs
that can be adduced of the presence of the Mayas in India, and
of the influence of their civilization on its inhabitants ; but to
follow their tracks along the shores of the Indian Ocean, into
the interior of Asia, across Asia Minor where they established
colonies, on to Africa, until finally they reached the vaUey of
the ITile, and laid the foundation of the renowned Egyptian
kingdom, some six thousand years before the reign of Menes,
the first terrestrial Egyptian king.^
' Alice D. Le Plongeon, Harper''^ Magazine, vol. xx., p. 383.
^ Augustus Le Plongeon, Bacrecl Mysteries, p. 109, et passim.
^ Bunsen, Egypfs Place in Universal History, vol. iii., p. 13.
III.
Continuing the examination of the cosmogonic diasrams of

ancient historic Asiatic nations, we find, next in importance,
the " Ensoph " of the Chaldees. It can be seen at a glance
that this also is an amplification of the Maya sjinbol of the
universe, as yet existing atUxiual, as vrell as of the " Sri-San-
tara" of the Hindoos.
It may be asked, How came the Chaldees to adopt the
same geometrical figures used b}^ the Mayas to symbolize their
cosmogonic conceptions ?
Berosus, the Chaldean historian, teUs us that civilization
was brought to Mesopotamia hj Oannes and six other beings,
half man, half fishj who came from the Persian Gulf; in other
words, by men who
dwelt in boats, which is precisely the
meaning of the vocable " Oannes," or Hoa-aiia in tlie Maya
language (ha, "water;" a, "thy;" na, "house," "resi-
dence" — "he who has his residence on the water"). Sir
Henry Kawlinson, speaking of the advent of the early Chal-
deans in Mesopotamia, says } " With this race originated the

'
Sir Henry Eawlinsou, note to Herodotus, lib. i., 181, in George Rawl-
inson's Ilerodotiis, vol. i., p. 319.
Page 26, Plate XIX.
Tl KKUN
Manifested iogc
art of waiting, the building of cities, the institution of a reli-
gious system, the cultivation of all sciences and of astronomy

in particular.
If philology, like architecture, may serve as guide in fol-

lowing the footsteps of a people in its migrations on the face
of the earth, then we may safely affirm that the Mayas, at
some epoch or other, travelling along the shores of the Indian
Ocean, reached the mouth of the Indus, and colonized Beloo-
chistan and the countries west of that river to Afghanistan;
where, to this day, Maya tribes live on the north banks of the
Kabul Eiver.^
The names of the majority of the cities and localities in
that country are words having a natural meaning in the Maya
language; they are, in fact, those of ancient cities and villages
whose ruins cover the soil of Yucatan, and of several stiU
inhabited.
I have made a careful collation of the names of these cities
and places in Asia, with their meaning in the Maya language.

In this work my esteemed friend the Et. Eev. Dr. Dn. Crecen-
y Ancona, the present bishop of Yucatan, has kindly
cio Carillo
helped me, as in many other studies of Maya roots and words

now obsolete; the objects to which they applied having ceased
to exist or having fallen into disuse.^ Bishop Carillo is a liter-
ary gentleman of well-known ability, the author of an ancient

history of Yucatan, a scholar well versed in the language of
his forefathers. He is of Maya descent.
Following the Mayas in their journeys westward, along
the seacoasts, we next find traces of them at the head of the
' London Times., -weekly edition, March 4, 1879, p. 6, col. 4.

^ This list is given in full in my large work, yet unpublished, The
Monuments of Maynch and their Historical Teachings.
Persian Gulf, where tliey formed settlements in the marshy

country at the mouth of the Euphrates, known to history
under the name of Alchad.
The meaning of that name, given to the plains and marshy
lands situated to the south of Babylonia, has been, until of
late, a puzzle to students of Assyriology; and it still is an
enigma to them why a country utterly devoid of mountains
should have been called Akkad. Have not the well-known

scholars, the late George Smith of Chaldean Genesis fame,
Eev. Prof. A. H. Sayce of Oxford in England, and Mr.
Frangois Lenormant in France, discovered, by translating one
of the bilingual lexicographical tablets found in the royal
library of the palace of King Asurbanipal in JSTineveh, that
in Akkadian language it meant " mountain," " high country,"
whilst the word for "low coimtry," " plain," was Burner ; and
that, by a singular antithesis, the Siimerians inliabited the
mountains to the eastward of Babylonia, and the ATcJcadians
the plains watered by the Tigris and the Euphrates and the
marshes at the mouth of this river ?
The waj^ they try to explain such strange anomaly is by

supposing that, in very remote times, the Akkadi dwelt in the
mountains, and the Sumeri in the plains; and that at some
unknown, unrecorded period, and for some unknown reason,
these nations must have migrated en masse, exchanging their
abodes, but still preserving the names by which they were

known, regardless of the fact that said names were at variance
with the character of the localities in which they now dwelt;

but they did itboth from custom and tradition.^
Shall we say, " Si non e vero e hen trovato,^'' although this
may or may not be the case, there being no record that said
' Pranpois Lenormant, Chaldean Magic and Sorcery, p. 399.
QVEEN MOO AND THE EGYPTIAN SPHINX. 29
permutation ever took place, and it therefore cannot be

authenticated.
The Maya, of which we find so many vestiges in the
Akkadian language, affords a most natural, thence rational,
etTiiiology of the name Akkad, and in perfect accordance with

the character of the country thus named. Akal is a Maya
word, the meaning of which is " pond," ^ "marshy ground; "
and akil is a marshy ground full of reeds and rushes, such as
was and still is lower Mesopotamia and the localities near the
mouth of the Euphrates.
As to the name Sumer, its etymology, although it is also
very clear according to the Maya, seemed perplexing to the

learned Mr. Lenormant, who nevertheless has interpreted it
correctly, " the low country. " The Akliadian root sum evi-
dently corresponds to the Greek nvfiftoi;^ " bottom," " depres-

sion," and to the Maya, koin, a valley. The Sumeri would
then be the inhabitants of the valleys, while the Akkari would
be those of the marshes.
From this and from what wiU directly appear let it not be
supposed that the ancient Akkadian and ancient Maya are
cognate languages. The great number of Maya words found
in the Akkadian have been ingrafted on it by the Maya colo-
nists, who in remote times established themselves in Akkad,

and became prominent, after a long sojourn in the country,
under the name of Kalcli.
Through the efforts of such eminent scholars as Dr. Hincks,
Sir Henry Eawlinson, Dr. Oppert, Monsieur Grivel, Professor
Sayce, Mr. Frangois Lenormant, and others, the old Akkadian

tongue, or much of it, has been recovered, by translating the
'
Sir Henry Layard {Nineveh and Babylon, p. 356) says that the ancient
name of the Mediterranean was Akkari.
30 QUEEN iVOO AND THE EGYPTIAN SPHINX.
tablets that composed King Asurbanipars library. Mr. Le-

normant has published an elementary grammar and vocabulary
of it. From this I cull the few following words that are pure
Maya, with the same signification in both languages. HaAdng
but a limited space to devote here to so interesting a subject,
in my selection I have confined myself to words so unequivo-
cally similar that their identity cannot be questioned.
Akkadian. A, Water.
Maya. Ha, Water. A is also the Egyptian for water.
Akkadian. Abba, Patlier.
Maya. Ba, Father, par excellence; ancestor.
Akkadian. Bala, Companion ; also Pal.
Maya. Pal, Companion.
Akkadian. Pab, Before; that which is in front; gat, hand.
Maya. Kab, Hand ; arm ; branch of a tree.
Cab, A particle that, in composition, indicates that

the action of the verb takes place quickly.
Akkadian. 6e, That which is below.
Maya. Ke, Radical of Kernel, to descend softly; with-
out noise.
Akkadian. Ealc, To complete ; to finish.
Maya. Kaacnac, Abundant; exceeding.
Kak, Fire; to burn; hence to destroy, to finish, etc.
Akkadian. Kalama, The world the ; countries.
Maya. Kalac, The world the ; universe.
Akkadian. Kai, Two.
Maya. Ca, Two.
Akkadian. Ke-acu, Inside of the earth ; under.
Maya. Kel^, Upside down ; the inverse side.
Akkadian. Ki, The inhabitable earth.
Maya. Balacabil, The nations the ancestors. ;
Akkadian. Eul The seed of animals.

aiaya. Kill, The seat; the rump; also to worship, as in
Assyrian.
Akkadian. Kuii, The tail.
Maya. Kuu, Mulierw -pudenda.

Akkadian. Kun, Daybreak.
Maya. Kiu, Day ; sun.
QUEEN MOO AND TEE EGYPTIAN SPHINX. 31
Akkadian. Kii^ Place.

Maya. Kill), To place in safety.
Akkadiau. Lai, Sign of possession ; to take.
Maya. Lai, To take away ; to empty.
Akkadian. Ma, Expresses the idea of locality ; the earth.
Blaya. Ma, The earth; the country. Ma is likewise
Egyptian for country ;
place.
Akkadiau. Ta, E.xpre.sses the idea of an internal or exterual
locative — into ; from ; from within ; as
tan; Mata, country.
Maya. Ta, Place; smooth and level ground.
Tan, Toward; in the centre; before; near.
Akkadian. Ba, To bear toward.
aiaya. La, Place; neighborhood; place wli ere one stands.
Akkadian. Me, Prefixed to verbs, nouns, or adjectives, is the
sign of negation.
Maya. Ma, Prefixed to verbs, nouns, or adjectives, is the
sign of negation. Ma iiolel lianal ("I
don't wish to eat "). So also it is in Greek.
Akkadian. Men, To be.
Maya. En, I am.
Akkadian. Nana, Mother.
Maya. Xaa, Mother.
Akkadian. Bar, White.
Maya. Zac, White.
Akkadian. San, Sana, Four."
Maya. Can, Four ; also serpent.
"
Mr. Lenormant, Chaldean Magic and Sorcery, p. 300, in a foot-note re-
marks : "I do not give the name of number 'four' in this table, because
in the Akkadian it seems quite distinct." The Akkadian word San is (in
Maya) can. See farther on for the various meanings and the power of
that word, which among the Mayas was the title of the dynasty of their
kings. It meant "serpent." Mr. Lenormant (p. 232) says that "the serpent
with seven heads was invoked by the Akkadians." Was this seven-headed
serpent the Ali-ac-chapat, totem of the seven members of the family of
King Canclii of Mayacli, that no doubt the iVSj/as worshipped at Angor-
Thom in Cambodia ? (See Le Plongeon, Sacred Mysteries, p. 145.) Sir
George Rawlinson (The FiTie Great Monarchies, vol. i., p. 122) says, "The
Accadians made the serpent one of the principal attributes, and one of the
forms of Hea."
Akkadian. Sir, Light.

Maya. Zazil, Light; brilliancy.
Akkadian. Tab, To place ; to add.
Maya. Tab, To tie ; to join ; to unite.
Akkadian. Xa or Xana, Fish.
Maya. Cay, Fish.
Akkadian. Xas, To cut. /
Maya. Cliac, To cut with an axe.

Akkadian. Xir, Cry.
Maya. Cili, Word. Cihll, to speak.
Akkadian. Idu, The moon.
Maya. u. The moon.
Akkadian. HxirTci, The moon.
Maya. Hul-kin, Sun struck lighted by the
; sun.
Modern Assyriologists, after translating the tablets on

Assyrian and Chaldean magic, written in the Akkadian lan-
guage, agree with the prophetical books of Scripture in the
opinion that the Chaldees descended fi'om the primitive Akka-
dians, and that those peojDle spoke a language differing from
the Semitic tongues. A and Foreign
writer in the British
Hevieiu saj^s :
* " Babylonia was inhabited at an early period
by a race of people entirely different from the Semitic popula-
tion known in historic times. This peojjle had an abundant
literature, and they were the inventors of a system of writing
which was at first hieroglyphic. ... Of the people who
invented this system of writing very little is known with cer-
tainty, and even the name is a matter of doubt."

According to Berosus, who was a Chaldean priest, these
first inhabitants of Babylonia, whose early abode was in Chal-
dea, were foreigners of another race [aXXoedveli).'^ He care-
fully establishes a distinction between them and the Assyrians.

British and Foreign Beview, No. 102, January, 1870, vol. ii., p. 305.
' Berosus, Fragments, gj 5, 6, 11.
Those primitive Akkadians, those strangers in Mesopotamia,

the aborigines would naturally have regarded as guests in the
country. Taking a hint from this idea, they called their first
settlement ula or ill, a Maya word meaning " guests newly

arrived." In this settlement in the marshy ground, lest the
natives or the wild beasts that swarmed in the reeds should
attack them, the strangers surrounded their dwellings with
palisades, and designated the place as Kal-ti, whence Kaldi
by which their tribe continued to be known even when they
became influential. The word kalti is composed of two
Maya primitives kal, "to be enclosed with posts," and ti,
"place."
In my work " The Monuments of Mayach and their Histor-
ical Teachings," I have traced step by step the journey of the
Maya colonists, along the course of the Euphrates, to the
" City of the Sun," Babylon, called in Akkadian, according
to Mr. Lenormant,^ Kd-Dingira, or Tin-tir, the etymology of
which appears to be unlcnown to hun, though very easily found
by means of the Maya. The name Kd-Dingira seems to be
composed of four Maya primitives Cah, "city;" Tin, a
particle which in composition indicates the place where one is
or an action happens; Kin, "priest; " La, "eternal truth,"

the god, the sun. Cah-Tin-kin-la, or be it Kd-Dingira, is
" the city where reside the priests of the sun."

The name Tin-tir, Maya Tin-til, means Tin, "the place
where a thiug actually exists; " Tiliz, by eUsion til, " sacred,"
mysterious, " " venerable.
'
'
' ' Tin-til would therefore be '
' the
holy, the mysterious place, '
' a very appropriate title for a sacred
city. Til may, again, be the radical of Tilil, which means
' '
'
property. Tin-til would in this case signify this place is
'
'
'
' Lenormant, Ghaldean Magic avd Sorcery, pp. 193, 353.

Si QUEEN MOO AND THE EGYPTIAN SPHINX.
my propert}' ; it belongs to me, the god, the sun, '

' w^hich is in
perfect accordance with this other ethnic name of Babylon,
Ka-Ea, or be it Cah-La, " the city of eternal truth," of " the

'
sun.
The name given to the temple of the "seven lights of
heaven," as well as its mode of construction, shows that the

builders were colonists from a country where that kind of edi-
fice —the pyramid of stone—was not only common, but had so

been from remote ages.
Babel is a word whose etj^mon has been a bone of conten-
tion for Orientalists and philologists. They are not yet agreed
as to its meaning, simply because they do not know to what
language it belongs nor whence came the people who raised the
monument. We are told they were strangers in the plains of

Shinar. Did they come originally from Mayacli ? They
spoke the vernacular of that country far off beyond the sea
toward the rising sun, and Genesis asserts that they had
journeyed from the east.^
Ba, in Maya, has various meanings; the principal, how-

ever, is "father," "ancestor."
Bel has also several significations. Among these it stands
for
'
' way, " " custom. '
Ba-bel would therefore indicate that the sacred edifice was

constructed according to the way, the custom, of the builders'
ancestors.
Landa, in his work "Las Cosas de Yucatan," informs us
that the Mayas were very fond of giving nicknames to all
persons prominent among them. The same fondness exists to-

day among their descendants, who seldom sjjeak of their supe-
riors by their name, but a sobriquet descriptive of some marked
'
Genesis, cliap. xi., verse 2.
QUEEN MOO AND THE EeYPTIAN SPHINX. 35
characteristic observed by them and belonging to the individ-
nah For instance, should anj'body inquire concerning me, by

my proper name, of the men who for months accompanied
me in my expeditions in the ruined cities of Yucatan, they
"Don't know
certainly Tvould shake their heads and answer,
him." But if asked about the Alimeexnal, "he of the
long beard," then they would at once understand who was
meant. ^
This same custom seems to have prevailed among the prim-
itive Akkadians, judging from the names of their first kings,
the builders of the cities along the banks of the Euphrates,
whose seals are stamped on the bricks used in the foundations
of the edifices erected by them.
TJrukli, we are told, is one of them ; LiJcbahi is another
frequently met with.
It is well known that no stones are to be found on the allu-
vial plains of Mesopotamia, that consequentl}^ the first cities
were built of mud ; that is, of sun-dried bricks —adobes. It is
probably from that fact that they called the king who ordered
them to be built Urulih,
'
' he who makes everything from mud. '
1 It always was, and it is to-day, a cliaracteristic of the Mayas to give
surnames to those whom they regard as their superiors. Cogolhido speaks

of that peculiarity, and mentions their great witticism in tlius giving nick-
names, so that those to whom they were given could not take offence, even
when they knew they were derided. An instance of this kind comes to my
mind. âkllk-Pecll, a native nobleman who wrote a narrative of the
conquest of Yucatan by the Spaniards, in the Maya language, represents
them as addicted to drunkenness and to all sorts of debauchery yet calls ;
them Kul-uiuicol), the holy men, who came to preach a "holy religion."
But that nickname has asecond meaning. Kul, it is true, means holy. Pro-
nouncing the k softly, which a foreigner unaccustomed to the Maya pro-
nunciation invariably does, it sounds cul, which means a " cup," a " gob-
let," a " chalice," just as the Greek -nvXe. Therefore, cul-uinicob means
—
"men addicted to the cup" drunkards.
TJrukli is a word composed of two Maya primitives liuk,

"to make everything," and luk, " mud." In composition
Hxxk-lvik wotild become contracted into Huliik, hence
Urukh.
This is also said to have been the name of the city of
Erech, the seat of a famous Akkadian ecclesiastical college.*
This, however, does not alter the meaning of the Maya
etymology of the word, nor make it less appropriate, since the
town was built of bricks dried in the sua —of mud, conse-
quently.
As to the name of King LiTcbabi ^ it is also composed of two
Maya primitives lik, " to transport, " and bab, "torow.
It is extremely probable that when constructing the temples

in whose foundations name has been found, as there were
his
no roads for transporting easily by land his building materials,

he made use of the most convenient waterway offered by the
Euphrates. Hence his sobriquet, Lihhabi, "he who transports
all things by water," that is, "by rowing."
In the language of Akkad were preserved all the scien-

tifio treatises of the Babylonians. But from the time when
the Semitic tribes established themselves in Assyria, in or
about the thirteenth century b.c, the Akkadian language
began to fall into disuse. It was soon forgotten by the gener-
ality of the inhabitants. Its knowledge became the exclusive
privilege of the priests, who were the depositaries of all learn-
ing. When the Semitic conquerors imposed their own dialect
on the vanquished, the ancient tongue of Akkad remained,

according to Sir Henry Eawlinson,^ the language of science in
" F. Lenormant, Chaldean Magic and Soixery, pp. 13, 333.

" Ihid., pp. 318-321.
^ Apud George Rawlinson, Herodotus, vol. i., p. 319.
the East, as Latin "was in the "West during the middle ages. In
the seventh century e.g., Asurbanipal, king of Assyria, tried
to revive it. He ordered copies of the old treatises in the
Akkadian language to be made, and also an Assyrian translation
to be placed beside the text. It is those copies that have reached
our times, convejang to us the knowledge of this ancient form
of speech, that but few among the learned men of Babylon had
preserved at the time of the fall of the Babylonian Empire,
when Darius took possession of the city of Belus.'' We are
informed by the Book of Daniel that none of the king's wise
men could read the fatidical words, written by a spirit's hand
on the wall of the banquet hall of King Belshazzar. Only
one, Daniel the prophet, who was learned in all the lore of
ancient Chaldeans, could interpret them.^ Dr. Isaac of New
York, and other learned rabbins, assert that these words were
Chaldaic. But they were, and stiU are, vocables pertaining to
the American Maya language, having precisely the same

meaning as given them by Daniel.' The Maya words
Manel, mane, tec, iippali, read in English:
Manel, " Thou art past," in the sense of finished.
Mane, " Thou art bought," hence " weighed " (all things
being bought and sold by weight).
Tec, "light," "not ponderous." The word is taken to-
day in the sense of " swift," " agile."
Uppali, Thou wnt be broken in two.

'
' To that word '
'
are aUied paa and paaxal, "to break in two," "to break
asunder," "to scatter the inhabitants of a place."*
'
Herodotus, lib. iii., 151, 158.
" Book of Daniel, chap, i., verse 17.
^ Ibid., chap, v., verses 25-28.
* Pedro Beltran, Arte del Idioma Maya. Pio Perez, Maya dictionary.
Cf. (aazoo, " to break."
Is this a mere coincidence ? By no means. There can be

no doubt that the Akkadian or Chaldean tongue contained
many Maya words. The limits of this work do not allow me
to adduce all the proofs I could bring forward to fully establish
their intimate relationship. A few more must suffice for the
present.
Let us take, for instance, the last words, according to
Matthew and Mark,^ spoken by Jesus on the cross, when a
sponge saturated with posca'^ Avas put to his lips: '^
Eli,Mi,
lamah sdbachthani. '
No wonder those who stood near him could not understand

what he said. To this day the translators of the Gospels do
not know the meaning of these words, and make him, who
they pretend is the God of the universe, play before mankind
a sorry and pitiful rule, I will not s&j for a god, but for a
man even. He spoke pure Maya. He did not complain
that God had forsaken him when he said to the charitable
individual who tried to allay the pangs of the intolerable thirst
he suffered in consequence of the hardships he had endured,
and the torture of the chastisement inflicted on him: " Hele,
Hele, lamali zabac ta iii ;
" that is, "ISTow, now, I am
fainting; darkness covers m}' face; " or, in John's words, "It
*
is finished."
Matthew, cliap. xxvii., verse 46. Mark, chap, xv., verse 34.
'
Posca was the ordinary beverage of Roman soldiers, which they were
-
obliged to carry with them in all their expeditions, among which were the
executions of criminals. Our authorities on tills matter are Spartianus
(Life of Hadrian, ^10) and Vulcatius Gallicanus (Lifeof Amdius Camus, ^ 5).
This posca was a very cooling drink, very agreeable in hot climates, as the
writer can certify, having frequently used it in his expeditions among tlie
ruined cities of the Mayas. It is made of vinegar and water, sweetened
with sugar or honey, a kind of oximel.
' John, chap, xix., verse 30.
Page SS. Plate XXVIII.
Again, in the legend of the creation, as reported by Bero-

sus, according to Eusebius ' the Chaldeans believed that a
woman ruled over all the monstrous beasts which inhabited
the waters at the beginning of all things. Her name was
TJialatth. The Greeks translated it Thalassa, and applied
it to the sea itself. Ask modern philologists what is the
etymology of that word. They will answer, It is lost. I say,
]ô — it is not lost ! Ask again any Maya scholar the meaning
of the word thallac. He will tell you it denotes " a thing
without steadiness," like the sea.
Again, when confidence in legal divination became shaken

by the progress of philosophical incredulity, and the observa-
tion of auguries was weU nigh reduced to a simple matter of
form,* Chaldean magicians, whose fame was universal and
dated from very remote antiquity, flocked to Rome, and were
welcomed by the Eomans of aU classes and both sexes.^ Their
influence soon became so great as to excite the superstitious
fears of the emperors, praetors, and others high in authority.
As a consequence, they were forbidden under heavy penalties,
even that of death, to exercise their science.'' In the year 721
of Home, under the triumvirate of Octavius, Antonius, and
Lepidus, they were expelled from the city.^ They then scat-
tered in the provinces —in Gaul, Spain, Germany, Brittany, etc.
Messrs. Lenormant and Chevalier, in their

'
' Ancient His-
tory of the East,
'
'
* inform us that when these conjurers exor-
' Eusebius, Ohroni., can. i. 2, pp. 11-13.

° Cicero, De Natura Deorum^ 11, 3.
' Juvenal, Satires, vi. 553. Chaldeis aed major eritjiducia.
Heineccius, Elements of
* Roman Jurisprudence, vol. i., Tabul viii., art.
25, p. 496.
' Dion Cassius, xlix., 43, p. 756. Tacitus, Annul, 11-32.
' Lenormant et Chevalier, Ancient History of the East, vol. i., p. 448.
cised evil spirits they cried, " Hilka, hilka! Besha, hesha!"
which they render, " Go away, go away! evil one, evil one!
"
These authors little suspected, when they wrote those words,

that they were giving a correct translation of the Maya voca-
bles ilil ka xaxbe, forming part of a language still spoken

by thousands of human beings.
In order to understand properly the meaning of the exor-

cism, we must read it, as all ancient Maya writings should be
read, from right to left, thus : xabe, xabe kail kail ! ! ! The
Maya X is the equivalent of the English sh.
Xabe is evidently a corruption of the Maya verb xaxbe,
"to be put aside," "to make room for one to pass." K^
or kaiJ means " something bitter," " sediment." Ka in
Egyptian was "spirit," "genius," equivalent to the Maya
ku, "god." II is a contraction of tlie Maya adjective ilil,
" vicious," a "forbidden thing," corresponding exactly to the
English "iU," and having the same meaning.' The literal
rendering of these words would therefore be,

'
Aside, aside '
evil spirit, evil spirit " as given by Messrs. Lenormant and

!
Chevalier.
J. Collin de Plancy, in his " Dictionnaire Infernal," under
the title " Magic Words, " tells us that magicians taught that the
fatal consequences of the bite of a mad dog could be averted
by repeating haxpax max. The learned author of the diction-
ary deprecates the ignorant superstition of people who believe

in such nonsense; and he himself, through his ignorance of
the American Maya language, fads to comprehend the great
scientific importance of those words that to him are meaning-
less.
" Pio Perez, Maya dictionary, and also ancient Maya dictionary MS.
in Brown Library, Providence, R. I.
QUEEN m60 and THE EGYPTIAN SPHINX. 41
These words belong to the Maya tongue, although we are

told they are Chaldee and used by Chaldean magicians.
Hax, in Maya, is a small cord or twine twisted by hand;
that is to say, on the spur of the moment, in a hurry. Such
cord would naturally be used to make a ligature to stop the
circulation of the blood in the wounded limb, to prevent the
rabid virus from entering into it. This ligature is still made
use of in our day by the aborigines of Yucatan in case of any
one being bitten by a snake or other venomous animal.
Pax is a Maya verb of the third conjugation, the meaning
of which is to play on a musical instrument.
The action of music on the nervous system of animals, of
man particular^, was well known of the ancients. They had
recourse to harmonious sounds to calm the fury of those
afflicted with insanity. "We read in the Bible: ^ " And it came
to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that
David took a harp, and the evU spirit departed from him. " "We
are aware that music can excite all passions in man or appease
them when aroused. Martial sounds inflame in the breast of
warriors homicidal rage, and they rush blindly to combat and
slay one another without cause or provocation. Patriotic
hymns sustain the courage of the victims of political parties,
even in the face of death. Soft and sweet melodies soothe the
evil passions, predisposing the mind to peace, quietude, and
meditation. Eeligious strains excite ecstasy, when the mind
sees visions of heavenly things, and the enthusiasts become
convinced that they hold communion with celestial beings,
whoever or whatever these may be, and imagine they act under
divine impulse.
The thaumaturgi of old were weU acquainted with the in-
'
1 Samuel, chap, svi., verse 23.
fluence of music on men. In the temples of Greece and Asia

they used flutes, cjTiibals, drums, etc. , among other means, to
induce in certain individuals the abnormal condition knowm
to-day as "clairvoyance," and to develop prophetic exaltation.
And Ehsha said " But now bring me a minstrel and it came
:
' ;
to pass when the minstrel played that the hand of the Lord
came upon him."
Pax, then, indicates that in cases of hydrophobia they had
recourse to musical instruments to calm the patient and assuage
his sufferings.
Max is the Maya name for a certain species of wild pepper

(the Myrtus jpimenta of Linnûs, the Eugenia inmenta of De
CandoUe). It grows spontaneously and in great abundance in
the West Indies, Yucatan, Central America, in fact, through-
out the tropical regions of the "Western Continent. Cayenne
pepper, therefore, was considered by the Chaldeans as by the
Mayas an antidote to the I'abic virus, and applied to the
wounds, as garlic is in our day and has been from remote ages.
It is a very ancient custom among the aborigines of Yucatan,
when anybody is bitten by a rabid dog, to cause the victim
to chew garlic, swallow the juice, and apply the pulp to the
wounds made by the animal's teeth. They firmly believe that
such application and internal use of the garlic surely cure

hydrophobia, or any other evil consequences of the venomous
virus introduced into the body \ij the bites of certain animals.
Kesuming, hax, pax, max, simply means, make a liga-
ture, soothe the patient by means of soft music, apply wild
pepper to cauterize the wounds and counteract the effects of
the poison.
Let us mention another name the etymon of which, from
'2 Kings, chap, iii., verse 15. 1 Samuel, chap, x., verse 5.
the Maya, is so evident that it cannot be regarded as a mere

coincidence. A hjinn in the Akkadian language, an invoca-
tion to the god Asshur, the mighty god who dwells in the
temple of Kliarsa'k-'kurra, '

' the mountain of the world, daz-
zling with gold, silver, and precious stones," has been trans-
latedby Professor Sayce of England.'
The name of the god and that of the temple in which he
was worshipped are bright flashes that illumine the darkness
surrounding the origin of these ancient nations and their civil-
ization. In Maya the words Kliarsak-'kurra would have to be

spelled Kal-zac-kul-la, the meaning of which is, literally,
kal, "enclosure;" zac, "white;" kill, "to adore;" la,

"eternal truth," "God;" that is, "the white enclosure
where the eternal truth is worshipped." As to the name
of the god Asshur, or Axiil in Maya, it means, a, " thy; "
xiil, "end."
In aU nations that have admitted the existence of a Su-
preme Being, He has always been regarded as the beginning
and the end of all things, to which men have aspix'ed, and do
aspire, to be united after the dissolution of the physical body.
This reunion with God, this Nirvana, this End, has in all
ages been esteemed the greatest felicity to which the spirit

can attain. Hence the name Axiil, or Asshur, given to the
Supreme Deity by the Assyrians and the Chaldeans.
' Professor A. H. Sayce (translation), Cuneiform Inscriptions of Western
Ada, London, vol. 1., pp. 44-45 also Records of the Past, vol. xi., pp.
;
131-133. Also Lenormant, Chaldean Magic, p. 168 ; last revised transla-

tion in Les Origines de VHistoire, vol. ii., pp. 127-138.
IV.
Some of these Maya-speaking peoples, following the migra-

tory instincts inherited from their early ancestors, left the banks
of the Euphrates and the city of Babylon, and went forth
across the Syrian desert, toward the setting snn, in search of
new lands and new homes. They reached the Isthmus of Suez.
Pushing their way through it, they entered the fertile valley
of the Nile. Following the banks of the river, they selected
a district of Nubia, where they settled, and which they named
Maiii,^ in remembrance of the birthplace of their people in
the lands of the setting sun, whose worship they established
in their newly adopted country.^
When the Maya colonists reached the valley of the Nile,
the river was probably at its full, having overflowed its banks.
The communications between the native settlements being
then impossible except by means of boats, these must have
been very numerous. What more natural than to call it the
'
Henry Brugsch-Bey, History of Egypt under the Pharaohs, vol. i.
,
p. 363
vol. ii., pp. 78-174.
' Tho'th is said to have been the first who introduced into Egypt the
worsliip of the " Setting Sun."
" country of boats " Chem, this being the Maya for
"boat"?
Be it remembered that boats, not chariots, must have been
the main means of transportation among the early Egyptians.
Hence, unlike the Aryans, the Greeks, the Eomans, and other
nations, they did not figure the sun travelling through the
heavens in a chariot drawn by fiery steeds, but sailing in the
sky in a boat ; nor were their dead carried to their resting-
place in the West in a chariot, but in a boat.
EGTPTIAS PUNERAI. BOAT.
No doubt at the time of their arrival the waters were

swarming with crocodiles, so they also naturally called the
country the "place of crocodiles," Ain, which word is the
name of Egypt on the monuments ;

^ and in the hieroglyphs
^^^B the tail of that animal stood for it. But Ain is the
©Maya for "crocodile." The tail serves as rudder to
the animal ; so for the initiates it symbolized, in this
instance, a boat as well as a crocodile.^
" A real enigma," says Mr. Henry Brugsch, " is proposed
'
Sir Gardner Wilkinson, Manners and Customs, vol. iii., p. 178.
' Henry Bi-ugsch-Bey, Hist, of Egypt, vol. i., p. 10.
^ Sir Gardner Wilkinson, Manners and Customs, vol. iii., p. 200.
to US in the derivation of the curious proper names by which

the foreign peoples of Asia, each in its own dialect, were ac-
customed to designate Egypt. The Hebrews gave the land

the name of Mizraim the Assyrians, Muzur. We may feel
;
assured that at the basis of all these designations there lies an

original form which consisted of the three letters M, z, r — all
explanations of which have as jQt been unsuccessful." ^
It may be asked, and with reason. How is it that so many

learned Egyptologists, who have studied the question, have
failed to find the etymology of these words ?
The answer is, indeed, most simple. It is because they have
not looked for it in the only language where it is to be found
—the Maya.
Egypt has always been a country mostly devoid of trees,
which were uprooted by the inundation, whose waters carried
their debris and deposited them all over the land. The hus-
bandman, in order to jslough the soU, had first to clear it
from the rubbish ; hence no doubt the names Misur, or Muztcr,

given to by the Assyrians. Well, then, luiz, in the Maya
it
language, means " to clear away rubbish of trees," and miui-

zul " to uproot trees."
Not satisfied with these onomatopoetic names, they gave

the new place of their adoption others that would recall to
their mind and to that of their descendants the mother country
beyond the western seas. We learn from the Troano MS.,
the Codex Cortesianus, and the inscriptions, that Mayacli
from the remotest ages was symbolized either as a beb (mul-
berry tree) or as a haaz (banana-tree);^ also by a serpent
with inflated breast, standing erect in the midst of the waters
'
Henry Brugsch-Bey, Hist, of Egypt, vol. i., p. 12.
^ Aug. Le Plongeou, Sacred Mysteries, p. 115, et passim.
Page S2. Plate XXIX.
QUEEN m60 and TEE E&YPTIAN SPHINX. 47
between the two American Mediterraneans, tlie Gulf of Mex-

ico and the Caribbean Sea, represented in the Maya writings
by a sign similar to our numerical 8.' Diego de CogoUudo
in his history of Yucatan informs us that up to a. d. 1517,
when the Spaniards for the first time invaded that country,
the land of the Mayas was stOl designated as "the great
ser2Dent
'
' and '
' the tree. '
'
^
The Maya colonists therefore called their new settlement

on the banks of the Nile the " land of the serpent " and also
the "land of the tree." The Egyptian hierogram-
matists represented their country as a serpent with
inflated breast, standing
a sieve,
on a figure
called
8, under which
Mayab in Maya;
is
L
some-
times also as a serpent with inflated
breast \ and wings, wearing a head-

dress / \^ identical with that worn by
some ^''\\ of the magnates pictured in
the bas-reUefs at ^^ « Cliiclien.^ They likewise symbol-
ized Egypt as a î^ tree* believed to be the Persea,

sacred to the ^4^ goddess Athor, whose fruit in the
sculptures resembles a human heart,' which vividly recalls
the on of the Mayas, that bears the alligator pear —the

Lawrus persea of Linnaeus, so abundant in tropical America.
Can it be that all these are mere coincidences ? If they be,
then let us present more of them.
The river, spread as it was over the land, they designated
as Hapimil, which in aftertimes was corrupted into Hapi-

'
Aug. Le Plongeon, Sacred Mysteries, p. 130, et passim.
^ CogoUudo, Hist, de Yucathan, lib. i., cap. i.
' Sir Gardner Wilkinson, Manners and Customs, vol. iii., p. 199.
* Hiid., p. 200.
^ Ibid., p. 119.
48 QUEEN MOO AND TEE EGYPTIAN SPHINX.
mau. It is a word composed of two Maya primitives ha,

"water," and pirn, "the thickness of flat surf aces ;
" hence
the "thickness," the "depth of water." The desinence il is
used as a suffix to nouns to denote usage, custom, or a thing

having existed previously. This accords precisely with the
signification given to the name Hajpimau of the Nile, by
Egy]3tian scholars, the "abyss of water."
Herodotus teUs us ^ that " anciently the whole of Egypt,
with the exception of the nome of Thebes, was a marshy
swamp."
The name Thebes, of the capital of Upper Egypt, was
Tciba among the natives. That word seems to be allied to the
Maya vocable tepal, "to govern," "to reign," which, as a
noun, is equivalent to "majestj^," "king," the "head of the
'
nation.
As to Memphis, the Lower Eg}q5t, its sacred
capital of
name, we are informed by M. Birch, was Hakajjtah, which is

a word composed of two Maya vocables ha, "water," and
kaptah, past participle of the verb kaapal, to place in a '
'
hole." The name of the city would then signify that it was
iuilt in a hole made hy tvater ; very appropriate indeed, since
we are told that King Menes, the founder of Memphis, having

diverted the course of the Nile, built the city in the bed of the
ancient channel in which it flowed.
The very name of King Menes may be a mere surname
commemorative of his doings, since the Maya word men
means '"wise man," "legislator," "builder," "architect,"
every one of these epithets being applicable to him.
Although the limits of this book allow but little space to
adduce more proofs of the Maya origin of the nanaes of places
' Herodotus, lib. ii., iv.
—which xroiild be, after all, but cumulative evidence, for which
the reader is referred to my larger work,
'
' The Monuments of
Mayach and their Historical Teachings " — I cannot resist the
temptation to mention the name of the Governing Spirit of the

universe, that of the Creator, and of the deities that represented
His attributes to Egyptian minds; also giving the Maya ety-
mology of these names. In order that it cannot be argued

that they are mere coincidences, I will next present the tableau
of creation as it still exists on the east facjade of the palace at
Chictien, where we have soon to return and pursue our study
of the Memorial Hall dedicated to Prince Coh by his sister-
wife Queen Moo.

Chnoumis, or Nomn, was said to be the "vivifying spirit,"
the "cause of life in animals," the "father of all that has
life; "^ therefore, the abundant source from which all things
emanate. This is the exact meaning of the Maya particle
num in composition with another word.^ Amen-num, or
x-num, means the " architect," the " builder of aU things "
a, contraction ofah, "the; " men, "architect," "builder,"
" wise man," " legislator;" num, or x-niim, " multiplicity,"
" abundance of things."
Knepli was another name for X-noum, who was also
calledAmen-Kneph. Horapollo says :
'
' The snake is the
emblem of the spirit which pervades the universe. " ' So also
we learn from Eusebius, who tells us that the Egyptians called
Kuepli the " good genius," and represented him under the
shape of a serpent. ''
In the ancient monuments the god
' Eusebius, Prmp. et Demons. Evang., lib. iii., chap, xi., p. 215, Diodorus
Siculus, Hist., lib. i. 12.
" Pedro Beltran, Arte del Idioma Maya.
^ Horapollo, Hieroglyphs, lib. ii.
Êusebius, Prmp., Evatig., lib. iii., cbap. xi. Vigiers, Paris, 1628.
4
Amen-Kneph is often depicted either preceded or followed

by an enormous serpent that envelops him within its huge
folds.' This is not the place to enter into speculations as
to the reasons why the Egyptians selected the serpent as
emblem of the deity. In another work I have explained the
origin of serpent worshijJ among the Mayas.^ The name
K-neph can be read Ka-ueph, that may be a dialectical pro-
nunciation of the Maya word Canhel, which means a serpent,
a dragon. Later on we wUl see the serpent accompanying the
statue of the Creator, in the tableau of creation at Chicllen.
Pthah was the name of another attribute of the Divine
Spirit, a diiferent form of the creative power, said to be sprung
from an egg produced from the mouth of Kneph.^ It there-
fore corresponds to Brahma, the ancestor of all beings, in the

Hindoo cosmogony,* to Meheu in that of the Mayas.
Pthah, says lamblicus, was the artisan; the "Lord of Truth,"
according to Porphyry. In the Maya language Thaali
means the "worker," the " artisan. "= In the Maya sculp-
tures, particularly on the trunk of the mastodon heads

that adorn the most ancient buildings, the name is written
îs^ ^"7^ Tza, " that which is necessary."*

V^^ Vs_>' Khem was the generative principle of nature,
another attribute of the Creator. This god presided over gen-
eration, not only of man and all species of anunals, but of the
vegetable world also. Mr. Samuel Birch affirms that his name
has been variously read Xem or Min.
'
Eusebius, Prmp., Evang., lib. iii., chap. xi. Vigiers, Paris, 1628.
Le Plongeon, Sacred Mysteries, p. 100, et passim, particularly in
''Aug.
Monuments of Mayach and their Historical Teachiiigs, chap. iii.
' Horapollo, Hierogl., lib. i. 12.
' Manava-Dharma-Sastra, lib. i., chap, i., Sloka 9.
' Pio Perez, Maya dictionary. Pedro Beltran, Arte del Idioma Maya.
' Ibid.
In the Maya language heni-ba is the organs of generation

in animals, xex is the sperm of man, and iniu the "grand-
mother on the father's side.'"
Naturally this query wiU present itself to the mind of the
reader as it has to that of the author : Supposing Maya colo-
nists, coming from the east, reached the valley of the Nile,
established themselves there, and developed that stupendous
civilization of which Eenansays:^ "For when one thinks of
this civilization, at least six thousand five hundred years old
from the present day ; that it has had no known infancy ; that
this art, of which there remain innumerable monuments, has no
archaic period ; that the Egypt of Cheops and of Chephren is
superior in a sense to all that followed —one is seized with

giddiness. ' On estpris de vertige.''
"
Although mistaken in asserting that Egyptian art had no

archaic period, he is right, however, in saying that its birth-
place was a mystery for Egyptologists ; for, to quote Eawlin-
son's own words, " In Egypt it is notorious that there is na
indication of an early period of savagery or barbarism. . . .
All authorities agree that, however far back we go, we find in
EgjiDt no rude or uncivilized time out of which civilization is

developed."^ "The reasonable inference from these facts,"
says Osburn '
' (to our apprehension, we are free to confess, the
only reasonable one), appears to be, that the first settlers in
Egypt were a company of persons in a high state of civiliza-

tion, but that through some strange anomaly in the history of
man they had been deprived of a great part of the language

and the entire written system which had formerly been the
' Pio Perez, Maya dictionary. Pedro Beltran, Art del Idioma Maya.
^ Ernest Renan, Revue des deux Mondes, April, 1865.
' Rawlinson, Origin of Nations, p. 13.
means and vehicle of their civilization. . . . Combin-

ing this inference with the clear, unanswerable indications we
have already pointed out, that the fathers of ancient Egypt
first journeyed thither across the Isthmus of Suez, and that
they brought with them the worship of the '
setting sun, ' how
is it possible to resist the conclusion that they came thither
from the plains of Babel, and that the civilization of Egyjit
was derived from the banks of the Euphrates ? " *
This so far is, or seems to be, perfectly true; but who were
the emigrants ? Osburn does not tell us. AVhat country did
they come from when they reached the banlvs of the Euphrates
and brought there civilization ? They did not drop from the '
'
unknown heavens," ^ as Seiss would have his readers to believe,

although they came from Kui-land, the country of the gods
in the west.^
The Eg}^3tians themselves claimed that their ancestors were
strangers who, in very remote ages, settled on the banlis of
the Nile,* bringing there, with the civilization of their mother
country, the art of writing and a polished language ; that they
had come from the direction of the setting sun,= and that they
were the " most ancient of men." ^ This expression Herodotus
regarded as mere boasting. It is, however, easilj^ explained if
the Egyptians held Mayach, (^ '

' the land first emerged
from the bosom of the deep," as the cradle of their race.
This statement, that the Egyptians pointed to the west as
' William Osburn, The Monumental History of Egypt, vol. i., chap, iv.,
pp. 220-231.
^ Seiss, A Miracle in Stone, p. 40.
' Ku is the Maya and also the Egyptian for Divine Intelligence, God ;
i is the mark of plural in Egyptian and Quiche.

'Rawlinson, Origin of Nations, p. 13.
'Diodorus, Hist., vol. i., p. 50.
"Herodotus, Hist., lib. ii. 11.
the point of the compass where the birthplace of their ancestors

•vras situated, may seem a direct contradiction of the fact that
the first Maya settlers in the valley of the Nile came from the
banks of the Euphrates; that is, from the east. This seeming
discrepancy is, however, easily explained by the other fact, that
there were two distinct Maya migrations to Egypt. The

more important, coming from the West, direct from
second, the
Mayacli, produced a more lasting nnpression on the memory
of the people.
We have followed step by step the Mayas in their jour-
neys from their homes in the "Lands of the West" across

the Pacific, along the shores of the Indian Ocean to the head
of the Persian Gulf, then up the Euphrates —on the banks of
which they formed settlements that in time became large and
unportant cities —to Babylon. The migration of these Maya-
speaking peoples from the eastern countries, across the Syrian
desert, to Egypt took place centuries before the coming to
that country of Queen Moo with her retinue, direct from
Mayach, across the Atlantic. Her followers, fresh from the
'•
Lands of the West," naturally brought with them the man-
ners and customs, traditions, religion, arts, and sciences of the
mother country they had so recently abandoned. They were
aped, and their ways readily adopted, by the descendants of the
first Maya settlers, who had become moi'e or less contaminated
with the habits, superstitions, religious ideas, of the inhabitants
of the various places where they had so long sojourned, or

with whom they had been in contact.
If, therefore, we wish to find the cradle of Egyptian civili-
zation, where it had its infancy and developed from a state of
barbarism, and why it grown on the banks of
appeared full
the Nile, we must seek westward whence it was transplanted.

It is a -well-known fact that history repeats itself. What hap-

pened centuries ago in the valley of the Nile happens in our
day. European civilization is now being transported full
grown to the United States and other countries of the Western

Continent. Ten thousand years hence, scholars speaking of
the present American civilization may reecho Eenan's words
regarding the Egyptian: "It had no known infancy —no
archaic period."
We have seen that the Akkadians —that is, the primitive
Chaldeans, who dwelt in places enclosed by palisades in the
marshy lands at the mouth of the Euphrates —who brought
civilization to Mesopotamia, possessed a perfect system of writ-
ing ; spoke a polished language akin to the Maya ; had cos-
mogonic notions identical with those of the Mayas, and

expressed them by means of a diagram similar to, but more
complex than, that found in Uxmal, Yucatan.
We have also seen that the Maya-speaking peoples, whose
tracks we have foUowed across the Syrian desert, and who
settled in the valley of the Nile, brought there the art of writ-
ing, a polished language, and the same cosmogonic notions
entertained by the Chaldees, the Hindoos, and the Mayas
that the names of the cities they founded, of the gods they
worshipped, were also words belonging to the Maya language.
In another work ' it has been shown that the Maya alphabet,
discovered by the author, and the Egyptian hieratic alphabet
were identical. Did the limits of this book allow, it could

also be proved that the initial letter of the Maya names of the
objects representing the letters of the Egyptian alphabet is
the very letter so represented in said alphabet, and that several

of these signs are contours of localities in the Maya Empire.
' Le Plongeon, Saered Mysteries, Introduction, p. xii.
Page 8S. Plate XXX.
From these premises may it not be safely asserted, that,

if the Mayas and the Egyptians did not teach one another
the arts of civilization, they both learned them from the same
masters, at the same schools ? And if Professor Max MtiUer's
assertion be true, that particularly in the early history of the
human intellect there existed the most intimate relationship
between language, religion, and nationality, ' then there can be
no doubt that the Egyptians and the Mayas were branches
of one mighty stem firmly
rooted in the soil of the
"Land of Kid'''' in the
Western Continent.
Should 1 give dates,
according to the author of

the Troano MS. and other
Maya historians, many
would doubt their accuracy
and reply : How do we

know that you have cor-
GODDESS nATl(?) MATI."
rectly interpreted narra-
tives —written in characters that none of the Americanists,
who claim to be authorities on American palseography, can
decipher ? It is weU known that they cannot interpret with
certainty half a dozen of the Maya signs, much less translate
a whole sentence; and they assert that, if they, who have

written whole volmnes on the subject, do not understand these
Maya writings, no one else can.
For this reason I leave to Mr. Bunsen the care of determin-

ing the dates, particularly as those calculated by him, strange
' Max Miiller, Science of Religion, p. 53.

^ Wilkinson, Manners and Customs, vol. ii., p. 198.
as it may appear, correspond very nearly to those given by the

ancient Maya writers.
" The latest date at which the commencement of Egyptian
life, the immigration from the Euphrates district,' can have
taken place is 9580 b.c, or about 6000 before Menes. But the
empire which Menes founded, or the chronological period of
the Egyptians as a nation, down to the end of the reign of
Nectanebo II., comprised, according to our historical computa-
tions, very nearly thirty -three centuries.
"In reahty, there were disturbances, especially in those
early times, which must be taken into account. "We have cal-
culated the lowest possible date to be six thousand years, or one

hundred and eighty generations, before Menes. Were this to
be doubled, it would assuredly carry us too far. A much higher

date, indeed twice that number of years, would certainly be
more conceivable than a lower one, considering the vast amount
of development and historical deposit which existed prior to
Menes. It can be proved that but a few centuries after his
time everything had become rigid not only in language but
also in writing, which had grown up entirely on Egyptian soil,
and which must be called the very latest link in that ancient
civilization.
"Now, if instead of six thousand years we reckon four

thousand more, or about ten thousand years from the first im-
migration down to Menes, the date of the Egyptian origines
^
would be about 14000 b.c."
Philostratus, in his Life of Apollonius of Tyana, a book written at the
'
beginning of the Christian era, asserts (p. 146) that the first Egyptians were
a colony from India.
' Bunsen, EgypVi Place in Universal History, vol. iv.,
p. 58.
V.
"When, by their increasing numbers and their superior civil-
ization, the descendants of the emigrants that came from the

banks of the Euphrates had become the dominating power
in the valley of the Nile, they sent colonists to the land of
Kanaan. These, following the coast of the Mediterranean,

advanced as far north as Mount Taurus in Asia Minor ; and as
they progressed they founded settlements, that in time became
great and important cities, the sites of mighty nations whose
history forms for us, at present, the ancient history of the
world.
The names of these cities and nations will be the unerring
guide which will lead us on the road followed by these Maya-

speaking colonists, that, starting from Egypt, carried their
civilization along the eastern shores of the Mediterranean,
northward; then, eastward, back again to the banks of the
Euphrates in Mesopotamia.
On leaving Egypt they had to traverse the sandy desert
that forms the Isthmus of Suez, and is the northern limit, the
end, of the Sinai peninsula. We have already said that the
Mayas generally gave names to objects and places by onomat-

opoeia ; that is, according to sounds produced by these objects,
or the ideas suggested by their most predominant character-
istic. What, then, more natural than to call this stretch of
desert —
Xul, "the end " ? a word that became afterward /S7mr
in the mouth of people using the letter II in their alphabet.'
Advancing northward, they no doubt were struck by the

fertility of the country, and therefore called it Kanaau. The
etymology of this name is still an unsolved puzzle for philolo-

gists,who do not agree as to its meaning. Some say it means
" lowlands; " others contend it signifies " merchants; " others,
again, affirm that the name was given to the land by the Phoe-
nicians, on account of the sm'prising productiveness of its soil.
According to Maya the latter are right, since in that language

Kaiiaan is the word for "abundance."
In after years, when the Phoenicians became such a mighty
maritime power as to render them redoubtable to their neigh-
bors, the Egyptians called Phoenicia Zahi,^ a Maya word
the meaning of which ("full of menace," "to be feared")
is certainly most expressive of their opinion of the might of
the Tyrian merchant princes. Perhaps the treatment of the
Bephaim,^ the aboriginal inhabitants, by the Phoenicians, who
called them the "manes of the dead," and destroyed them
when they took possession of their country, suggested the
name. The Egyptians designated them as Sail y * that is,
zati (in Maya), the "lost," the "ruined " ones.
'
The Maya X
is equivalent to the Greek x or the English sh.
" Anciently there was a town in Yucatan called Zahi, the ruins of which
still exist a few miles to the southwest of those of the great city of Uxmal.
' Genesis, chap, xiv., verse 5 ; xv. 20.
' Chablas's translation of Les Papyrus Hie7'atiques de Berlin. (Chalons,
1863.)
Page 6S. Plate XX.
*«»-
St "*• vJ~-Jt^ ^"-i ^^ - -" -

'rffwiir
^**
V-''!
* *^ 3. .*1?-
}
The word Repliahn is another enigma for philologists.

They pretend, although they do not affirm it positively, that
it means "giants."* The Maya, however, tells us it simply

signifies "inhabitants of the lowlands," which is the purport
of the name Canaan, according to some philologists. Rephaim
seems to be composed of three Maya primitives leb, ha,
ill! —leb, to "cover;" ha, "water;" im, contraction of
imix, "bosom," "basin;" therefore, literally, "the basin
covered by water," hence the "lowlands."
"We read in the ethnic table of Genesis," " Canaam, begat
Tzidon his firstborn," which means that Tzidon was prob-
ably the earliest settlement founded by the Maya-speaking
colonists from Egypt; when, according to the book of Na-
bathoean agriculture, compiled in the early ages of the Chris-
tian era, it seems that the Phoenicians were expelled from
Babylon in consequence of a quarrel with the Cushite monarch
then reigning —an event which probably occurred about the
time of Abram, when a migration set in motion from the banks
of the Euphrates to the shores of the Mediterranean. They
had therefore been in close relation with the Ethiopians of the
coast of the Erythrsean Sea and the Chaldeans of Babylonia.
Then, even if they used also Maya words in giving names to
the couiitries they conquered and the cities they founded, it
could be easily accounted for; as also the similarity of their

alphabetical characters with those carved on the walls of the
temples and palaces of Mayach, where we see portraits of
bearded men of unmistakable Phoenician types, discovered by
the author in 1875. Tzidmi^Ralhah is one of the epithets
given in the Bible to the old capital of Phoenicia, and is trans-
'
Joshua, chap, sii., verse 4; chap, xiii., verse 13.
' Genesis, chap, x., verse 15.
60 QUEEN MOO AND THE E&YPTIAN SPHINX.
lated " Zidon the great." The Maya, however, gives Tzidon
the ancient.'^
On the northern coast of Yucatan there is a seaport called

to-day Zilan, near which are to be seen the extensive ruins of
the ancient city of Oilan {Dzilan). Is it not possible that
the founders of the seaport in Canaan gave it the name of
Tzidon in remembrance of that of the seaport in Mayach, and
that Tzidon is either a dialectical pronunciation or a corrup-
tion of Dzilan ?
The city that vied in importance with Tzidon, and at last
obtained the supremacy, was Tzur, "the strong city,"^ the

Tyrus of the Greeks and of the Latins. The philologists
translate the name '
' rock,
'
' and historians aifirm that the
founder gave it to the city because it was buUt on a rocky
island about half a mile from the shore. Tzub is the Maya
for "promontory," and Tzucub is a " province."
The principal god worshipped by the Phoenicians was
the sun, under the name of Baal or Bel, which we are told
meant "lord," " chief." This is exactly one of the meanings
of theword Baal (in Maya).^ As for Bel, it is in Maya the
"road," the "origin."
was the goddess of love of the Phoe-
Astarte, or Ishta.r,
nicians, the Chaldeans, Assyrians, etc., as Venus was of the
Komans, and Aphrodite of the Greeks. Her cult was cele-

brated with great pomp in Babylon and in Nineveh. Her
name Maya would be Ixtal or Ixtac, a word composed of
in
two Maya primitives — the feminine pronoun ix, " she," and
the verb tal or tac, " to feel the desire to do something cor-
"
Rdbhah would read in Maya liabal, the meaning of which ' is "to
become old," " to age."
"-
Joshua, chap, xi.x., verse 29. Jeremiah, chap, xxv., verse 23.
°
Jos6 de Acosta, Historia Natural y Moral de las Indias, 1590.
QUEEN MOO AND THE EOYPTIAN SPHINX. 61
poreal; " as, for instance, tac in vienel, "I want to sleep."
Ixtal or Ixtac, or Is/itar, would therefore mean "she who
wishes to satisfy a corporeal desire, inclination, or want."
"What name more appropriate for the goddess of love and lust
Moloch was another god of the Phoenicians, to whom
offerings of human victims were made by enclosing them
alive in a bronze statue representing him. This being heated
to red heat, the bodies were consumed,^ and were said, by the
priests, to have served as food for the god who had devoured
them.^
Moloch is another descriptive name composed of two Maya
primitives mol, to gather, and ocli or oocli, food, provis-
ions, provender. Do not these sacrifices to Moloch of human
victims burned alive vividly recall those made by the Itzaes of
Peten to Hobo the destroyer, in which a human victim was
burned alive amidst dances and songs ? ^
ISTeighbors to the Phoenicians, on the north, were the pow-
erful Khati, who dwelt in the valley of the Orontes. Their
origin is still a matter of speculation for ethnologists, and so
is also their name for philologists. They made themselves
famous on account of their terrible wars with the Assyrians
and the Egyptians. Placed between these two nations, they
opposed either, and proved tenacious and redoubtable adversa-
ries to both. All historians agree that the Khati, up to the
time when they were vanquished by Eameses the Great, always
jplaced obstacles in the way of conquest by these nations, and
at all times sallied forth in battle array to meet them and
prevent their passage through their territories. "Was it from
' Leviticus, cliap. xviii., verse 21.
' John Kenrick, Phanicia, p. 317. Gustave Flaubert, Salanibo, chap,
xiii. Moloch the Devourer, Diodorus Siculus, lib. xx., cap. 14.
^Cogolludo, HUt. de Yucathan, lib. ix., cap. 14.
that fact that they were called Kliati ? Any Maya scholar
will answer, ISTo doubt of it ; since kat is a Maya verb mean-
ing " to place obstacles across a road " or " to sally forth to
impede the passage of a road " a name most in accordance '
—
with the customs of that warlike nation.
The Khati were not warriors only they were ; likewise mer-
chants, whose capital, Carchemish, situated at the confluence
of the river Chebar and the Euphrates, vied in commercial
importance with Tyre and Carthage. There met traders from
India and other countries.
Ca/rchemish, the great emporium, was, as its name indi-
cates, the place where navigators and merchants from afar

congregated. This name is composed of two Maya vocables
cah, "citj'," and cheiniil, "navigator." Carchemish may
weU be a dialectical pronunciation of Cahchemul, the
" port," the " place of navigators," hence of merchants.
Katish was the sacred city of the Khati, where they
were wont to worship in a temple dedicated to Set, or Sut,
their principal god. Seit was the brother of Osiris, and his
murderer. His name is a cognate word of ze (Maya), "to

ill-treat with blows. '
' In that place sacrifices were offered,
and religious ceremonies particularly performed, as its name
indicates. "We have just said that call is the Maya for "city "
or "village." Tich is a jjeculiar ceremonj'' practised by the
Mayas from the remotest antiquity, and still observed by their
descendants. It consists in making offerings, called ii-kanil-
col, "the crop is ripe," to the Yiimil Kaax, the "lord of

of the primitice of aU crops before beginning the
'
the fields, '
harvest. In another work^ I have described the ceremony.

'
Pedro Beltran, Arte del Idioma Maya. Pio Perez, Maya dictiouary.
° A. Le PlongeOD, Monuments of Mayach, etc.
Page 63. Plate XXI.
Cahticli, or Katish, is therefore an appropriate name for a

sacred city where religious ceremonies are performed and offer-
ings made to the gods.
The whole coast of Asia Minor on the Mediterranean was

once inhabited by nations having their homonpns in the
Western Continent. Prominent among these were the Cari-
ans, of unknown origin, but wide-spread fame. Herodotus,^
himself a Carian, says that the ancient Carians called themselves
Zeleges, a najine akin to Leleth (Maya), "to dwell in rocky
places." Well, Strabo^ tells us they had been the occupants
of all Ionia and of the islands of the Jj^gean Sea, until driven
from them by the lonians and the Dorians, when they estab-
lished themselves Thucydides calls them
on the mainland.
pirates, and King Minos expelled them from the
asserts that
Cyclades.^ Herodotus, bound to defend his countrymen from

such an imputation, simply represents them as a warlike and
seafaring people that, when requested, manned the ships of
Minos. At that time they styled themselves " the most famous
of all nations of the earth.
' '
''
The dress of the Carian women
consisted of a linen tunic which required no fastenings.^ From
all antiquity this tunic was used by the Maya women, and is
still by the aborigines of Yucatan, Peten, and other places in

Central America. It is called uipil.
The name JTar, or Carian, certainly is identical with that
of the warlike nation the Caras, whose name is stiU preserved
in that of the Caribbean Sea, and of many cities and places in
the northern parts of the South American continent, the
' Herodotus, lib. i., 171.
' Strabo, lib. vii., p. 321 lib. xiii., p. 611.
;
^ Thucydides, Histn-ry of the Peloponnesian War, lib. i., 8.

* Herodotus, lib. i., 171.
< lUd., lib. v., 87-88.
Antilles, and the coast of Honduras, where Carib tribes still
exist. These Caras, once neighbors of the Mayas, extended

their conquests from the frontiers of Mayacli throughout the
southern continent; to the river Plata, east of the Andes;
to Chile, west of that chain of mountains. It would indeed
be very diificult to explain the striking similarity of abo-
riginal names of places and tribes stiU used in the countries
known to-day as Venezuela and Colombia, and those of locali-

ties on the shores of the Mediterranean, and of the people who
dwelt in them, except through the intimate relationship of the
Carians of Asia Minor and the Caras of the " Lands of the
"West.
'
' Their names are not only similar, but, on both sides
of the Atlantic, were synonymous of "man," par excellence,
of "eminent warrior," endowed with great dexterity and

extraordinary power.* "When the Spaniards landed for the
first time in America, the Caribs of the islands of St. Vin-
cent and Martinique were cannibals, and the terror of their
neighbors.
Lastly, according to Max Miiller,^ Philip of Theangela, a
Carian historian, says that the idiom of the Carians was mixed
with a great number of Greek words. But Homer represents
them among the earliest inhabitants of Asia Minor and of
the Grecian peninsula,^ anterior, consequently, to the Hellenes,
who in their intercourse with them would naturally have made
use of many words of their language that afterward became
engrafted on that of the Greeks themselves.
For the present we shall depart from the eastern shores of
'
Rochefort, Histoire Naturelle et Morale des Antilles, p. 401. D'Orbigny,
VHomme Americain, vol. ii., p. 368. Alcedo, Diccionario Qeografico e Histo-
rico de las Indian Occidentales.
" Ma-x Miiller, Fragments, Hist. Grcec, vol. iv., p. 475.
' Homer, Iliad, X., 438-439.
Page 64. Plate XXII.
}
the Mediterranean and from Egj'-pt, which we shall revisit later
on. Before returning to Mayach let us again ask, This per-

fect identity of Maya, Hindoo, Chaldean, and Egyptian
cosmogonic notions ; these Maya words that form the names
of places, nations, and gods, descriptive of their attributes or
characteristics, in India, Chaldea, Phoenicia, and Egypt —are

they mere coincidences ?
5
VI.
In our journey westward across the Atlantic we shall pass
in sight of that spot where once existed the pride and life of
the ocean, the Land of Mu, which, at the epoch that we have
been considering, had not jet been visited by the wrath of
Homeii, that lord of volcanic fires to whose fury it afterward
fell a victim. The description of that land given to Solon by
Sonchis, priest at Sais ; its destruction by earthquakes, and sub-
mergence, recorded by Plato in his " TimjEus," have been told
and retold so many times that it is useless to encumber these
pages with a repetition of it. I shall therefore content myself
with mentioning that the ten provinces which formed the
country,* that Plato says Kronos divided among his ten sons,'
were thickly populated, and that the black race seems to have
predominated. We shall not tarry in Ziuaau, "the scor-
pion," longer than to inquire if, perchance, the. Egyptian god-

dess Selk, Avhose title was "the great reptile," directress of
the hoolcs, whose office was principally in the regions of the
'
Troano MS., part ii., plate v.
' Plato, Timmus.
Amenti —that is, in the "Lands of the West " —Tvhere she "was
employed in noting on the palm branch of Thoth the years
of human life, was not a deification of the
"West Indies of our day.
Selh "was also called the lady of letters,
from "which she appears to have been the goddess

of writing ; ^ and her emblem "was placed over
the doors of libraries, as the keeper of loohs.

What connection could possibly have existed,
in the mind of Egyptian "wise men, between a
scorpion, the letters of the alphabet, and the
art of writing, Egyptologists do not inform us.
Still they did nothing concerning their sym-

bols and their deities without a motive. In
GODDESS SELK.
thus making Selh the goddess of writing, and
symbolizing her as a scorpion, did they intend to indicate that
the art of writing and knowledge of the books came to
them from the '
' Lands of the West, '
' and take the shape of
the West Indies as emblem of said lands ?
This suggestion seems plausible if we consider that they

figured the land of Pseh'^ as a scorpion, and that, from the
general contour of the group of islands known to us as the
West Indies, the Mayas caUed them Zinaan, the "scor-
pion."^ But Zinaan means also an "accent," a "mark in
writhig.
'
' (See Plate V.
As to the name Selh, it may have been suggested by the
color of the black ink used in writing, or by the name of the
large black scorpion quite abundant in Central America. Eek.
' "Wilkinson, Manners and Customs, vol. iii., chap. xiii.

'Hid., p. 169 (note). Champollion lejeune, Pantheon, plate xv.
^ TJhi supra. Introduction, pp. xli-lx.
68 QUEEN m60 AND THE EGYPTIAN SPHINX.
means "black" in Maya. If to designate the name of a god-
dess we prefix the word with the feminine article X (English

sJi), we have X-Eek, that may easily become Selk. Ekchuch
is the name of the black scorpion. X-Ekchvicli would be that
of the female black scorpion. From it the name of the Egj^p-
tian goddess of writing and the connection of the scorpion with
letters may easily be derived.
From Zinaau we set sail for the nearest seaport in
Mayacli. It is Tuluin, a fortified place, as the name in-
dicates, situated in lat. IST. 20° 11' 50" and long. "W". 87° 26' 55"
from Greenwich. Its ruins, seen from afar, serve yet as a land-
mark to mariners navigating the waters of the eastern coast of

the peninsula of Yucatan.
Proceeding thence inland, in a direction west eight de-
grees north, one hundred and twenty miles as the crow flies,
we reach the city of Chicllen whence we started on our

voyage of circumnavigation.
Page 6.9. Plate XXIII.
'i
i-
pi >
(
-
«*''
1
}
VII.
It is êll that n'e now return with a knowledge of the

myths of the Hindoos and the Egyptians regarding creation.
We shall need them to comprehend the meaning of the tableau
over the doorway of the east facade of the palace. Many

have looked at it since, toward the beginning of the Christian
era, the wise Itzaes abandoned the city when it was sacked and
devastated by barbaric E'ahuatl tribes coming from the south.
How many have understood its meaning, and the teaching it
embodies ?i Yery few, indeed; otherwise they would have

respected instead of defacing it.
Among the modern Americanists and professors of Ameri-

can archseology, even those who pretend to be authorities as to
things pertaining to the ancient Mayas and their civilization,
how many are there who understand and can explain the
'
In order to thoroughly apprehend the full meaning of this most inter-
esting cosmic relation, it is necessaiy to be versed in occultism, even as
taught by the Brahmins and other wise men of India. Occultists will not
fail to comprehend the teaching conveyed in this sculpture, which teaching
proves that, in very remote ages, the Maya sages had intimate communi-
cations with those of India and other civilized countries.
lessons that the Maya philosophers in remote ages have in-

trusted to stone in this tableau, for the benefit and instruction
of the generations that were to follow after them ?
No one has ever ventured an explanation of it. And yet it
contains no mystery. Its teaching is easily read ; the explana-

torj legends being written in Egyptian characters, that, how-
ever, are likewise Maya.
If we ask the Brahmins to explain it, they wiU tell us
At the beginning of the first chapter of the " Manava-Dharma-
Sastra " —
a book compiled, according to Mr. Chezy,' from very
ancient works of the Brahmins, about thirteen hundred years
before the Christian era —we read :
" The Supreme Spirit having
resolved to cause to come forth from its oivn corporeal siibstance
the divers creatures, first pirodxiced the waters, and in them de-
posited a productive seed. This germ hecame an egg, 'brilliant as
gold, resplendent as a star with thousands of rays ; and in this

egg was reproduced the Supreme Being, under the form of
Brahma, the ancestor of all ieings.''^^
An analysis of the tableau shows this quotation from the

Brahministic book to be an explanation of it, although not
quite complete. But we find the balance of the description in
Eusebius's " Evangelical Preparations."

We are told that the Supreme Intelligence first pi'oduced
the waters. The watery element is represented in the sculp-
tures in Mayach, Egvpt, Babylonia, India, etc. , by superposed
wavy or broken lines ^î!î^^î^. These lines form the rim,
or frame, of the tableau, surrounding it nearly, as the water
encircles the land. It is weU to notice that the upper line
of water is opened in the middle, and that each part ter-
'
Chfizy, Journal des Savants. 1831 ; also H. T. Colebrooke.
' Manava-Dharma-Sastra, lib. i., Slokas 8-9.
minates in a serpent head; also, that the distance between

said serpent heads is two-fifths of the whole line. Is this with-
out significance ? Certainly not. Everything has its meaning

in the Maya sculptures. Did the learned men of Mayach
know that the waters cover about three-fifths of the earth,
the land only two-fifths ? And why not? Do we not know
it? "Were not their people navigators? It may be asked.
What is the meaning of the serpent heads at the extremity of
the lines, symbol of water? Are they merely ornamental?
By no means. They indicate that said lines represent the
ocean, kanali m Maya, the "great, the mighty serpent;"
image, among the Mayas, Quiches, and other tribes allied to
them, as among the Egyptians, of the Creator, whose emblem
(says HorapoUo) was a serpent of a blue color with yellow
scales. Can, we know, means " serpent," but kan is Maya
for '
' yellow.
'
' Kauali, the ocean, might therefore be inter-
preted metaphorically "the powerful yellow serpent. "^ "We
read in the '
' Popol- Vuh, '
' sacred book of the Quiches, regarding
Chicwniatz, the principle of all things, manifesting at the dawn
of creation: ^ " All was immobility and silence in the darkness,
in the night; only the Creator, the Maker, the Dominator,

the Serjjent covered with feathers, they who engender, they
who create, were on the waters as an ever-increasing light.
They are surrounded by green and azure their name is Gucii- ;
matz." Compare this conception of chaos and the dawn of

creation among the Quiches, with that of the Hindoos as we
read of it in the " Aitareya-A'ran'ya: " s " Originally this uni-
verse was only a soul. Nothing active or inactive existed. The
' See Appendix, note vii,, p. 186.
° Popol- Vuh, lib. i., chap. i.
^ H. T. Colebrooke, Notice on the Sacred BooTcs of the Hindoos, Aitareya-

A'ran'ya, lib. ii., I iv.
thought came to Him, I wish to create worlds. And so He

created these worlds, the water, the light, the mortal beings,
and the waters. That water is the region above ; the sky that
supports it; the atmosphere that contains the light; the earth
that is perishable ; and the lower regions that of the waters.
'
On the first of the tablets inscribed with the cosmogony of

the Chaldeans, found in the library of the palace of King
Assurbanipal, at Nineveh, we read the following lines, trans-
lated by the late Mr. George Smith: " At a time when neither
the heavens above nor the earth below existed, there was the
watery abyss; the first of seed, the mistress of the depths,
the mother of the universe. The waters clung together (cov-
ered everything). No product had ever been gathered, nor
was any sprout seen. Ay, the very gods had not yet come
into being." . . . On the third tablet it is related how
" the gods are preparing for a grand contest against a monster
known as Tidmat, '
the depths,' and how the god Bel-
Marduh overthrows Tidmat.''''
My readers will forgive me for indulging here in a short

digression that may seem unnecessary, but it is well to add to
the proofs alreadj^ adduced to show that, at some remote epoch,
the primitive Chaldeans must have had intimate relations with
Maya colonists; and that these were a great factor in the
development of the civilization of the Babylonians, to whom
they seem to have imparted their religious and cosmogonic
notions. The names Tidmat and Bel-Marduk add corrobora-
tive evidence to confirm this historical truth, since no language
except the Maya offers such a natural etymon and suuple
explanation of their meaning.
Tidmat, "the depths," is a Maya word composed of the
four primitives, ti, ha, ina, ti (that is, ti, "there;" ha,
QUHIJJSr MOO AND TEE EGYPTIAN SPHINX. 73
"water;" ma, "without;" ti, "land"), Tihamati ; by

elision, Tihaniat, or be it Tidmat, "everywhere water, no-
where land," the "deep."
As to the name Bel-Mardxik (in Maya) it would read Bel-
Maltixuc ; that is, Bel, "occupation," "business;" inal is
'
a particle that, united to a noun, indicates ' the act of multi-
plying," of "doing many things;" tuiicul is a "mass of
things placed in order." Bel-Maltuuc or '^^\-Mardu'k
would be a most appropriate name for one whose business
seems to have been to put in order aU the things that existed
confusedly in chaos.
Mr. Morris Jastrow, Jr., in an article in the Century
Magazine for January, 1894,' says that the word tehom occurs
both in the cuneiform tablets and in Genesis with the mean-
ing of '
' the deep, '
' which is precisely its unport in the Maya
language te or ti, '
' where ; '
' lioni,
'
' abyss without bottom. '
Eeturning to the comparison of the cosmogonic notions of

the various civilized nations of antiquity, we find that Thales, like
all the ancient philosophers, regarded water as the primordial
substance, in the midst of which the " Great Soul" deposited
a germ that became an egg, briUiant as gold and resplendent
as a star with a thousand rays, as we read in the first book
of the " Manava-Dharma-Sastra, " and we see represented in
the tableau over the door of the east fagade of the palace at
Chicllen. (Plate XXIII.) In this egg was reproduced the
Supreme Being under the form of Brahma, through whose
union with the goddess Maya, the good mother of all gods and
other beings, aU things were created, says the " Eig-veda." *
'
Morris Jastrow, Jr., "The Bible and the Assyrian Monuments," New
York, Century Magazine, January, 1894.
^ Big-veda, Langlois' translation, sect, viii., lect. 3, h. ii., v. i., vol. iv.,
pp. 316-317.
74 QUEEN m60 and THE EGYPTIAN SPEINX.
The inhabitants of the islands of the Pacific entertained
similar notions regarding creation. EUis in his " Polynesian

Researches " says: ' "In the Sandwich Islands there is a tradi-
tion that in the beginning there was nothing but water, when
a big bird descended from on high and laid an egg in the sea.
That egg burst, and Hawaii came forth." They believe that
the bird is an emblem of deity ; a medium through which the
gods often communicate with men.
It is well not to forget that the Egyptians also caused Ptah,
the Creator, to be born from an egg issued from the mouth of
Kneph, the ruling spirit of the universe, whose emblem was an
enormous blue serpent with yellow scales ; that is, the ocean.
The learned men of Mayacli always described with ap-
propriate inscriptions the notions, cosmogonic or others, or
the reUgious conceptions that they portrayed in the sculptures
ornamenting with them the walls of their public edifices, not
only to generalize them among their contemporaries, but to
transmit them to future generations in a lasting manner. They

did not fail to — do it in this instance.
The legend ^ on either side of the egg teUs who is
the personage BT seated therein. It is composed of the

characters ^ four times repeated, for the symmetry of the
drawing, I-—^ and to emphasize the meaning of the word,
as well as to indicate the exalted quality of said personage.
ChampoUion jeune teUs us that in Egj'^t this very combi-
le
nation of letters means " the engendered. " ' These letters em-
phatically belong to the alphabet of the Mayas. The sign
/ or be it, M that stands for our Latin M, represented
" Ellis, Polynesian Besearches, vol. i., chap, v., p. 100.

' ChampoUion le jeune, Precis du Systeme Hieroglyphique des Anciens
Egyptiens.
the contour of the peninsula of Yucatan. It is pronounced ma

in Eg\'ptian as in Maya, and means, in both languages, '
' place,
'
"land." Whj^ this sign, with that meaning, in Egypt?

Can learned Egyptologists teU ? In Mayach it is the radical
nia of the name of the country; it is a contraction of mam,
the "ancestor," the "earth." The sign | — , so frequent in
all the ancient edifices of the Mayas, is the letter correspond-

ing to our Latin H, with these and the Egyptians. If to these
characterswe add the letter >V\AAA/\ iV, forming the border,

we have the word /~~~ —
AAAAA/S mehen, which in Maya
|
means, as in Egjqjtian, the " son," the " engendered." ^ But

mehen was the name of the serpent represented over the head
of the god Kneph, the creator. According to Mr. Samuel Birch,
said serpent was termed in Egyptian texts "proceeding from
what is in the abyss." In the egg, behind the engendered, the
scales of the serpent's belly form a background to the figure.
To complete the explanation of the tableau we must ask
Eusebius's help. In his " Evangelical Preparations " ^ he tells
us that the Egyptians " represented the Creator of the world,

whom they called KnepJi, under a human form, with the flesh
painted blue, a belt surrounding his waist, holding a sceptre in
his hand, his head being adorned with a royal headdress orna-
mented with a plume. " Were I to describe minutely the figure
within the egg, I could not do it better. Although much
mutUated by iconoclasts, it is easy to perceive that once it
was painted blue, to indicate his exalted and holy character

around the waist he wears a pviyut, or loin cloth, and his head
is still adorned with a huge plume, worn among the Mayas
by personages of high rank.
' Pedro Beltran, Arte del Idioma Maya. Pio Perez, Maya dictionary.
- Eusebius, Prmp. Evang., lib. iii., p. 215.
76 QUEEJ<r 3100 AND THE EGYPTIAN SPHINX.
Lastly, it is well to notice that there are forty-two rays

around the cosmic egg. Those versed in the knowledge of the
Kabbalah win say that the number of the rays, twenty-one,
placed on each side of the egg, was not used arbitrarily, but
as an emblem of the Creator, Jehovah ; that, if we consider
the numerical value of the Hebrew letters composing it, his
name in numbers will read Jod, 10; He, 6; and Vav, 5; that
is, 10, 6, 5,' the smn of which is 21 = 3 x 7, the trinity and the
septenary.
The rabbis, says J. Ralston Sldnner,' extol these numbers
so beyond all others, that they pretend '
' thatby their uses
and permutations, under the cabalistic law of —
Thnura that is,
of permutation —the laiowledge of the entire universe may be
had."
The number of the assessors who, according to the Egyp-
tians, assisted Osiris, when sitting in judgment upon the souls
in Amenti, was, it will be remembered, 42 that ; is, 21 x 2. But
these twenty-one rays on each side of the cosmic %gg also caU
The reader's attention is here called to the following interesting facts

'
which show the origin of the British foot-measure of dimension. The half
of 1056 is 528. This number multiplied by 10 gives 5380, the length in feet
of the British mile. By permutation 528 becomes 825. But 8.25 feet is the
length of half a rod, whilst 5280 x 8.25 feet is the area in feet of one acre.
In the drawing of their plans the builders of the great pyramid of
Egypt
and those of the pyramids of Mayacll made use of these numbers. All
the most ancient pyramids in Yucatan are twenty-one metres high, the side
of the base being forty-two metres. Tlieir vertical section was conse-
quently drawn so as to be inscribed within the circumference of a circle
having a radius of twenty-one metres, whose diameter formed the base line
of the monument.
' J. Ralston Skinner, " Hebrew Metrology," p. 6, Masonic Review, July,
1885. "For the ratio 113 to 355 multiplied by 3 equals 839 to 1065. The
entire circumference will be 1065 x 3 = 2130, of which 213 is factor with 10.
And 213 is the first word of Genesis; viz., Rash, or 'head,' from whence
the entire book."
Page Plate XXIY.
't. m ^
}
tomind the tw&ntj-one, pr'ajajpati, or creators, mentioned in the

" Mahabharata " and the twenty-one words constituting the
;
most sacred prayer of the followers of Zoroaster, still in use
by the Parsis.
On each side of the Creator, outside of the lower line of

the border of the tableau, is the figure of a monkey in a sit-
ting postm'e and in the act of adoration. "We learn from the
" Popol-Yuh " that in his attempts to produce & perfect man, an
intellectual creature, the Creator failed repeatedly, and each
time, disgusted with his work, he destroyed the results of his
early experiments; that at last he succeeded in making a
human being nearly perfect, but yet wanting. This primitive
race of man having grown proud and wicked, forgetful of their
Creator, to whom they ceased to pay due homage, the majority
of them were destroyed by floods and earthquakes. The few
that escaped by taking refuge on the mountains were changed
into monkeys.' This is perhaps the reason why simians were
held in great veneration by the Mayas. (Plate XXIV.)
It is indeed worthy of notice, although it may be a mere
coincidence, that, wherever Maya civilization has penetrated,
there also ape worship has existed from the remotest antiquity,
and does still ex;ist where ancient religious rites and customs
are observed.
In Hindostan, some nations hold the same belief concerning
monkeys that we read of in the sacred book of the Quiches,
to wit :
'
' That formerly men were changed into apes as a pun-
ishment for their iniquities." The ape god Hcumimam,, who

rendered such valuable assistance to Rama in the recovery of his
wife Sita when she was abducted by Havana,'^ is stiU held in
^ Popol-Vuh, Brasseur translation, parti., chap, iii., p. 31.
^ Valmiki, Ramayana, part i., p. 342, et passim. French translation by
Hippolyte Fauche.
great veneration in the Asiatic peninsula and the island of Cey-

lon. Pompous homage is paid to him. The pagodas in which
he is worshipped are adorned with the utmost magnificence.
When in 1554 the Portuguese made a descent upon that island,
they plundered the temple of the ape god Thoth, and made
themselves masters of immense riclies. I beg to call the atten-
tion of the reader to the name of this ape god, for whose ran-
som an Indian Goa seven hundred
prince offered the viceroy of
thousand ducats. It was "god of letters
lUcewise that of the
and wisdom," represented as a cynocephalus monkey, among
the Egyptians. Is this also a coincidence ? The Maya word
Thoth means to "scatter" flowers or grain. Might it not
mean, metajshorically, to scatter letters —knowledge ? As sym-
bol of the "god of letters " the cynocephalus ape was treated
with great respect in many cities of Egypt; but at Hermopolis
it was particularly worshipped,^ whilst in the Necropolis of
Thebes a spot was reserved as cemetery for the sacred mon-
keys, whose mmnmies were always placed in a sitting posture,
as the bodies of deceased persons in Mayach, Peru, and many
other countries in the "Western Continent.
In the ancient city of Cojxm, in Guatemala, the cynoceph-
alus was frequently rejsresented in the sculptures of the tem-
ples, in an attitude of prayer. There, as at Thebes, those
monkeys were buried in stone tombs, in which their skeletons
have been found in perfect preservation.
Fray Geronimo Eoman, a writer of the sixteenth century,^
and other chroniclers, inform us tliat monkeys received di-saue
worship in Tucatan under the names of Baao and Chiieii,
'
Strabo, XVII., p. 559.
- Fray Geronimo Roman, Pepuhlica de las Indias Occidentttles, lib. ii.,
cap. XV,
"^vhose images are often found in the temples of the Mayas, in
a kneeling posture (as in Plate XXIV.).

The ape Tvas also held sacred in Babylonia. In Japan there
is a sumptuous temple dedicated to monkey worship. It is
said that the Japanese believe that the bodies of apes are in-
habited by the souls of deceased grandees and princes of the
empire. Is not this great veneration for monkeys a form of
ancestor -n-orship ? The Darwinian theory of evolution does
not seem to be so very modern, after all. The study of the first
chapters of the " Popol-Vuh " wiU convince any one that some
of the ancient Maya scientists had reached the same conclusions
as some of the learned philosophers of our day regarding the
unfolding of animated beings — of man, consequently. It would
seem that Solomon had some reason in saying, and that we
may repeat after him, "There is nothing new under the
1
sun."
There are many other interesting facts to be learned from
the study of the sculptures that embellish the eastern facade
of the palace at Chicllen. But as they have no direct bear-
ing on the object of our present investigation, we shall turn
away from that edifice, and, taking a northern direction, in-

dulge in an agreeable walk of half a mile, under secular ti'ees,
through the forest, to return to Prince Coh's memorial hall,
whence we started ; for we have yet to glean much information

from its contents.
During our promenade, protected from the fiery rays of the
tropical sun by the thick foliage overhead, enjoying the delight-

ful coolness that perpetually prevails in the Yucatan forests,
we let our thoughts wander. But they naturally revert to the

tableau of creation and the strange facts it has revealed to us,
'
Ecclesiastes, chapter i., verse 9.
and we ask ourselves : Did the Mayas receive all these teach-
ings from the Egyptians, or the Chaldeans, or the Hindoos, as
some want us to believe? If so, when and how? Or did
Maya missionaries, abandoning their country as apostles of
religion, civilization, and science, carry their knowledge among
these various nations and impart it to them ?
Pctffe St. Plate XXr.
VIII.
The study of the atlantes that supported the table of the

altar at the entrance of the funeral chamber is most interest-
ing. In these, and in the portraits of personages carved on the

pillars and antse of the portico and the jambs of the doorway,
the ethnologist can study the features of the ancient Mayas,
and, perhaps, discover the race to which they belonged. What-
ever this may have been, one fact is evident —the Mayas did
not deform their skuUs artificially, as did the inhabitants of
Copan and Palenque. These, therefore, were not Mayas.
Their mode of writing was not Maya ; their language was
most probably different from the Maya ; consequently it is
absurd to try to interpret the inscriptions left by them, as the

late Professor Charles Eau,' of the Smithsonian Institution,
Mess. Hyacinthe de Charancey ^ and Leon de Eosny, in
France,^ and others, have done. Being unable to read one
'
Charles Eau, Tablet of Palenque, chap. v. Aboriginal Writings of Mex-
ico, Yucatan, and Central America. Smithsonian Institution's publications.
^ Hyacinthe de Charencey, Essai de Dechiffrement d'un Fragment d' Inscrip-
tion Palenq;uenne, torn. 1, No. 3, Mars, 1876. Actes de la Societe Philologique,
p. 56.
^ LSon de Rosny, Essai sur le Dechiffrement de VEcriture Hieratique de
VAm^rique Cent/rale, p. 13.
single sentence of those inscriptions, Llott can these gentlemen

assert that they are written in the Blaya language ? Because
a few characters resemble the Maya ? What does that prove ?
English, French, Spanish, Italian, and other modern languages
are all written with Latin letters does that
: mean that they are
one and the same ?
It is not easy to surmise what common relationship can
possibly be claimed to have existed between the squat-figured,
coarse-featured, large-nosed, thick-lipped, flat-headed people,
with bulging eyes, represented in the stucco bas-reliefs of
Palenque, whose "heads, so very unusual, not to say unnat-
ural," have been compared with those of tlie Hims;^ or the
short-statured individuals with round heads, oval faces, high
cheek bones, flat noses, large gaping mouths, small oblique
eyes, portrayed on the obelisks of Copan and Quirigua, that
recall the Tartar or Manchu tj'^pe (Plate XXX. ) and the good- ;
looking Mayas, whose regular features, lithe figures with

weU-proportioned limbs, finely formed heads, high foreheads,
shapely noses, small mouths with firm thin lips, eyes open,
straight, and inteUigent, that we see pictured in fresco paint-
ings or sculptured in low and high reliefs and statues. (Plates
XXV., XXVI. XXVII.) ,
No one, surely, will presume to maintain that they belong

to the same familj^ or race, and that the difference in their
appearance is due to unknown causes that have effected such re-
markable changes at various periods of their national existence.
' William Burckhardt Barker, Lares and Penates, or Cilicia and its Gov-
ernors, chap. iv. Plate XXIX.
See Appendix, note viii.
John Ranking, Historical Researches on the Conqvestof Peru, Mexico, etc.,

p. 275. According to this author the builders of Palenque were Mongols.
(A. L. P.)
Page SS. Plate XXVI.
'f>*air- V^J^. ..^ .>->-.».-

Page S2. Plate XXVII.
QTJEEJSr MOO AND THE EGYPTIAN SPHINX. 83
To-day all the distinct peculiarities of these various peoples

are, to the eye of the careful observer, quite as noticeable,
among their descendants, as of yore, notwithstanding the inter-
marriages that have inevitably occurred between the different
races, particularly since the Spanish conquest.
Again, the atlantes and the bas-reliefs on the pillars show

the mode of dress in vogue among the higher classes of the
standard-bearer. Mode of carrying shield among the REayas*

FIGURES FROM FRESCOS IN PRINCE COH'S MEMORIAL HALL.l
Mayas in remote ages, the ornaments they wore, and many

of their customs, whose identity with those of far-distant
nations cannot be ascribed to mere coincidence. These may
also guide the ethnologist.
For the present purpose, it will suffice to mention various

practices observed at funerals both by the Mayas and the
Egyptians. Among the figures that supported the table of the
' See the various plates from the tre'^co paintings in Prince Coil's Memo-
rial Hall at Cliichen (Plates XXXIX.-LI.).
altar, there were some intended to represent women. From

these we learn that Maya matrons, to betoken grief, covered
the right side of their face with their hair. Sir Gardner
Wilkinson, 1 speaking of the funeral customs of the Egyptians,
says: " Married women alone were permitted to wear the ma-
gasies, or ringlets, at the side of the face. The hair was bound
at the end with a string, like the plaits at the back of the
head, so as to cover part of their ear-ring."
Macrobius,^ trying to explain this custom of Egjjptian
matrons, says it was in imitation of the images of the sun, in
which that luminary was represented as a human head having

a lock of hair on the right side of the face. This lock, he
assiimes, was emblematic of its reappearance after being con-
cealed from our sight at its setting, or of its return to the
solstice.
"What explanation would he have given of the same custom

being observed among the Mayas, had he known of it ? That
it existed there can be no doubt; the portraits of the two
Maya matrons found among the atlantes of the altar are the
best proof of it. (See Plates XXXI.-XXXIL, which are
photographs of them.)
The practice of tying their dress round their waist and of
uncovering their breast when a friend died ^ was common both
to the Mayas * and the Egyptians. The dead in Egypt were
made to carry round their neck the vase, placed on the scale of
*
Sir Gardner Wilkinson, Manners and CustfOms, etc., vol. iii., chap, xvi.,
p. 453 also vol. i., chap. xii.
;
' Macrobius, Saturnalioru7n, etc., lib. i., 26.
^ Sir Gardner Wilkinson, Manners and Customs, vol. iii., chap, xvi., p.
439.
* See picture of Prince Coll being prepared for cremation; also in
Sacred Mysteries, p. 80.
Page S4. Plate XXXI.
Page 8^. Plate XXXII.
judgment, to indicate their good deeds.* The same custom

obtained in Mayacli. This we learn from the various statues
of personages of high rank discovered at ChicHeii by the
writer —that of Prince Coli and others. They invariably
hold between their hands a vase placed on the abdomen. In
Mayach this vase was typical of the Gulf of Honduras.
"Whence such strange customs among the Egyptians? Por-
phyry tells us^ that in Egypt, " When the bodies of persons of
distinction were embalmed, they took out the intestines and

put them into a vessel, over which (after some other rites had
been performed for the dead) one of the embalmers pronounced
an invocation to the sun in behalf of the deceased." These
intestines, with the other viscera, were deposited in four vases
each contained a separate portion. They were placed in the
tomb with the coffin, and were supposed to belong to the four
genii of Amenti, whose heads and names they bore.' These
funeral vases were called ca/nopi} Sir Gardner Wilkinson
asks, "Why call these funeral vases cfwiqî, a word without
an etjonon in the Egyptian language ? " ^
For the answer we must come to America. In ancient

Peru the canopa were household gods but the Quichua offers ;
no explanation of the name. If we want to know its mean-

ing we must inquire from the learned men of Mayach. They
will teU us that, in remote ages, their ancestors imagined that
the vault of heaven was sustained on four pillars, placed one at
each of the cardinal points, whose names were Kan, Muluc,
Ix, and Caiiac ; that the Creator assigned the care of these
' Wilkinson, Manners and Customs, etc., vol. iii., chap, xvi., p. 470.
' Porphjrry, De Aistinencia, lib. iv. 10.
^ Wilkinson, Manners and Customs, vol. iii., chap, xvi., p. 481.
* lUd., p. 483.
= Ibid., p. 490.
pillars to four brothers, "whose names were Kan-Bacab, the

yellow Bacab, who stood at the south Chac-Bacab, the red
;
Bacab, who occupied the east ; Zac-Bacab, the white Bacab,

to whom was intrusted the north ; and Ek-Bacalb, the black
Bacab, whose place was the west. They were held in great
veneration, and regarded as the genii of the wind.' These

learned men will also inform us that those powerful genii were
represented by four jars with narrow necks, surmounted by

human heads,^ which jars, during certain religious ceremonies,
were filled with water, and called Caiiob, that is, the " Four,"
the "strong," the "mighty."' From the Maya Canob the
Eg}^tians no doubt called canopi the four vases in which were
deposited the entrails of the dead. Do not these four Bacabs
recall the four gods of the Hindoo mythology who preside at
the four cardinal points I-ndra, the king of heaven, to the
east; Kouvera, the god of wealth, to the north; Ya/rouna,
the god of the waters, to the west and ; Yama, the judge of the
dead, to the south ? Or the Four Mountains, Sse-yo, of the
*
Chinese — the " four quarters of the globe," as they are wont
to designate their cannirj^Tai-Tsong being the yo of the
East; Sigan-fou, that of the west; Hou-Koiuang, that of the
south; and Chen-si, that of the north?' Or, again, the four
Landa, Las Oosas de Yucatan, p. 206, et passim.
"
Bac means, in the Maya language, "to pour water from a narrow-
°
mouthed vase." Pio Perez, Maya dictionary. Plate sxsiii.

' CogoUudo, Historia de Yucathan, lib. iv., cap. viii., p. 197. Edit., 1688.
* Manava-DJiarma-Sastra, lib. 1, Sloka 87.
^ Chmi-King, chap. i. rba-fe«, part i. These four mountains recall the
four pillars that support heaven ; that is, the four cardinal points of the
Mayas, of the Hindoos, of the Chaldeans,and of the Egyptians. On a
Stela of Victory of Thotmes III., Museum, it is written "I,
in the Bulaq :
Amon, have spread the fear of thee to the four pillars of Heaven." Do not
the bags of ôlus, that contain the winds in Grecian mythology, recall the
four bottles, or jars, of the Bacabs?
Page S6.
Plate XXXIII.
i
principal protecting genii of the human race among the

Chaldeans,^ whose names \7Qve : Sed-Alap or Kirxib, who was
represented as a bull with a human face; Lamas or Nirgal,
as a lion with a man's head; Usticr, after the human likeness;
and Wattig, with the head of an eagle ?
These last were said by Ezekiel to be the four symbolical
creatures which supported the throne of Jehovah in his visions
by the river Chebar.^
In this connection also may be mentioned the four genii

of Amenti, Amset, Hapi, Tesautmuif, and Qabhsenuf, said
by the Egyptians to be present before Osiris while presiding
in judgment; protecting, by their influence, every soul that

entered the realms of the West. It was to these genii that a
portion of the intestines, taken from the body of the deceased,
was dedicated, and placed in the vase, or canop, which bore their
respective heads, as we have already seen. If the name given

to these vases by the Egyptians is not of Maya origin, it
must be admitted that it is a most remarkable coincidence.

In Mayacli, the brains, the charred viscera, and other
noble parts, preserved in red oxide of rtiercury,^ were deposited
in stone urns, which were placed with the statues of the
deceased, in superb mausolei, where they are found in our
day.* Landa^ and several other chroniclers teU us that the

Mayas made statues of stone, wood, or clay, according to the
wealth of the individual, in the lilêness of the deceased, and,

after cremating the remains, put the ashes in the head of said
statues, which, for the purpose, had been made hollow.
'
F. Lenormant, Chaldean Magic and Sorcery, p. 131.
^ Ezekiel, chap, i., verse 10; chap, s., verse 14.
^ See Appendix, note ix.
* See farther on Prince Coil's Mausoleum (Plate Ivii.)
^ Landa, Lai Cosas de Yucatan, § xxxiii., p. 193.
In Egypt, likewise, they sculptured on the lid of the coffin,

or fastened on it, a cast of the features of the person whose
remains it contained.
After clearing from the altar the dehris of the roof of the
portico, that in falling had not only injured, but so completely
buried it that it had escaped the notice of John L. Stephens

and others who had visited the spot before us, we found that
the atlantes and the bas-reliefs that adorned the upper side and
the edges of the table had been brilliantly colored. The pig-
ments used by the Maya artists were of such lasting nature
that the colors were actually as bright as when they were laid
on; and the vehicle or menstruum in which they were dis-
solved had deeply penetrated the stone without injuring the

surface. Here was the confirmation of a \evj interesting fact
that we had already discovered —that the Mayas, Hlie the
Hindoos,^ the Chaldees,^ the Egyptians,' and the Greeks, col-

ored their sculptures and statues, and provided them with eyes
and nails made of shell. Shall it be said that this is a mere
coincidence, or shaU we regard it as a custom transmitted from
one nation to another; or, again, taught to the rest by the
people who introduced among them the sculptor's art ?
'
Bishop Heber in liis Narrative of a Journey through the Upper Provinces
of India, vol. i., p. 386 vol. ii., pp. 430, .535, 530
; vol. iii., pp. 48-49.;
^ Henry Layard, Nineveh and its Remains, vol. ii., part ii., chap. iii.
' Eusebius, Prmp. et Demons. Evang., lib. iii., chap. si. See Appendix,
note X.
IX.
The state of perfect preservation of the colors again reveals
to us several most interesting facts, that come to add the weight

of their evidence to the many other proofs we have already
adduced, to show that, in remote ages, the Mayas entertained
intimate relations with the other civilized nations of Asia,
Africa, and Europe. From these we learn that, for instance,
yeUow was the distinctive color of the royal family, as red was
that of nobility; and that blue was used in Mayach, as in
Egypt and Chaldea,' at funerals, in token of mourning,
^ as it
in Bokhara and other Asiatic countries.

still is
" But in that deep blue, melancholy dress

Bokhara's maidens wear in mindfulness
'
Of friends and kindred, dead or far away."
Had the Maya sages, and the ancient philosophers in Chal-

dea and Egypt, found out what is weU known to those who,
'
Sir Gardner Wilkinson, Manners and Customs, vol. iii., chap, xvi., p.
442, et passim.
•'
Henry Layard, Nineiieh, and Babylon, pp. 375-557.
' Thomas Moore, Lalla Roohh, p. 74.
in our day, have made a study of the effect produced by colors

on the nervous system of man and animals —that blue induces
sadness and melancholy? Blue, from the color of the vault
of heaven, was typical of holiness, sanctity, chastity, hence of
happiness ; it "tvas then worn in Mayacli, Egjq^t, and Chaldea
during the period of mourning, in token of the felicitj^ the
soul, free from the trammels of matter and the probations of
earthly life, was enjojang in realms beyond the grave. They
believed that all things existed forever ; that to cease to be on
the earth was only to assume another form somewhere else in
the universe, where dwelt the spirits of the justified —the ma-
xeru of the Egyptians, that, translated in Maya, xina-xelel,
means "without tears," "whole." Landa tells us that, to the
time of the Spanish conquest, the bodies of the individuals whO'
offered themselves, or were oifered, as propitiatory victims to
Divinity, as well as the altars on which they were immo-

lated, were painted blue, and held holy.^ "We have seen these
victims, painted blue, represented in the ancient fresco paint-
ings. Meheii, the engendered, that ancestor of
The image of
all beings, seated in the cosmic Qgg, was painted blue; so was
the eiBgy of the god Knejph^ the Creator, in Egypt; and the
gods, the boats, the shrines, carried in the funeral processions,
were likewise painted blue.' In Hindostan, the god Yishmi,
seated on the mighty seven-headed serpent Caisha, the Ah-ac-
cliapat of the Mayas, is painted blue, to signify his exalted
and heavenly nature. The plumes worn on the heads of the
'Landa, Las Cosas de Yucatan^ chap, xxviii., p. 166.

" Y Uegado el dia, junta vanse en el patio del templo, y si avia de ser
sacrificado a saetadas, desnudavanle en cueros y untavan el cuerpo de
azul," etc.
° Eusebius, Prmp. et Demons. Evang., lib. iii., chap, xi., p. 315.
' Sir Gardner Wilkinson, Manners and Customs, vol. ii., c. xiii., p. 400.
QVEEN MOO AND THE EGYPTIAN SPHINX. 91
kings and queens of the Mayas, for the same i'eason, were
Uue, the king being the vicegerent and vicar of Deity on
earth.' The ceremonial mantle of the highpriest was made
of blue and yellow feathers, to indicate that in his office he
partook both of the divine and the kingly.
In another work I have treated at length of the meaning
which the Mayas attached to colors. The limits of this book
do not allow for lengthy explanations on this subject; but a
few words must be said about yellow and red, colors which
have been held by all civUized nations of antiquity as distinc-
tive of royalty and nobOity of race.
The unearthing of the altar at the entrance of Prince Coil's
fimeral chamber has revealed the fact that among the Mayas
yellow was the distinctive color of the royal family.
It is well known that throughout China the emperor and
his family are the only persons allowed to wear yeUow gar-
ments. Ked is the other color set apart for the particular use
of the imperial family.-
In the islands of the Pacific, the Sandwich Islands especially,
yellow was likewise the distinctive color of royalty. The king

alone had the right to wear a cloak made of yellow feathers.^
'
' The cloaks of the other chiefs were adorned Avith red and
yellow rhomboidal figures, intermingled or disposed in alter-
nate lines, with sometimes a section of dark purple or glossy

black."
In Thibet, the dress of the lamas consists of a long yellow
robe, fastened by a red girdle, and a yellow cap surmounted by
' Is this the reason why the Egyptians
also placed featliers alike on the
heads of their gods and their kings ?
^Memoir of Father Eipa, p. 71. "Thirteen Tears' Residence at the
Court of Pekin." Marco Polo Travels, by Hugh Murray, in 1250, p. 74.
^ "William Ellis, Polynesian Researches, vol. iv., chap, vi., p. 119.
a red rosette.* The king of the lamas, the Guison-Tmriba,
when he travels, is carried in a yellow palanquin.

In India, yellow and red are colors used in the worship of
the gods. Yellow is set apart for Vishnu and Krishna and their
wives. Widows who immolate themselves on the funeral pyre
of their husbands, in the Suttee ceremony, have their bodies
painted yellow with an infusion of sandalwood and saffron.''
Yellow is likewise the color of the dress of the bonzes in Laos,

Indo-China; and the priests officiating at the funerals of
Siamese kings wear yellow robes.
Among Christians, even, yeUow is the distinctive color of
the Pontiff, whose seat is The papal banner
in the Solar City.
is white and yellow.'' Several learned writers, whose opinion

is authority on aU matters pertaining to customs and manners
of the ancient civilized inhabitants of Asia and Africa, in try-
ing to account for the selection of yellow as distinctive color
for the kings, pontiffs, and priests officiating at funerals of
kings, have suggested that, as the emperors of China, like the
kings in India, Chaldea, Egypt, and other countries, styled
themselves '
' Children of the Sun, '
' it was but natural that
they should select for color of their own garments that of
their father the Sun, and to make it the mark of their exalted
rank, and the privilege of their family.

'
M. Hue, Recollections of a Journey through Tartary, Thibet, and China,
vol. i., chap, i.,p. 23.
2 Ibid., chap, iv., p. 89.
' Abbs Dubois, Description of the Manners of the People of India,, pp.
240-243.
' Cartaud de la Villate, Critical Thoughts on Matliematics (vol. i.,
Paris, 1752), says : "The Cardinal Dailly aud Albert the Great, Bishop of
Eatisbonne, distribute tlie planets among the religions. To the Christians
they assign the Sun. This is the reason "why they hold the Sun in great
veneration, and why the city of Rome is styled the Solar City, and the car-
dinals wear dress of a red color, this being that of the Sun."
The selection of that color may, however, have an esoteric

and more scientific origin ; one pertaining to the ancient sacred
mysteries, Icnown only to the initiates who had been admitted
to the higher deg-rees.
It is weU to remember that the kings of Mayach, also,,
styled themselves "Children of the Sun," as did the emperors

of Mexico and the Yncas of Peru.
We have seen that Kan was the name of the first Bacab,'
the powerful genius to whom the Creator had entrusted, from
the beginning, the keeping of the piUar that supported the sky
on the south, the fiery region whence comes the greatest heat;
hence Kan, for yellow, the color of fire, that direct emana-
tion from the sun, Kin, the vivifying, the life sustainer, the
God, without whom nothing could exist, and everything
would perish on earth —that God who is, therefore, the visible
image of the Creator.
Kan is but a variation of caan, "heaven," "that which
is above," caanal, and also of can, "serpent," which was
the emblem of the Maya Empire.
But Can is also the numerical "Four," the tetraktis, that
most solemn and binding oath of the initiates into the mys-
teries. The number four, according to Pythagoras, who had
learned from the Egyptians the meaning of numbers, repre-
sents the mystic name of the creative power. Can, again, is
a copulative particle that, united to verbs, indicates that the

action is verified frequently and with violence.^ Hence the
name Kancab for yellow or red clay, the dry land, upheaved
from the bottom of the deep by volcanic fires, anthropomor-
phized iu Homen.
'
Landa, Las Cosas de YtLcatan. ITbi supra, p. 86.
^ Pedro Beltran, Arte del Idioma Maya.
According to Naliuatl cosmogony, "when Omeyocax, the

Creator, who dwelt in himself, thought that the time had
come when all things should be created, he arose, and from
one of his hands, resplendent with light, he darted fo^tr
arrows, which struck and put in motion /bi/^' molecules, origin
of thefour elements that floated in space. These molecules,
on being hit by the divine arrows, ^became animated. Heat,
which determined movement fti matter, was developed in
them. Then appeared the first rays of the rising sun, which
brought life and joy throughout nature." '
What conclusions are we to derive from the fact that the
Egyptians, the Greeks, the ISTahuatls,^ and the Mayas assigned

the number Fmor to the creative power ? That the Chinese, other
Asiatic, and Polynesian nations adopted, like the Mayas, as
a distinctive badge for their kings and their religious chiefs,
vicars of the Deity on earth, the yellow color, whose name in
the Maya language, Kau, is but a variant of that of the

numerical Four, or that of heaven, or that of the serpent,
emblem of the Creator in Eg\q)t, Chaldea, China, as in May-
acli ? In China, Long or Ti-Hoang., the Tse-yuen, the " engen-
dered," who had the body of a serpent, is the protector and
arranger of all things; and Hoa, the "god of life," of the
Chaldees,^ was represented as a serpent. I may quote in this
connection the following remarks from Canon Rawlinson:
" There are no means of strictly determining the precise mean-
ing of the word (Hoa) in Babylonian, but it is jjerhaps allow-
' Lord Kingsborougli, vol. ii., copy of a Mexican manuscript in the

Vatican liljrary, No. 3738. Compare with the recital of Creation in Ma-
nava-Dharma-Sasti'a, lib. i., Slokas 5-7.
The origin of the Nahuatls is unknown, and
2 a matter of discussion
among Americanists. "Were they Huns ?
' Berosus, Fragments, 1.
J 3. Helladius, 1. s. c.
able to connect it provisionally with the Arabic Hiya, which

is at once '
life ' and. '
serpent, ' since, according to the best
authority, there are strong grounds for connecting Hea or Soa
with the serpent of the Scripture, and the paradisiacal tradi-
tions of the tree of knowledge and the tree of life." '
TViU it be argued that this widespread symbol of the Cre-

ator is but a natural consequence of the working of various
cultivated minds, pondering over this same subject and reach-
ing identical conclusions ? We must not lose sight of the fact,
before answering this question in the affirmative, that in

Mayach alone the name of the serpent can, and the numer-
ous meanings of the word, form a pandect. Is it not, then,
probable, that the Mayas, having conceived the idea from the
geographical outlines of their country, which figures a serpent
with inflated breast, spread the notion among the other nations
with which they had intimate relation, in whose territories
they established colonies ?
There is much to be said, that is interesting, on the red

color as symbol, and its use as mark of nobility of race among
all civilized nations of antiquity, iu Asia, Polynesia, Africa,
and America. The subject seems directly connected with the
object of our present investigations, since we are told by Mr.
Piazzi Smyth, the well-known Egjq^tologist, that the great
Eg\'ptian Sphinx was originally painted red. Judging from
the royal standards represented in fresco paintings in Prince
Coil's Memorial HaU; from the tiut prevalent on the facades
of the palaces of the Mayas, and that of the floors in castles
Such is the knowledge of the majority of the great scholars whose
'
works are accepted as authority on historical questions. In this case Canon

Ttawlinson, in his biased ignorance, has been teaching a greater truth than
he imagined. But let it be said to his credit —he has not done it on pur-
pose, for he did not dream of it.
and temples, red was the distinctive color of nobles and war-
riors. It was in early times the sjTiibol of nobility among the
Egyptians, who styled themselves RoUen-ne-Eome, a name
having the same meaning as Jca^- or eara in the language of the
Caras of the West Indies and northern coast of South Amer-
ica, and that of those Carians, once the terror of the inhabit-
ants of the littoral of the Mediterranean, and who finally
established themselves on the western coast of Asia Minor;

that is, of men j9ar excellence, of "brave men." Was it
because their ancestors came from the country of the red men
in the West, that in their paintings they invariably painted
their skin a reddish brown, as did the Mayas ? From remote
antiquity to oiir day, among all nations civilized or savage,
red has been and is tyjjical of courage, war, contention ; and,
by contrast, of prayer and supplication.
That the red color in the "Lands of the West" was the
distinctive mark of warriors and of power, there can be no
doubt. AU the chroniclers of the time of the Spanish con-
quest tell us that Avhere the hosts of natives opposed the
invaders and confronted them in battle array, their faces and
bodies were painted red.^ To this day the North American
Indians, particidarly when on the warpath, daub their faces
and bodies with red paint.
Plinius ^ speaks of Camillus painting his face and body red,
before entering Rome, on returning victorious after the expid-
sion of the Gauls from Italy by the troops under his com-
mand. It was customary for Koman soldiers to paint their
bodies red in token of their bravery. The same author also
' CogoUudo, Hist, de Yucathan, lib. i., chap, ii., p. 6 ; lib. ii., chap, vi.,
p. 77, et passim.
' Plinius, Historia Nat., xxxiii. 7.
QUEEN m60 and TEE EGYPTIAN SPBINX. 97
says that one of the first acts of the censors on entering upon
their duties was to paint the face of Jupiter Avith minium, such
being the practice on every high festival day.
In Egypt, the god enemy of Horus, was styled " the
Set, the
very valiant. He was painted red. At Ombos he was wor-
'
'
shipped as the evil principle of nature, under the name of

Wuhti, a word for which the Maya affords this very natural
etvmon: niip, " adversary ;
" ti, "for." He was the chief
god of the warlike Ivhati.
The jDossession of land and wealth has always been the

privilege of the strongest and the most daring; of the warriors,
who, wrongly or rightly, possessed themselves of the property
of the conquered, and appropriated it to their own use. In
the distribution of spoils, the chiefs never failed to set apart
for themselves the largest share. At first, these chiefs were
elective. They were chosen on account of their superior phys-
ical strength and theu' prowess in battle. Having acquired
wealth, they paid men to fight under their leadership. To
insure their power and authority, even over their own follow-
ers, they contracted alliances with other leaders, so that they
might help each other in case of necessity. Thus they formed
a privileged class, the J^ôbility, that by and by claimed to be
of a nature superior to that of other men. They justified that
claim by close obedience to the law of selection. Eed, color
of the blood shed on the battle-field, became the distinctive
color of "nobility of race," of "brave and valiant man," of
"man par excellence ; " therefore, emblematic of power,
strength, dominion.
All historians say that red in Egypt was the symbol of nobil-
ity of race. Landa says ' it was customary with the aborigines
' Landa, Las Gosas de T-ucatan, pp. 117-185.
7
98 QUEEy MOO A^'D THE EGYPTIAN SPHJKX.
of Yucatan, both male and female, to adorn themselves with

red paint. According to Du ChaOlu/ the Fans of equatorial
Africa, ^x\xo have so many customs strangely identical vrith
those of the ancient Mayas — even that of filing their front
teeth like a saw —pahit themselves red, men and women.
Herodotus ^ asserts that the Maxyes (Mayas ?), a people
dwelling to the westward of Lake Triton, ia Libya, daubed
themselves with vermilion.
Molina, in his vocabulary of the Mexican tongue, at the
word TIajnUi, ex[ilains that whilst its primary meaning is "to
paint in red color," it also signifies "noble," "ancient," and
that Tlajyilli estli implies, metaphorically, nobdity of blood
and family.
Garcilasso de la Yega,^ Cieza de Leon,* Acosta,^ and other
writers on Peruvian customs and manners, inform us that the
fringe and tassel of the Llantu, royal headdress of the Yncas,
were made of fine crimson wool.
Mr. William Ellis asserts ^ that the Areois of Tahiti, in cer-
tain religious ceremonies, painted their faces red; that "the
ceremonv of among
inauguration, answering to coronation
other nations, consisted in girding the king with the Maro Zr/'u,
or sacred girdle of red feathers, which identified him with the
gods.'
The prophet Ezekiel mentions the figures of red men pictured
'
Du Chaillu, Explorations and Adventures in Equate/rial Africa, pp. 94,
104-107, et passim.
^ Herodotus, Hist., lib. iv. 19.
' Garcilasso de la Vega, Commentarios Eeales, part i., lib. i., cap. 22 ;
lib. vi., cap. 28.

' Cieza de Leon, Cronica, cap. 114.
' Acosta. Historia de las Imlias Occidentales, lib. iv., cajD. 12.
' William Ellis, Polynesian Researches, vol. i., p. ISO.
/Ibid., vol. iii., chap, iv., p. 85.
on the walls of the edifices at Babylon, similar to the human

figures found on those of the tombs in Hindostan and Etruria.
In Egypt, the god Atum, emblem of the setting sun, was
painted red. The Egyptians regarded him as the creator of
all things visible and invisible. "Were we not told of it by

the writers on Egyptian manners and customs, we would learn
it from the meaning of the name ia the Maya language Ah- —
Tiim ; Literally, "he of the new things. Here again red is
'
'
s^^mbolical of power- —might.

According to Sir Gardner Wflkinson,' Egyptologists are
not positive as to the manner in which the name written with
the initial letters Ji and T should be read. It is sometimes
interpreted T-Mu. The paintings in the tombs where he is
represented ia a boat in company with Athor, Thoth, and IVIa,
the goddess of truth, ^ show that he filled an important office in
the regions of Amenti.

If we accept T-Mu as the correct reading of the hiero-
glyphs that form his name, then that god must have been the
personification of that continent which disappeared under the
waves of the ocean, mentioned by Plato and other Greek
writers as Atlantis. The Mayas also called it Ti-Mu, the
country of J^ho, a name that the Greeks knew equally well, as
we will see later on. Do we find here the explanation of why

the Egyptians figured Aium in a boat, holding an office in the
"West, and painted him red, the color of the inhabitants of the
countries with which they were most famUiar, and of which

they kept the most perfect remembrance ?
The same motive may have influenced the Hindoo philoso-

'
Sir Gardner Wilkinson, Manners and Customs, vol. iii., chap, xiii.,
p. 178.
° These names are Maya words expressive of the attributes imputed to
these gods by the Egyptians.
pliers when they painted with red Ganesha., god of prudence,

of letters and science. By this they perhaps wished to indi-
cate that men of that color, coming from Patala, the antip-
odes,^ imported to India, with civilization, the knowledge of
letters, arts, and sciences.
In Polynesia, red is still regarded by the natives of the

islands as a favorite color with the gods. WiUiam EUis says
"that the ordinary means of communicating or extending
supernatural j'owers was, and still is, the red feather of a
small bird found in many of the islands, and the beautiful long
feathers of the Tropic or man-of-war bird. '
'
^
We are told that when kings, chiefs, and nobles died they
were deified, became the minor gods, watching over the desti-
nies of mankind, and the mediators between man and the

Godhead. The red color seems to have continued to be sym-
bolical of their new powers, as it had been of their authority
on earth. This may possibly account for the custom, prevalent

in Mayacli, Polynesia, and India, of devotees stamping the
impression of their hands, dipped in red liquid, on the walls of
the temjjles, of the sacred caves, and other hallowed places,
when imploring some benefaction from the Deity.
• Mahabharata-Adiparva, Slokas 7788, 7789 ; also Bhagavata-Pur&na, ix.,

XX. 33. See Ajapendix, note xi.
William Ellis, Polynesian Researches, vol. ii., chap, ix., p. 260.
'
Although there is much to be said in connection with this interesting

fact, which is one of the many vestiges of the Mayas' presence among the
Polynesians, I will simply remark, at present, that in Egypt the feather was
the distinctive adornment of the gods and kings, as in Mayach. it was of
the kings, pontiffs, nobles, and warriors, differing in color according to
their rank and their more or less exalted position as is yet in China the
;
button and the peacock feather that the Maya name for feather is
;
Kukum, tlie radical of which, Ku, is the word for the Supreme Intelli-
gence; and that ZAm in Egyptian means "Intelligence," " Spirit," "Light,"
" Manes."
This most ancient and universal belief, that the inferior

—that to say, the glorified
gods is of eminent men and spii'its
women —are mediators between the Divinity and earth's inhab-

itants, has sur^'ived to our Aajj, and is still prevalent with mil-
lions of human beings. The Church of Eome teaches this
doctrine to her followers. Her Fathers and Doctors received it
from the Greek philosophers, several of whom held that '
' each
demon is a mediator between God and man. '
'
^ Many festivals
have therefore been instituted by the Church in honor of the

saints, who, the faithful are taught to believe, convey their
prayer to the Almighty.
True, these do not, as the devotees in some temples in India
still do, stamp the red unprint of their hands on the walls, ^ to
remind the god of their vow and prayer; but they fasten
votive offerings made of gold, silver, copper, or wax, accord-
ing to the worshipper's means, to the image and to the altar
of the saint invoked.
Such votive offerings, made of clay, are found scattered
most abundantly round the altars in the temples of the ancient
Mayas, or buried in the ground at the foot of the statues of

their great men.
It is well known that no two individuals have hands of
exactly the same size or shape ; that the lines in the palms differ
in every person. The red impress of the hand, on that account,
'Plato, Simpos, vol. iii., pp. 203-303 (edit. Serrain). St. Clement of
Alexandria, Stromata, v., lib. c, p. 360 (edit. Potter), in admitting that
the good demons were the angels, stated the opinion of many Christians of
his time and Dionysius Areopagite, in his Celestial Hierarchy, chap, x.,
;
§ 11, says "All the angels are interpreters and messengers of their supe-
:
riors the most advanced, of God who moves them, and the others as they
;
are moved by God."

^ Account of General Grant's visit to the Maharajah of Jeypoor, New
York Herald, edition of April 13, 1879.

came to be regarded as a private seal, a mark of ownership.'
As was used from tuue immemorial by the Mayas, in

such it
whose temples and palaces can yet be seen numerous red im-
prints of hands of various shapes and sizes. Such impressions
being met with in all places in Polynesia and in India where
other vestiges of the Mayas are found, may serve as compass
to guide us in following their migrations over the vast expanse
of land and sea, and to indicate the ancient roads of travel.
In thne the red color, used in thus recording invocations to

the gods and registering the rights of ownership, came to be
accepted as legal color for seals in public and private docu-
ments. The Egyptians made use of a red mixture to stamp
the imprint of their personal seals on the doors of tombs, of
houses, and of granaries, to secure them.^
Eed seals are used by the Mongol kings on all official docu-
ments.^ This custom of using materials of a red color to seal
all important and legal documents has reached our times; it
still obtains among aU civilized nations.
The foregoing facts tell us, it is true, of the adoption of the
red color, among aU civilized nations of antiquity, as sjmibol of
nobility of race and of invocation —devotees using it in recording
their vow or -prajev when imploring the benison of the gods on

themselves or their homes ; also of its being employed in seals
as mark of ownership, hence of dominion over the objects thus

sealed; but nowhere is any mention made of the people among
whom the custom originated, nor why it came to be the sjmibol
' Henry R. Schoolcraft, "On the Red Hand," apud J. L. Stephens,

Incidents of Travels in Yucatan, vol. ii., p. 476, Appendix.
' Sir Gardner Wilkinson, Manners and Customs, vol. iii., chap, xvi.,
p. 437.
'
M. Hue, Recollections of a Journey through Tartary, Thibet, and China,
vol. i., chap, viii., p. 182.
QUEEJSi MOO AJS^D TEE EGYPTIAN SPHINX. 103
of acts SO dissimilar as the assertion of power, might, and

dominion, and the recording of a prayer and, a supplication. It
is again from the Mayas that we may learn the cause of this
seeming antithesis; the various meanings of the single Maya
word chac afford a complete explanation.
Chac is the Maya word for "red." Cliaac is the
rain-storm, and the thunder, that powerful and terrible genius
that produces the rain which brings fertility to the earth.
This giant, this Cliac, was held as the "god of rain,"
"the god of plenty," "the keeper of the whose
fields," in
honor the great festival, called Tiipp-Kak, " the extinguish-

ment of fire," was celebrated in the month of Mac,* when
the priests, assisted by the Cliacs, their aids, implored his
blessing in the shape of abundant rains, to bring forth tlie
crops and produce plenteous harvests, hence joy and happiness

to the people.
Here, then, we find the reason why the color red was at
the same time the sjnnbol for violence and for supplication
or prayer. It typified the violence of the thunder, the god
of rain, and the supplications of his priests that he should
grant a bountiful harvest that would insure happiness to his
worshippers.
The cross was his emblem.^
'Landa, Las Cosas de Yucatan, g xl., p. 353.

This month of Mac began on the 13th of our month of March, and
ended on the 2d of April.
' Aug. Le Plongeon, Sacred Mysteries, etc.,
p. 138, et passim.
X.
The following invocation to the god of rain was made

known for the first time to students of American antiquities
by the learned Abbe Brasseur in his Chrestomathy.^ He tells
us he had it from a native, while at the hacienda of X-Caii-
chakaii. It is one of the many ancient prayers yet extant
among the natives, who still repeat them when, in the obscure
recesses of the forests, or in the depths of the dark, myste-
rious subterranean caves with which the country is honey-

combed, they perform some of the antique rites of the religion
of their forefathers.^
As published, the invocation, adulterated by the interpola-
tion of Christian words taught the natives by the Catholic

priests, despoiled of its archaic form, loses much of its interest.
The individual who translated it for the Abbe, either did it
very carelessly, or purposely did not interpret all the words, or

was very illiterate. As presented it is stripped of its most
'
Abbe Brasseur, " Clirestomathie," in his Elements de la Langue Maya,
Troano MS., vol. ii., p. 101.
' Alice D. Le Plongeon, Here and There in Tiicatan, pp. 88-89.
QUEEN MOO AND THE EGYPTIAN SPSINX. 105
instructive features, which relate to certain religious practices
in use among devotees in olden times. Although the learned

Abbe says he has tried to improve the translation, it is certain
that he himself is far from having apprehended the true mean-
ing of the Maya words. As for Dr. Brinton —who in his

books poses as authoi-ity on all matters pertaining to the
Mayas and their language, and is very prone to criticise
others '
—by rendering verbatim, in English, the French abbe's
version,^ he has conclusively demonstrated that he does not
understand the context of the prayer better than Brasseur,
who, he affirms, " knew next to nothing about Maya." ^
On our return to Yucatan in June, 1880, SeSor Dn. Vicente

Solis de Leon, one of the present owners of the hacienda
of X-Cancliakan, within the boundaries of which are situ-
ated the ruins of the ancient city of Mayapaji, invited Mrs.
Le Plongeon and myself to visit the remains of the famous
abodes of the powerful king Cocoin, and of his descendants
until the year 1M6 of the Christian era, when, according to
Landa, the lords and nobles of the country, with the chief of
the Tiituxiiis at their head, put to death the then reigning
Cocom and his sons, sacked his palace, and destroyed by fire
his city and stronghold, after removing the libraries and other
precious things from the temples and private dwellings.''
Being at X-Cancliakaii, I met a native, Marcelo Caiiich,
an old Mayoral who had lived for more than forty years on the
^ Dr. Brinton presumes to criticise, witliout adducing his reasons for so
doing, the assertion made by the author that the ancient Maya architects
made use, in the construction of tlieir edifices, of a lineal
measure identical
Tvith the metre. For an answer to this unfounded criticism, see Appendix,
notes xii. and xiv.
' B. G. Brinton, Essays of an Americanist, p. 167.
' Ibid., p. 361. For a reply to this assertion, see Appendix, note xv.
*
Landa, las Cosas de Yucatan, chap, viii., p. 50.
hacienda. He had a clear remembrance of John L. Stephens

and his companions Messrs. Catherwood and Cabot. He also
remembered well Abbe Brasseur, towhom he had recited the
invocation to the god of rain. When he repeated it to me,
notwithstanding the admixture of Christian ideas, I saw in it
not only one of those archaic prayers that continue to live in
the memory of the natives, but that it contained most interest-

ing information, and the explanation of certain ceremonies
that the ancient sculptors have so graphically portrayed in
their bas-reliefs.
Some months later we again established our residence in
Uxmal, that ancient metropolis of the Tutiil-Xiiis. While
there, the head man of the laborers who accompanied me was
the late Dn. Lorenzo Pacab. He was a lineal descendant of
the kings of Muna. His commands, given in a soft low
voice, were instantly obeyed by the men. He understood
Spanish, was fond of reading, but hated to speak the tongue of
the destroyers and persecutors of his race. He himself had

cruelly suffered at the hands of the white man. Still, when he
died, so highly respected was he by his townfolk, that they
honored his remains with as grand a funeral as had taken place
for many years in Mima ; the principal inhabitants, white as
well as native, accompanying his body, reverentially, to its last
abode.
I do not remember having ever seen him laugh. Some-
times a sad, bitter smile would play upon his Kps, when allusion
was made to the history of his people. Notwithstanding the

color of my skin, a great friendship sprang up between us —
true, sincere attachment. He was well informed concerning
the traditions, antique lore, customs, and religious rites of his
ancestors. I could seldom induce him to speak on that subject.
to liim so replete with painful, cruel memories. Only when

I pointed out to him the strange similarity of the customs and
manners of ancient Mayas and those of ancient Egyptians,
Chaldees, and other historical nations of antiquity, would he

relax from his habitual secrecy, and ask me questions that, to
my mind, were like the lifting of a veil hung over a bright
panorama.
When I showed him the invocation as given to me by
Caiiicli, he smiled, and passed his pencil, without speaking,
over the words referring to Christian ideas.'
LsrVOCATION TO THE GoD OF EaIN.
Tippen lakiii yume ti u When the master rises in

cante tzil caaii, ti i\ caiite the East, the four parts of
tzil Imim, cii lubiil in than heaven, the four corners of the
ti cancan xotHol, ti u kab earth, are shattered, and my
jTimbil. broken accents fall in the hands
of the Lord.
U likil miiyal lakin, ti When the cloud rises in the
nacahbal chvininc ti cd,nil East, and ascends to the centre
Alitepal, ti oxlabun taz where sits the Orderer of the
ninyal, Abtzolan, Kan thirteen banks of clouds. King
chac ; u paatahbal yiim Alitzolan, the "tearer," the
tzibol ul-laalibalob Ahtzo- "yellow thunder," where the
lan, Kancheob ti cilicb lords who tear await the com-
Danii balclie, yetel u cilicli ing of Abtzolan, then the
yacunah ti yunitzilob, Ali- keeper of the troughs wherein
canan colob utial ti ctiaob is fermenting the precious
' I present here, side by Maya text

side, tlie and my own English trans-
lation. Dictionary in hand, Maya students will be able to verify its
accuracy.
u cilicli oabilali, tii cilich balche, full of love for the

noli yuiiilbil. lord's fearers, "guardians of
the crops," presents the holy
offerings that they may place
them in the presence of the
Most High, whom they rever-
ence as a father.
Cin kubic ii zxiliuy chii- I also offer the virgin bird
cWl yetel in cilich yacu- with my holy love. Thou
naliil tech bin yanac a
; wilt look at me when I cut my
pactic, en ti ii xothol nia- privities, I who beg thy bless-
ali kintzil ; cin katoltic ings with my heart full of love
d, putic ft cicithan tvi uolol for thee, and ask thee to accept
a puczikal ca knbic a cil- my precious offerings and place
ich yacunah a chic Zuhuy them in the hands of the Most
oabilah bay-tumen pay- High.
;
ben utial knbic ti Ii Kab

Ynmbil.
The mutilation of the devotee by his own hand, and his
prayer that the gods should look upon him whilst he performs
the operation, recall vividly the practices in use among the
Phoenicians and the Phrygians during the orgiastic rites, and
their worship of the goddess Amma (Agdistis), the "great
mother of the gods, Mai'a, when young men were wont to
'
'
make themselves eunuchs with a sharp shell, crying out at the

same time, "Take this, Agdistis.''^ ^ Herodotus^ tells us that
at the feast of Isis, at Busiris, " after the sacrifices, men and
women, to the number of several myriads, beat themselves
in honor of what god, it would be impiety to say. The
'Max Duncker, History of Antiquity, vol. i., p. 531.
'Herodotus, History, lib. ii., Ixi.
Page 109.
Plate XXXIV.
nlj.^ rr---a'^=7^<y-~=^&.cSC'-^~^ J rf^.-^ ^""""'^ iiJ3-lJ—J.I

.
y -
Carians established in Egypt do still more. They stab them-

'
selves on the forehead with knives.
Landa ^ informs us that '
' the men in Yucatan made offer-
ings of their own blood, and inflicted the most cruel treatment
on their own persons, to propitiate the gods and beseech their
favor. These sanguinary acts of piet};" that formed part of the
religious observances of the ISTahuatls, when introduced by
them among the Mayas, were looked upon by the latter with
great abhorrence, as acts unworthy of intelligent beings, for-
eign to the religion of their fathers, and distasteful to the
gods. "We may here record another singular coincidence. The
worshippers of Siva, the Hindoo god of destruction, and those
of his wife, the cruel goddess Kali, are wont to torture them-
selves to do homage to these divinities by drawing a rope
through their pierced tongue,^ as we see in the sculpture from
Blanche, now in the British Museum. (Plate XXIX.)
The invocation to the god of rain affords, also, an expla-
nation of the subjects represented on the tablets of the altars
in the temples of Naclian (Palenque), a city which seems to
have been sacred to the god of rain, symbolized by an image of
the Southern Cross. This special worship would seem to indi-
cate that the inhabitants of that country were agriculturists.
The analysis of the tablet represented in the illustration
strengthens this presumption. (Plate XXXIV.)

A knowledge of the symbolism in vogue among ancient
Maya adepts, together with the text of the invocation, gives
us a clear understanding of the meaning of the sculptures on
the said tablet.
'
Landa, Las Cosas de Yucatan, pp. 160-163.
^ William Ward, A View of the History, Literature, and Religion of the
Hindoos, pp. 283-284.
There can be no question as to the central figure represent-

ing a cross, image of the constellation known as the Southern
Cross. When at the beginning of the month of May this
appears perpendicular over the horizon, the husbandman knows

that the rainy season is near at hand. He then prepares to
sow the seed for the next crop. This is wh}^ in all times and
in all countries, the cross has been regarded as hai'binger of
the regeneration of nature, and the sign of the life to come and
;
why the T) tC'^h ™ Egypt, was placed in the hands or on the

chest of all miunmies.
This symbol, so common in the sculptures and temples of
Palenque, sacred to the gods of rain, is of very rare occur-
rence in those of Yucatan, whose inhabitants were navigators,
hence worshippers of the mastodon, god of the sea, whose
image adorns their palaces, sacred and public buOdings.
The Maya meaning of Ti-ha-ii, name of the sign T, is,
"This is for Avater; " and the main ornament, ^^^^^î on

the headdress of the priest standing on the right, or east, side
of the cross, is the weU-known symbol of water, emblem of the
divinity to whom he ministers.
On each side of the cross stands a human figure ; that of a
man on the right, that of a woman on the left. They are
emblematic of the dual forces of nature.
As in the tableau represented in plates vii. and viii. of the
Codex Cortesianus, herein reproduced (Plates LV.-LVL), the

maleprinciple. Cab, the "world," the "ancestor,'" is pictm'ed
facing the east, holding in his hand the sign of life, Ik three
times repeated, so in the Palenque tablet the male, he who
fecundates,is placed to the right (that is, the east), whence the
" Lord," hfe-giver and sustainer, the Sun, rises every morning
to animate and give strength to all nature.
QUEEN MOO AND THE EGYPTIAN SPHINX. HI
As again in the tableau of the Cortesianus, the female prin-
ciple, Ik inainacah, the " life nuUifier," " she who causes life
to disappear," is placed to the left, so in the Palenque tablet
the female, the generator, is likewise placed to the left (that is,
the west), where every evening the sun disappears, leaving

behind him darkness, in which generation takes place. The
badge on her arm, a circle with its perpendicular and horizontal
diameters intersecting each other, image of the mundane cross,
is the symbol of the impregnated virgin womb of nature,'

hence of the life to come ; while her headdress is adorned with
leaves, emblem of the life that has come.
Both are making oiierings to their god: the priest presents
a young bird ; the priestess, a f uU-grown plant with its roots,
trunk, leaves, flowers, and fruit. "We are told that they are
the cliacs, keepers of the troughs in which the sacred balclie
is fermenting.^
It is weU to recall here what Father Cogolludo,' quoting
various authors who wrote regarding the Conquest and the
customs and religion of the natives, says respecting the cross
as symbol of the god of rain
" Gomara, speaking of the religion of the people of the
island of Cozumel, says : . . .
'
Near by there was a tem-
ple that looked Kke a square tower, in which they kept a very
' See Appendix, note xiii.

^ Tlie Tbalcli^ was a fermented liquor made of honey and the bark of
the balchg tree steeped in "water. It was used to make libations in the
sacrifices to the gods, and in all religious rites —as the wine is used at the
mass in Catholic churches. Does not tliis sacred balchS of the Mayas
bring to mind the soma of the Hindoos, made from the Asclepias acida and
from the Sarcostemma acidum ; or the amrta, the divine beverage of the
Indian gods or the nectar that Homer tells us the beautiful Hebe dispensed
;
to the gods of Olympus ?

' Cogolludo, Hist, de Yucathan, lib. iv., cap. ix., pp. 300-202.
famous idol. At the foot was an enclosure made of stone and

mortar, highly jBnished with battlements. In the middle of
this existed a stone cross ten palms high, which they regarded
and worshipped as the god of rain ; because when it did not
rain, and the water was scarce, they went to it in procession
and with great devotion. They made offerings of quails that

had been sacrifiiced, in order to allay its wrath against them
with the blood of this small bird; after which they held it
certain that rain would soon fall. '
" . . .
" Torquemada says,
that after the Indian Chilam Balam showed them the symbol
of the cross, they regarded this as the god of rain, and felt
certain that they would never be in want of rain whilst they

devoutly asked it of the cross. " . . .
" Dr. Yllescas, in his
Pontifical (Mb. 6, chap. 23, § 8), also says that they had a god,
in the shape of a cross, which they regarded as the god of
rain.'''' .
Without a knowledge of the Maya language and of the

sj^mbolism of the Maya occultists, it would be weU-nigh
impossible to understand why a quail, a bird, iu full plumage,
is figured perched on the top of the cross; why the cross is
planted on a skull; why devotees offered sacrifices of birds to

the god of rain. The explanation, however, is most simple.
The bird on the top of the cross typifies the seed deposited in
the ground at the beginning of the rainy season, and placed in
the keeping of the god of rain, invoked as protector of the
fields. CMicll is the Maya generic name for "bird; " but it
also means "seed," and "to gather one by one grains that
have been scattered," as birds do in the fields, robbing the

owners of both the seed and the crops. What, then, more
natural than to offer their enemies in sacrifice to the god, to
the Yuniil col, the lord of the crops? This is why they
made offerings of birds, those destroyers of the crops, those
robbers of the seed, to the protector of the fields.
The cross being planted on a skull simply indicates that

fi'om death springs life ; that the seed symbolized by the bird
on the top of the cross must first become decomposed in the
ground before coming again to life in the shape of a plant.
It is "tt'ell to notice that all the ornaments that, besides the

text, adorn the tablet, are either leaves, flowers, or some other
parts of the living plant, showing that the temple, Avhere it
was placed, was dedicated to the god, protector of agriculture.

XI.
Let us revert to our inquiry concerning the customs observed

at funerals by both Mayas and Egyptians. "We Tvill examine
one or two so remarkable that they cannot be honestly attrib-
uted to mere coincidence.
We have seen that in Mayach, as in India, Chaldea,
Egy|3t, and many other countries, a certain kind of ape was
held sacred; its worship being, no doubt, closely related to
that of ancestors. But how came the cynoce]3halus to be con-
nected in Egjqat with the rites of the dead ? This species of
monkey is not a native of Egjq^t, but is of Central America,
where it is very abundant.
Thoth, the god of wisdom and letters, was the reputed
preceptor of Isis and Osiris. He was supposed to hold the
office of scribe in Amenti, where his business was to note
down the actions of the dead, and present or read the record of
them to Osiris while sitting as judge of the lower regions.
Thoth, in that capacity, is represented as a cynocephalus mon-
key, in a sitting posture. He is thus frequently portrayed
seated on the top of the balance in the judgment scenes, and
regarded as the second of the gods of the dead. In May-

acli, also, Baaa, the cynocephalus, was the attendant of the
"god of death," and always represented in a kneeling posture.
During our sojourn at Uxmal we surveyed a ruined edifice

little known to visitors, although quite extensive. On the sum-
mit of the pyramid, forming the north side, is a shrine com-
posed of two apartments, one smaller than the other. The
smaller, the sanctum scmctoruTn, can only be reached by pass-
ing through the larger. Opposite the doorway of the front
chamber, and at the head of the steep stairway leading to the
yard, is a round stone altar where, Landa tells us, human vic-
tims were immolated, as offerings to the deity. At the foot of

those stairs is a large rectangular platform, one metre high.
The sides were once composed of slabs covered with inscrip-
tions beautifully sculptured in intaglio to make them more

lasting. Having been submitted to the action of fire, the
characters have become well nigh obliterated. On several of
the slabs that had happened to fall face downward, the writing
is well preserved.
The centre of the platform was occupied by a huge statue
of the Yuni cimil, " god of death," represented by a skeleton
in a squatting posture. His attendants were six cynocephali,
kneeling as if in prayer (Plate XXIV.), placed on each side of
him, one at each corner of the platform, one between these in
the middle of the east and west sides. The god of death faced
south, where his kingdom was supposed to be situated.
In the present state of our knowledge it is difficult to
why that species of ape came to be connected, in

surmise
Mayach, with the rites of the dead. We might, perhaps,
find the explanation by translating the inscriptions that
adorned the platform, at least what remains of them. Is it a
116 QUEEN 3100 AND THE EGYPTIAN SPSINX.
mere coincidence that in Egj^pt, as in Mayacli, cynocephali

Avere thus associated with the king of the dead ? That such
Avas the fact there is no doubt. But who can to-day tell what
circumstances concurred to originate it ? The cynocephalus is
a native of Ethiopia, not of Egypt.^ It is also indigenous of
Yucatan and other parts of Central America.

Images of cynocephali, always in the attitude of prayer,
are found in many places in Yucatan, as weU as in Copan
(Honduras) and Guatemala.^ Baaa and Chvien, of whose
metamorphosis into monkeys we read in the " Popol-vuh, " ^
and which is said to have taken place in Xibalba, the lower

regions, the kingdom of darkness, were worshipped in May-
ach, particularly in Yucatan and Oaxaca."*
Baao and Chuen are the names of personages who lived
in tunes anterior to those when King Caiichi and his family
reigned over Mayach. Their history has come to us, in the

sacred book of the Quiches, in the form of a myth. Deified
after their death, as all rulers were, the generations that fol-
lowed them paid them divine homage. Baaa is the Maya

word for " cynocephalus." The meaning of the name Cliiien
is now lost. We only find it as that of the eighth day of the
month.
Like the Mayas," the Egyptians regarded the West as the
region of darkness, the place where the souls of the dead
' Plinius, Bist. Nat., viii. 54 ; vii. 2.

' Horapollo, Hierogly., lib. i., 14, 15. In astronomical subjects two
cynocephali are frequently represented standing in a boat in attitude of
prayer before the sun.
' Popol-Viih, part ii., chap, vii., et passim.
* Fray Geronimo Roman, Republica de las Indias Ocddentales, lib. ii.,
cap. XV.
' Codex Cortesianus, plate viii.
returned to the bosom of their ancestors in the reahns of

Amenti. There King Osiris sat on a throne in the midst of
the Tvaters ; there, also, it was that Thoth performed his oiRce
of scribe. Was, then, the worship of the cynocephalus, his
totem, brougiit to Egypt from the Lands of the "West?
Another funeral custom among the Egyptians, mentioned
by ChampoUion Figeac and ^ Sir Gai'dner Wilkinson,^ was that
of placing the right arm of the mummies of distinguished per-
sons across the chest, so that the right hand rested on the left
shoulder. We find that this same custom obtained in May-
acli. We shall refer to it more at length, later on, when
explaining the sculptui-es that ornamented Prince Coh's
mausoleum.
If we examine the ornaments worn by the personages rep-
resented by the atlantes, those portrayed in the bas-reliefs on
the jambs of the doorway and on the antae that supported the
entablature of the portico of Prince Coh's Memorial HaU,
likenesses, probably, of individuals who lived when the struc-
ture was erected, who were, no doubt, friends and relatives of
the deceased prince, we find that said ornaments consisted of
ear-rings, nose-rings, nose-studs, armlets, bracelets, anklets,
garters, necklaces, breastplates, and finger-rings. From times

immemorial to our day, the same kind of jewelry has been
used in India, Chaldea, Asia Minor, Egypt, and Greece. Nose
rings and studs, however, seem to have been ornaments essen-
tially belonging to the Western Continent. They are still as
much the prevalent adornment among the tribes living on the

banks of the upper Amazon River and its affluents, in the very
ChampoUion Figeac, E'Uhivers, Egypte, p. 261.

" Sir Gardner Wilkinson, Manners and Customs, vol. iii., chap, xvi.,
p. 486.
heart of the southern American continent,' and with the

majority of the Mexican tribes,^ as they were among the
Mayas even at the time of the Spanish Conquest.^ Thej^ are
habitually worn by women of all classes in India;* hj Arab
women of Mesopotamia/ as they were by Jewish women in the
time of Isaiah. He threatened the daughters of Zion, on
account of their haughtiness, with the loss of their ornaments,
among which were their rings and other nose jewels.^ So
far as we know, nose-rings and nose-studs were not in vogue
among the ancient Aryans. They, therefore, did not intro-
duce the custom of wearing such ornaments in the countries
they invaded. Said custom must have been brought to Asia,
in very remote ages, by immigrants from America. It is a
noticeable fact that it only obtained in countries where vestiges

of the Mayas and their civilization are found.
Must we regard as a mere coincidence the use of these nose

and hp ornaments that, to us, seem not only extremely incon-
venient, but rather disfiguring than beautifying the face of the
wearer, yet so prevalent among many peoples living thousands
of miles apart, knowing nothing of each other's existence ?
Perhaps those knowing professors who pretend to exjjlain
all these identical customs existing in so many diverse nations,
by the tendency of the human mind, in its struggles to free
'
Paul Marcoy (Lorenzo de Saint-Bricq), Travels in South America,
vol. ii.
' Bancroft, Native Racei of America, vol. i.
Diego de CogoUudo, Hiat. de YucatJian, lib. xii., chap, vii., p. 699.

=
Diego de Landa, Las Corns de Yucatan, p. 182.

*
C. F. Gordon Gumming, In tlie Himalayas and on the Indian Plains,
chap, iv., p. 90. Bishop Heber, Nari-atives of a Journey through the Upper
Provinces of India, vol. ii., pp. 179, 188.
' Henry Layard, Nineveh and Babylon, pp. 153-262.
" Isaiah, chap, iii., verse 21.
itself from the darkness of barbarism, when placed in similar
conditions, to act in the same manner and repeat the same

actions, wUl find here an incontrovertible proof of the accu-
racy of their pet theory. But we who want more than theo-
ries, who require proofs for every scientific or historical fact
asserted, will ask them. How is it that the strange custom
of wearing rings hanging from the nose or lips, or studs fast-
ened on either or both sides of the nose, has obtained and does
still obtain with peoples who have had intimate relations with
the ancient Mayas, and with these only ?
"WTio can assia-n limits to the extravagance of the votaries
of fashion, that most merciless of tyrants ? In all tunes, in all
countries, it has held, and still holds, sway over them, be they
civilized or savage. It incites them to deck their bodies with
the most ridiculous and unbecoming appendages under pretext
of adorning them; and they, its slaves, hmnbly obey.
'Next to these nose and lip jewels, the ornament that most
attracts attention in the portraits represented in the sculptures
and paintings of the Maya artists is the necklace, of which
there is a great variety, worn by persons of rank. It would
seem that it was used as a badge of authority, as was the
breastplate, since some necklaces bear a notable resemblance
to those seen round the necks of the images of the gods and
goddesses in Egypt. "We know that there, as in Chaldea and
many other coimtries, they were bestowed on the wearers
as a mark of royal favor ;^ whilst armlets and bracelets were
tokens of rank, seldom worn except by officers of the court or
persons of distinction.^
' Genesis, chap, xli., verse 43. Gardner Wilkinson, Manners and Ciis-
toms, vol. iii., p. 370.
^ RaTvlinson, The Five Monarchies, vol. i., p. 568 ; vol. iii., p. 370.
XII.
Before entering the funeral chamber, let us examine the

graceful decorations that embellished the entablature of the
Memorial Hall. From them we shall learn by whom, to whom,
and for what purpose it was erected. Properly speaking, there
is not a single inscription, not a single letter or character, on
any part of the building ; and yet the architect who conceived
the plan, and had it executed, so cleverly arranged the orna-
ments that they fonn the dedication. "We must, of course,
read it in the Maya language. (Plate XXXV.)
Beginning at the top of the entablature, we notice that the
first line of ornaments represents a rope loosely twisted, and
that within the open strands there are circles. This ornament
is three times repeated.
One of the names for rope, in Maya, is kaaii. There are
two words for circle, liol and iiol. Taking hoi to be the first
syllable of a dissyllable suggested by the two distinct objects
that compose the ornament, and kaaii to be the second, we

have, by changing the k into c, the word liolcan, which
means a "warrior." Holcan,' moreover, was a title corre-
'
Landa, Las Cosas de Yucatan, | xxix., p. 174.
Page 120. Plate XXXV.
Page 121. Plate XXXri.
spending to our modern captain-general. The repetition of a

n'ord is one form of superlative. Hence the word holcau
three times repeated would read the " very vahant," the " war-
rior of warriors," the "Avarriorâr excellence.''^
The most prominent ornament in the second line represents

a series of knots or joints of the bamboo cane. Moc is the
generic Maya word for " knot. " This bamboo joint or knot is
often used as totem of Queen Moo, whose name is the radical

or first syllable of the verb moocol, " to knot," and of many
other words the meaning of which is "to join," " to tie," etc.
On the same line there are also four circles, and a fish on
each side of the series of knots. Cay is the Maya for " fish."
It was the name of the highpriest, elder brother of Queen
M6o. His totem on the monuments is always a fish. (Plate
XXXVI.) Taking each of the circles that accompany the fish
as a unit, we have the niunerical can, a word that,
' '
four, ' '
as we have already seen,i has many meanings in the Maya

language. It is, as the English word can, always connected
with power and might. In this instance it signifies "to

speak," and, by extension, "to testify," particularly if we
consider that the word iiol, besides circle, also means " to
desire," "to wish." The ornament composed of four circles
and a fish, then, signifies that Cay, the pontiil, wishes to

speak, to testify.
On the third line we again find the circles uol many times
repeated, which in this case should be translated "to ear-
nestly desire," "to crave." These circles are separated by
reedings, that form, as it were, a kind of frame around the
knots in the centre of the second line, to indicate that the
action represented by this ornament is directly connected with
'
Ubi supra, p. 93.
the person Tvhose totem said knots are. These reedings are
composed of straight lines carved in the stone, and are sur-
rounded by a border.
To cut or carve straight lines in a hard substance with a
sharp-pointed tool is expressed by the simple word ppaay, in
Maya. Chi is the word for border. The whole ornament, then,
gives the word ppaay chi. But payalchi is a "prayer,"
an "invocation;" and pjjaachi is "to make an offering,"
"to make a vow." The duplication of the ornament indicates
the earnestness of the vow, or the fervor with which the
offering is made.
The leopards are the totem, hence the name of the hero to
whose memory the hall was erected. By these we learn that

he was caUed Coh. As to the shields covered with leopard
skin, they are the badges of his profession, which, from the
ropes with circles within their open strands, we have already
learned was that of a warrior.
Translating this dedication into English, it reads: "Cay,
the highjyriest, desires to hear loitness that M6o has made this
offering, earnestly invoicing Coh, the warrior of wa/rriors.''''

Does not this recall to mind the invocations of the two
sisters, Isis and Nike, in the book of Lamentations ;

' and in
that of " Glorifjring Osiris in Aquerti " ?^

As we are about to enter the funeral chamber, hallowed by
the love of the sister-wife. Queen Moo, the beauty of the
carvings on the zapote beam that forms the lintel of the
doorway caUs our attention. (Plates XXXVII.-XXXVIII.)
Here is represented the antagonism of the brothers Aac
and Coh, that led to the murder of the latter by the former.
' Translation of Mr. Horrack.
' Translation of Mr. Pierret.
Page 122. Plate XXXVII.
Page 122. Plate XXX VIII.
Carved in tlie lintel are the names of these personages, rep-

resented by their totems —a leopard-head for Coli ; and a
boar-head as well as a turtle for Aac, this word meaning
both boar and turtle in Maya. Aac is pictured within the
disk of the sun, his protective deity, which he worshipped,
according to mural inscriptions at Uxmal. Full of anger
he faces his brother. In his right hand there a badge orna-
is
mented with feathers and flowers. The threatening way

in which this is held suggests a concealed weapon. Among
the people of Tahiti, eloquent bards went to battle among the
warriors, inciting them with glowing words; those orators car-
ried a bunch of green leaves which served to hide a dangerous
weapon made from the bone of the sting-ray.^ A fell intent
disguised beneath blossoms suggests the treacherous way in
which Coh was slain.
The face of Coli, also, expresses anger. With him is the

feathered serpent, emblem of royalty, thence of the country,
more often represented as a winged serpent protecting Coh.
In his left hand he holds his weapons, down; while his
right hand clasps his badge of authority, with which he
covers his breast as if for protection, and demanding the
respect due to his rank.
So in Mayach as in Egypt,^ and in every place where
Maya civilization has penetrated, we find the sun and the ser-
pent inimical to each other. Are we to see in the Egjqjtian
myth of Horus (the sun) killing the serpent Aphophis, by
piercing his head with a lance, a tradition of the hostility of the
brothers Aac and Coh in Mayach ? Both belonged to the
' Ellis (W.), Polynesian Researches, vol. i., chap, xi., p. 287.
- Sir Gardner Wilkinson, Manners and Customs, vol. iii., chap, xiii.,
pp. 59, 144, 154.

Can (serpent) dynasty. In Greece we find a reflection of the

Egyptian myth in the fable of Apollo (the sun) killing the
serpent Python. In the " Mahabharata " Krishna —that is,
HORUS KILLING THE SERPENT APHOPHig.
the god Vishnu in his eighth avatar — kills the serpent Anantha,
the seven-headed, enemy of the gods, when he was wrestling
with the goddess Parvati.^
During their captivity in Babylon, the Jews, among other
legends of the Chaldees, learned the tradition of the enmity
between the woman and the serpent, that Hilkiah, the high-
priest,^ introduced at the beginning of Genesis.' The Chris-
tians received it from the Jews; and to this day the Church
'
J. T. "Wheeler, Mahahharata, vol. i., " Legends of Krishna."
" 3 Kings, chap, xxii., verses 8-10 ; also 2 Chron., chap, sxxiv., verse
15. See Appendix, note xvii.
^ Genesis, chap, ii., verse 15.
QUEEN 2100 AND THE EGYPTIAN SPHINX. 125
of Eome always pictures the Virgin Mary with a serpent

coiled at her feet. So, also, we see the Goddess Maya in
Japan. She is represented standing on a rock, the name of

which is symbolized by a dragon encircling it with its body,
its head resting at her feet. In her hand she holds aloft a
branch of the mangrove tree, bearing fruit. This is the totem,
or name, of her familj', Caiichi. The mangrove tree and
its fruit are called Cauche in the Maya language; that is,
" serpent wood, " from the appearance of its contorted roots,
that resemble snakes. It is well, in this connection, to
remember that even at the time of the Spanish Conquest the
Maya Empire was called Nohcau, the great serpent, and
also belj, the mulberry tree,^ and the authors of the Troano
MS. and of the Cortesianus always represented the Maya
Empire either as a tree rooted in the South American continent,
or as a serpent —sometimes with, sometimes without, wings. In
another work I have shown, when speaking of the relation of
the tree and the serpent with the country in the middle of the
land,^ that Tuen-leao-fam,, a very ancient commentator on the
"Chou-King," says that â?i means the trunk of a tree, and
tchi are the branches.
Passing between the figures of armed chieftains sculptured

on the jambs of the doorway, and seeming like sentinels guard-
ing the entrance of the funeral K chamber, we notice one

wearing a headdi'ess similar to the V, crown of Lower Egypt,
/
which formed part of the Pshent ^'\\ of the Egyptian mon-

archs. "We step into the hallowed place with as much rever-
ence as if the body of the dead hero still lay in state within
its walls after being prepared for cremation.
' Cogolludo, Hiit. de Tucathan, lib. i., chap. i.
" A. Le Plongeon, Sacred Mysteries, etc., p. 127.

Does not the memory of his life, of his exploits in war, of

the bitter hatred of his brother Aac, of his death at the
hand of the friend of his childhood, still hover there? So,
also, that of the love of his sister-vtîfe. Moo, who, we know,
ordered the erection of this monument to perpetuate it; of his
friends, who shed tears for their companion in pleasure, their
^
brave leader in battle, and whose effigies supported the altar

on which offerings were made to his manes ; of a whole nation
that mourned the untimely end of their beloved ruler —he
who brought glory, power, and happiness to the people ? In
so saying, I am but the mouthpiece of the author of that
celebrated Maya book, the Troano.
'
Troano MS., part ii., plate xvi., lower compartment.
XIII.
It vrsis with conflicting sentiments of awe and disgust that

we contemplated the walls by which we were surrounded.
Many before us had visited this apartment, and, by inscribing
their names, disfigured what remained of the fresco paintings
that once covered those walls from the plinth to the apex of
the triangular arch forming the ceiling. Of these we saved,
by making accurate tracings, all that was possible, noting the
various colors in each part. The tints were stiU bright,
some even brilliant. It seemed as if we had been transported to

one of the royal tombs at Thebes, or to the cave temples in
the island of Elephanta,' only here the artists were less tram-
melled by conventionalities in art. Their designs, freer, truer
to natm'e, more correct in their delineations, particularly of
the human body, show that the artists who executed them
were masters in the art of drawing.^ Like the Egyptian, the
Chaldee, and the Hindoo artists, the Mayas were Little
'
Henry Grose, Voyage in the East Indies, chap, vii., p. 95. See Ap-
pendix, note xviii.
' John L. Stephens, Incidents of Travels in Yucatan, vol. ii., p. 311. See
Appendix, note xi.
acquainted "with the rules of perspective. Their landscapes

were, therefore, defective.'
The frescos in the funeral chamber of Prince Coh's Me-
morial Hall, painted in water colors taken from the vegetable
kingdom, are divided into a series of tableaux se^jarated by
blue lines. The plinths, the angles of the room, and the edges
of the ceiling, being likewise painted blue, indicate that this
was intended for a funeral chamber. We have already said that
blue Avas the mourning color in Egypt, Chaldea, and many
other places. The study of the tableaux proves that the his-
tory they are meant to record miist be read from right to left
and, in this instance, from below upward.
The first scene represents Queen Moo when yet a child.
She is seated on the back of a peccary, or American wild boar,
under the royal umbrella of feathers, emblem of royalty in
Mayach as it was in India, Chaldea, Egypt, and other places.
She is consulting a H-nien, or wise man; listening with pro-

found attention to the decrees of fate as revealed by the crack-
ing of the shell of an armadillo exposed to a slow fire on a
brazier, the condensing on it of the vapor, and the various
tints it assumes. (Plate XXXIX.)
This mode of divination is one of the customs of the
Mayas that tends to show the influence of their civilization
on Asiatic popidations, even on that of the Chinese who seem
to have adopted many Maya customs —unless it be again
argued that they are mere coincidences : for instance, their
mythical traditions of the Tchi, those children of Tien-Hoang,

who had the hody of a serpent, and lived in times anterior to
Ti-Hoang, sovereign of the
'
' country in the middle of the
' William Osburn, Monumental History of Egypt, p. 360. See Appendix,

note xi.
Page 12S. Plate XXXIX.
QUEEN MOO AND THE E&YPTIAN SPHINX. 129
land," mentioned in the " Chou-King," that calls to mind the

empire of the Mayas situated in the middle of the Western
Continent, whose contour was that of a serpent, whose sover-
eigns were the Cans, or serpents ; also the yellow color, prerog-
ative of the royal family in China as in Mayach. Why have

the Chinese a dragon on their imperial banner? Long, "the
winged dragon, '
' s&j the Chinese, is the being that excels in
understanding. It is therefore among them the emblem of the
god of intelligence, keeping watch over the tree of knowledge.
Does not this "winged dragon" recall the "winged ser-
pent," emblem of the Maya Empire, also figured as a tree;

and was not that tree the site of ancient culture, civilization,
and knowledge ? Again, on great and solemn state occasions,

a precisely similar mode of consulting fate, by the emperor, to
that pictured in the first tableau is still performed in China.
It is called the ceremony of Pou, in which, instead of an arma-
dillo, a turtle called Kwri is the victim.^
Eeturning to the description of the tableau: in front of
the young queen Moo, and facing her, is seated the sooth-
sayer, evidently a priest of high rank, judging from the col-
ors, blue and yellow, of the feathers of his ceremonial mantle,
'
In the fourth chapter, entitled "Hong-Fan," of the fourth part of the
Chou-King, at the seventh paragraph, Sloka 20, we read "In all dubious :
cases the king selects an officer wliose duty it is to consult fate. When in-
stalled in office he examines Pou."
Sloka 31 : "This examination comprehends : 1st, the vapor in form of
dew ; 2d, the vapor when it vanishes in the air ; 3d, the color, dark or dull,
of the shell ; 4th, the isolated cracks on the shell ; 5th, the cracks that cross
each other, and those that are joined together."
They believed that by these means they consulted the spirits Kuei, and
only used this mode of divination when
knowledge sought could not
the
be otherwise obtained, and was of great moment. It is well to notice tliat
the name Ku-ei, given to the spirits by the Chinese, is identical with Ku,
" the Supreme Intelligence," among the Mayas and Egyptians.
9
and as behooves the dignity of the consulter; he reads the

decrees of fate on the shell of the armadillo, and the scroll
issuing from his throat says what ihej are. By him stands
the winged serpent, emblem and protective genius of the
Maya Empire. His head is turned toward the royal banner,
which he seems to caress; his satisfaction is reflected in the
mild and pleased expression of his face. Behind the priest,
the position of whose hand is the same as that of Catholic

priests in blessing their congregation, and the significance of
which is well known to occiiltists, are the ladies-in-waiting
of the young queen.
I forbear now to read the meaning of the scroll, because its
colors are here wanting otherwise
; it would be an easy matter,
knowing as I do the history of the lady, the import of the colors
among the Mayas, and that of the shape of the lines forming
the scrolls —image of speech in their paintings and sculpture.
In another tableau (Plate XL.) we again see Queen Moo, no
longer a child, but a comely young woman. She is not seated
under the royal umbrella or banner, but she is once more in
the presence of the H-men, whose face is concealed by a mask
representing an owl's head.
She, pretty and coquettish, has many admirers who vie with
each other for the honor of her hand. In company with one
of her wooers she comes to consult the priest, accompanied by
an old lady, her grandmother probably, and her female attend-
ants. According to custom the old lady is the spokeswoman.
She states to the priest that the young man, he who sits on a
low stool between the two female attendants, desires to marry
the queen. The priest's attendant, seated also on a stool, back
of all, acts as crier, and repeats in a loud voice the speech of
the old lady.
I
Page ISO. Plate XL.
Page 131. Plate XLI.
En
The young queen refuses the offer. The refusal is indicated

by the direction of the scroll issuing from her mouth. It is
turned backward, instead of forward toward the priest as

would be the case if she assented to the marriage.
The H-nien explains that M<io, being a daughter of the
royal family, by law and custom must m.arry one of her
brothers.-' The youth listens to the decision with due respect
for the priest, as shown by his arm being placed across his
breast, the left hand resting on the right shoulder. He does
not accept the refusal in a meek spirit, however. His clinched
fist, his foot raised, as if in the act of stamping, betoken anger
and disappointment, while the attendant behind him expostu-

lates, counselling patience and resignation, judging by the posi-
tion and expression of her extended left hand, pahn upward.
Herodotus teUs us^ " that the Egyptians observed the cus-
toms of their ancestors and did not adopt new ones." Among
them there were two tokens of respect used by inferiors in
the presence of their superiors. They are remarkable enough

to arrest the attention of any one inquiring into their manners
and customs.
One consisted in placing an arm across the chest, the hand
resting on the opposite shoulder; the other, in putting the
forearm, the right generally, across the chest —the hand, with
closed fingers, being over the heart. ^ (Plate XLI.)
' It was the law among the Mayas, that, in order to preserve the royal
blood from admixture and contamination, the girls should marry their
brothers. The same custom obtained in Egypt, Chaldea, Greece, and
many other places from the remotest antiquity. The gods even observed
the practice. We are told that Jupiter married his sister Juno. In Peru
and other countries of the Western Continent, royal brothers wedded their
royal sisters.
' Herodotus, Hist., lib. ii., Ixxix.
^ Sir Gardner Wilkinson, Manners and Customs, illust.
132 QUEEN M60 and THE EGYPTIAN SPHINX.
From the remotest antiquity, if we are to judge by the

fresco paintings in the funeral chamber and the illustrations in
the Troano MS., the same marks of respect obtained among

the Mayas, and were in vogue stiU at the time of the conquest
of Yucatan by the Spaniards, according to Father CogoUudo.'
The Mayas usually placed the left arm across the chest, letting
the left hand rest on the right shoulder.
The natives of Yucatan, British Honduras, Peten, and the
countries bordering on Guatemala still use these signs, among
themselves, when their white neighbors are not present. (Plates
XLII.-XLIII.) Before their white superiors they either stand
erect, hat in hand, their arms hanging by their sides, as is
customary with soldiers in presence of their officers; or with

both arms crossed over their chest.
Can this similarity of signs of respect, common to both
Mayas and Egyptians, be a simple coincidence ? If so, then
what of the identity of the dress of the Egyptian and the Maya
laborers ;
' of the gifts of cloaks to the victors in athletic
games in Egjqit ^ and Mayach ;
^ of the great respect profes.sed
for their elders by the Egyptians ^ and the Mayas ;
^ of their
carrying children astride the hip ;
' of their hatred of for-
eigners ;
^ of the year beginning on about the same day (cor-
responding to the middle of our month of July) in Egypt as
' Diego de CogoUudo, Hist, de Yucathan. lib. ix., cap. viii., p. 489.
^ Wilkinson, Manners and Customs, etc., vol. ii., chap, x., p. 323. Hero-
dotus, Hist., lib. ii., Ixxxi.
' Ibid., xci.
''
Herrera.
''
Herodotus, Hist., lib. ii., Ixxx.
Landa, Las Coaaa de Yucatan, I xxx., p. 178.
°
' Ibid.,
I XX., p. 113. Wilkinson, Manners and Customs, vol. ii., p. 334.
Appendix, note xvi.
' Herodotus, lib. ii., xli., xci.
Page 133. Plate XLII.
Page 132. Plate XLIII.
Page 133. Plate XLir.
in Mayacli ; ' and of many other customs, the list of which is
too long to be enumerated in these pages —are these also coin-
cidences? But if they are not, what then? The Egyptians

invariably following the habits of their ancestors, must we
infer that they and the Mayas had a common ancestry ?
In another tableau (Plate XLIV.) we see the same individual
whose ofifer of marriage was rejected by the young queen, in
consultation with a Nvibchi, or prophet, a priest whose exalted
ranli is indicated by his headdress, and the triple breastplate he
wears over his mantle of feathers. The consulter, evidently a
personage of importance, has come attended by his hachetail,
or confidential friend, who sits behind him on a cushion. The
expression on the face of said consulter shows that he does
not accept patiently the decrees of fate, although conveyed by
the interpreter in as conciliatory manner as possible. The
adverse decision of the gods is manifested by the sharp pro-
jecting centre part of the scroll, but it is wrapped in words as
persuasive and consoling, preceded by as smooth a preamble as

the rich and beautiful Maya language permits and makes easy.
His friend is addressing the prophet's assistant. Reflecting
the thoughts of his lord, he declares that the Nubchi's fine
discourse and his pretended reading of the wiU of the gods
are aU nonsense, and exclaims " Pshaw! " which contemptuous
exclamation is pictured by the yellow scroU, pointed at both
ends, escaping from his nose like a sneeze. The answer of the
priest's assistant, evidenced by the gravity of his features, the
assertive position of his hand, and the bluntness of his speech,
is evidently, " It is so!
"
Should you ask occultists why the feet of the consulter and
' Landa, Las Cosas de Yucatan, § xxxix., p. 336. "Wilkinson, Manners
'
and Customs, vol. iii., chap, xiii , p. 107. ChampoUion Figeac, VUnivers.
Egypte, p. 336. See Appendix, note xvi.
of the prophet are in such close contact, they would teU you
that it is to establish and maintain the magnetic rapport
between them.
In another tableau (Plate XLV.) we see a third, a youthful,
admirer of Queen Moo. His name is Citam (peccary). He

also desires to peer into futurity. His headdress shows him to
belong to the nobility. In fact, he has been Moo's companion
of infancy, and accompanied her when she went to the H-inen
to consult the Pou. He comes naked, in humility, to ask the
aruspice to consult Fate on the motion of the entrails of a
peccary. The interpreter of the decrees of destiny points out
to him the working of the intestines of the animal, which he
has cut open with his sacrificial adze. Judging from the
expression on his face, the future shows itself full of tribula-
tions. The young man listens with sad and respectful attention
to the words of the aruspice. He will submit to the inevita-
ble. He will always be Queen Moo's stanch friend in her

days of happiness, never forsaking her in those of adversity.
Not so, however, her brother Aac, who is madly in love
with her. In Plate XLYI. he is not portrayed approaching the

interpreter of the whl of the gods divested of his garments, in
token of humility in presence of their majesty and of submission

to their decrees. He comes full of arrogance, arrayed in gor-
geous attire, and with regal pomp. He comes not as a suppli-
cant, to ask and accept counsel but, haughty, he makes bold to
;
dictate. He is angered at the refusal of the priest to accede

to his demand for his sister Moo's hand, to whose totem, an
armadillo on this occasion, he points imperiously. It was on
an armadillo's shell that the Fates wrote her destiny when con-
sulted by the performance of the Pou ceremony. The yellow
flames of wrath darting from all over his person, the sharp yel-
Page 134. Plate XLV.
i
Page 13J,. Plate XLVI.
Page 135. Plate XL VII.
low scroll issuing from Ms mouth, symbolize Aac's feelings.
The pontiff, however, is unmoved by them. In the name of

the gods, with serene mien, he denies the request of the proud
nobleman, as his speech indicates.The winged serpent, genius
of the country, that stands erect and ireful by Aac, is also
wroth at his pretensions, and shows in its features and by
sending its dart through Aac's royal banner, a decided oppo-
sition to them, expressed by the ends of his speech being
turned backward, some of them terminating abruptly, others in

sharp points.
Prince Coh sits behind the priest, as one of his attendants.
He witnesses the scene, hears the calm negative answer, sees
the anger of his brother and rival, smiles at his impotence, is
happy at his discomfiture. Behind him, however, sits a spy,

who will repeat his words, report his actions to his enemy.
He listens, he watches.
The highpriest himself. Cay, their elder brother, sees the
storm that is brewing behind the dissensions of Coli and

Aac. He trembles at the thought of the misfortunes that
will surely befaU the dynasty of the Cans ; of the ruin and
misery of the country that will certainly foUow. Divested of
his priestly raiment, he comes nude and humble, as it is
proper for men in presence of the gods, to ask their advice
how best to avoid the impending calamities. The chief of the
aruspices is in the act of reading their decrees on the palpitat-

ing entrails of a fish (Cay). The sad expression on his face,
that of humble resignation on that of the pontiff, of deferen-
tial astonishment on that of the assistant, speak of the inevita-
ble misfortunes that are to come in the near future. (Plate
XLYII.)
Could the history portrayed by these fresco paintings be
136 QUEEN MOO AND TEE EGTPTIAN SPHINX.
given here in all its details, it would prove most interesting but ;
the limits assigned to this work do not allow it. Skipping,

therefore, over several very curious tableaux, we shall consider
the one in which Prince Coh is pictured at the head of his

warriors (Plate XLVIII.) in the heat of battle, accompanied
and overshadowed by the winged serpent as by an agis. The
genius of Mayacli guards him, fights at his side, leads his
followers to victory.
This serpent is not the rattlesnake, covered with feathers
(Kukiilcaii), image of the rulers of the country. It is
the winged sei'pent, whose dart is the South American conti-

nent. It is the Noliocli Can, the great serpent, protective
genius of Mayach, as the urjeus, that"winged serpent"
with inflated breast, represented standing erect on a sieve, was
of Lower Egypt.*
The sieve was in Egypt emblematic of power and dominion
singular antithesis, indeed, which none of the learned Egyp-
tologists have explained. StUl the Egyptian priests never
selected an object as sjnnbol without good and sufficient rea-
sons. These were made known to initiates only, in the seclu-
sion of the temples.^ "What could have induced them to choose,

as emblem of domination and authority, an utensH used solely
by slaves and menials, and place, standing erect upon it, the
emblem of the genius of Lower Egypt, has never been accounted

for in modern times.
In the Maya language we again find the explanation of
such seeming mystery. In it the word for sieve is Mayab.
Those who consider themselves authorities on Maya antiquities always
'
confound these two serpents, and call them Kukulcan, although they are
very distinct symbols.
- Clement of Alexandria, in Stromata 12, says "It is requisite to hide
:
in a mystery the wisdom spoken." He had been initiated in the mysteries.

Page 136. Plate XL VIII.
Page 137. Plate XLIX.
QUEEN m60 and THE EGYPTIAN SPHINX. 137
But Mayab, we are told, was in remote times one of the

names of the Yucatan peninsula, given to it on account of the
porosity of its soil, which allows the water to filter through it
as through a sieve, and gather, cool and pure, in pools and lakes,
in the immense subterranean caves with which the country is
honeycombed.
Did, then, the wise men of Egypt select as symbol of their
country the serpent with wings and an inflated breast, in
remembrance of the birthplace of their ancestors; did they
place it erect on a sieve to signify that the first settlers coming

from Mayalb (the sieve) conquered and dominated the former
dwellers in the valley of the lîle ?
Pursuing our study of the fresco paintings, we pass over

interesting battle scenes, including one (Plate XLIX.) repre-
senting a village ^ invaded by the hosts of Prince Coh. The
women and children flee for safety, carrying their most precious
belongings. Their defenders have been defeated by the Mayas.
Coll will return to his queen loaded with spoils that he will
lay at her feet with his glory, which is also hers, and his love,
which she claims in return for hers. She loves him because he
is brave and generous. The people idolize him because he gives
fame, riches, and happiness to the nation. His warriors cher-
ish him because, always foremost in battle, he leads them to
triumph and conquest.
"We next see him in a terrible altercation with his brother
Aac. The figures in that scene are nearly life size, but so
much disfigured and broken as to make it impossible to obtain
'
This is evidently a Mexican village in the now state of Vera Cruz.
The traveller who to-day goes by rail from the port of Vera Cruz to the City
of Mexico sees, on his way, villages, thewomen of which come to ofEer for
sale chirimoyasand other tropical fruits. In their features and dress they
resemble those pictured here by the Maya artist.
good tracings. Coh is portrayed without weapons, his fists
clinched, looking, menacingly at his foe, who holds three spears,

typical of the three wounds he inflicted in his brother's back
when he killed him treacherously.
Coh is now laid out, being prepared for cremation. (Plate
L.) His body has been opened under the ribs to extract the
viscera and the heart, which, after being charred, are to be pre-
served in a stone urn with cinnabar, where the writer found them
in 1875. His sister-wife. Queen Moo, in sad contemplation of
the remains of her beloved, ozil in Maya, and his second sister,
Nik6 (the flower), kneeling at his feet, recall vividly the pic-
ture of Isis (Mail) and her sister Nik6 lamenting over the
body much loved brother Ozir-is. Coil's children and
of their
mother stand by him in affliction. One of the children, prob-
ably the eldest, carries the band which is to be wrapped round
the chest and waist to hide the gash made for the extraction of
those parts regarded as vital organs, and which are to be pre-
served and placed in the tomb with the statue of the deceased.
Another, who seems to be a girl, holds in her hands and con-
templates with sadness the brains of the dead hero. These
are to be kept in a separate urn. The youngest child is pic-
tured with the heart of his father in his right hand. He is
crying. The grandmother comes last. All the figures in this

tableau are represented naked or nearly so ; for in Mayach, as
in India and Egypt, the presence of a dead body polluted those
present, who had to submit to purification by appropriate
ceremonies.^ The winged serpent, protective genius of the
" The presence of a corpse
' defiles those who come near it." Manava-
Dha/rma-Sastra, lib. v., Sloka 63.
" He who lias touched a corpse purifies himself by bathing." Ibid., lib.
v., Sloka 85.

"The deatli of a parent or relative causes one to become defiled."
Page ISS. P/ate L.
Page 139. Plate LI
deceased, is pictured without a head. The ruler of the country

has been slain. He is dead. The people are without a chief.
"With the customaiy rites Prince Coil's remains have been

made to return to their primitive elements by means of the
aU-purif ying flame ; the vital parts, in which intelligence and
sensation were believed to have their seat, have been preserved
incorruptible in separate urns, so that when the spirit of the
departed warrior returns to earth to reanimate the stone image
made in his likeness he wiU find them ready, placed by it in
his mausoleum. With due respect they have been entrusted to
the care of mother earth.
Queen Moo is now a widow. "What is to prevent her
marrjTng my master, the powerful Prince Aac ? " So speaks
the messenger who has brought to her house a basket of oranges
golden apples whose acceptance would mean that of Prince Aac
also, and constitute betrothal —a custom stiU existing among
the natives of Yucatan.^ (Plate LI.) ISTo sooner has she
dismissed this first messenger, who has left the basket of fruit
on the ground outside of the house —a sign that she has refused
it —than a second presents himself, and, with suppKcating
gestures, entreats the lady to accept the proffered love of his
master, who is at the foot of the elevation on which stands her

residence. Aac is dressed in the color peculiar to the royal
family —yellow. He bows and lowers his weapons, in token of
his submission, and that he places them at her command. The
deformed figure of the messenger indicates the abjectness of
his entreaties. It also shows that the wise men of Mayach
had studied the science of physiognomy, and had reached the
conclusion that the moral qualities leave their imprint on the
physical body.
'
See Appendix, note xix.
Queen Moo, with outstretched hand, seems to protect the

brazier and armadillo on whose shell the Fates wrote her des-
tiny when consulted by the H-meii in the ceremony of Pou.
She refuses to listen to the proposal of Prince Aac, whose

totem, a serpent, name of his dynasty, is pictured at the top
charm a macaw, her own totem, perched
of a tree, trying to
higher up on another tree, symbol of her more exalted polit-
ical position. Here., then., we have luoman, garden, fiûit, and a
tempter whose title is Can, "serpent," an episode in ancient
American history.
It is this refusal to accept the fruit, not the acceptance of
it as asserted by the highpriest Hilkiah in his book Genesis,

that eventually brought dire calamities upon Queen Moo, caused
the misfortunes of her people and the decline of the Maya civil-
ization, occasioned by the dismemberment of the empire in
consequence of intestine feuds and civil war that put an end to
the Can dynasty, as we learn from the author of the Troano
MS.^ and the much distorted tradition that has reached us.^
Clinging to the tree on the top of which the macaw is
perched, we see a monkey. His right arm is raised as if about

to strike, or at least menacing, the second messenger, who
addresses the queen. What has the artist wished to indicate by
introducing this monkey in this scene, by its attitude and its
gestures? If, in consequence of events. Queen Moo became

Queen Mail in Egypt, or the goddess Isis, then the solution of
the riddle is easj''. Thoth, the god of letters, the scribe of

Osiris in Amenti, represented as a cynocephalus ape, was said
to have been the preceptor of Isis and Osiris, therefore the
protector of their youth. The presence here of this monkey,

' Troano MS., part ii., plate xvii.
' Landa, Las Cosas de Yucatan. § v., p. 34.
as protector of the widowed Queen Moo, would be naturally

explained.
It is impossible to even conjecture the meaning of the group
formed by a rattlesnake entwined to a tree, angrily facing an
unknown animal resembling a kangaroo. This animal exists
no longer in Yucatan. It is, therefore, difficult to surmise
what or whom it is meant for, consequently to assign to him a
role in this history. That he and the serpent were inimical is
certain, since he seems to have been bitten by the latter, judg-

ing from the drops of blood which cover his visage.
If the events that followed the rejection of Prince Aac's
love were also portrayed on the walls of the funeral chamber,
as they probably were, that pictorial record is destroyed.
For the knowledge of these we are indebted to the above-men-
tioned Maya author, whose book, having happily escaped the
iconoclastic hands of the fanatical friars that came to Mayach.
at the beginning of the Spanish Conquest, iUumines the dark-
ness which until now has hung over the ancient history of
America and that of the builders of CMctien and Uxmal.
Aac's pride being humdiated, his love turned to hatred.
His only wish henceforth was to usurp the supreme power, to
wage war against the friend of his childhood. He made reli-
gious disagreement the pretext. He proclaimed that the wor-

ship of the sun was to 'be superior to that of the "winged
serpent," genius of the country; also to that of the worship of
ancestors, typified by the feathered serpent, with horns and a
flame or halo on the head.^ To avenge himself on the woman
he had so much loved became the sole aim of his life. To
gratify his desire for vengeance he resolved to plunge the
country into civil war; to sacrifice his friends, his own wel-
' TTbi supra, plate vii.
143 QUEEN 3100 AND THE EGYPTIAN SPKINX.
fare, that of the people, if necessary. Prompted by such evil
passions, he put himself at the head of his own vassals and

attacked those who had remained faithful to Queen Moo and
to Prince Coil's memory.
Here, then, we have the origin of the enmity between the
woman and the serpent, to which we find allusion in Genesis
and of that of the sun and the serpent, prevalent in all coun-
tries where vestiges of Maya civilization are found.
At Queen Moo's adherents successfully opposed her

first,
foes. The contending parties, forgetting in the strife that

they were children of the same soil, blinded by their preju-
dices, let their passions have the best of their reason. Fortune
favored now one side, now the other. At last Queen Moo fell
a prisoner in the hands of her enemy.' (Plate LII.)

Let us hear what the author of the Troano says :
'
' The
people of Mayacli, having been whipped into submission and
cowed, no longing opposing much resistance, the lord seized
her by the hair and, in common with others, caused her to
suffer from blows. This happened on the ninth A&j of the
tenth month of the year Kan ; " that is, on the seventh Eb,
of the month Yax, of the year Ivan.
" Being completely routed, she passed to the opposite sea-
coast, toward the east. Seeking refuge, the queen went to the
seacoast in the southern parts of the countrj^, which had
already suffered much injury. This event took place on the
first day of the sixth month of the je&v Mvilvic " that is ;
to say, on the tenth of the mouth Xnl, in the year Muluc,

or eight months and twelve days after she had been made a
prisoner.
'
' The northern part of the country being subjected, he con-
'
Troano MS., part ii., plates xvi. and xvii.
Page US. Plate LII.
quered the others one by one, and also those which had aided
the queen, reunited the severed parts, and again made the
country whole under his sway. This happened on the eighth
day of the fourth month of the year Ix " that is, on the ;
third Iniix, of the month Zoo, of the year Ix, or ten months
and eight daj's after Queen Moo's departure for Zinaaii.
An explanation of the illustrations accompanying the text
of the Maya author may serve to show that we have correctly
apprehended his narrative.
Beginning with the picture on the right of the chapter, we
see the queen on her knees, her hands joined as in supplication.
Her foe holds her by the hair and kicks her. This explains
suflBciently the text "he caused her to suffer from blows."
IText she is portrayed as a bird, a macaw. Moo, with black
phunage, typical of her misfortunes. Her leg is hanging ; the
claw half open, as having just lost hold of the hindquarter of
the deer —another symbol of the country. This is emblematic of
her losing the last grasp on that part (the south) of the empire.
The deer is severed in two, to show the political condition of
the country divided into two factions. She is in full flight

toward Zinaan, a figure of which the bird holds in its beak.
The line joining it to the deer indicates that the West Indies
were a dependency of the Maya Empire. The last picture rep-
resents Aac carrying away triumphantly the country of which

he is now sole master, whose several parts, reunited, are under
his sway. "We shall leave for another occasion the recital of
the events that took place in Mayacli after Moo's depart-
ure from the country, and follow her in her journey east-
ward. Enough to say that Aac, left alone in the government,
became so tjTannical that the people uprose against him
and expelled him from the country. That event ended the
Can dynasty, and brought about the dismemberment of the

empire.
As far as our present knowledge of American records con-
cerning Queen Moo goes, her history comes to an end with
her flight to Zinaan. ISTot feeling safe in that country, she
continued to travel toward the rising sun, in the hope of reach-
ing some of the isles, remnants of the Land of Mu. It was
known that that country, once the "pride of the sea," had
greath" suffered in consequence of an awful cataclysm caused
by earthquakes. She was well aware that a few islands had
escaped the general destruction, and remained above the waters
the only vestiges of that place, once so popidous and so rich
that in their writings the Maya authors styled it " the Life,"
"the Glory of the Ocean," and of which, in his " Timûs," ^
Plato has given so glowing a description. In one night it had

suddenly disappeared, engulfed by the waves, with the major-
ity of its inhabitants, some time pre\nous to the happening of
the political events in Maya history which we have just related.
To one of those islands Queen M6o resolved to go to seek
shelter.
'Plato, Dialogues, "Timseus," ii. 30.
XIV.
The occui'rence of that dreadful cataclysm caused great

commotion among the inhabitants of the countries on both
sides of the Atlantic. They recorded it in the annals kept ia
the archives of their temples, and in other places where its
remembrance wa,s most likely to be preserved for the knowl-

edge of coming generations; and so it has lasted to our
day.
The existence of this land, and its destruction by earth-
quakes and fire, then by submergence, is a mooted question
among modern scientists. There are many who, disdaining
to investigate the ancient American records, and affecting to
regard as fabulous Plato's narrative and that of the Egyptian

priests Psenophis and Sonchis to Solon, although these asserted
that "all that, has been written down of old, and is preserved
in our temples," prefer to invent hollow theories and to advance
opinions having no firmer foundations than their own magistral
ipse dixit, and thus dispose of the question by a denial, little
dreaming that, besides Plato's narrative, the records of the

catastrophe are to be found, full of details, in the writings of
10
four different Maya authors, in the Maya language. Each

of these has written the relation in his own particular style,
but all agree as to the date of the occurrence and the manner
in which the destruction of the Atlantean land was effected.
It may be that three of them had read each other's writings

on that subject; but as to the fourth, it can be safely presumed
that he knew nothing of the works of those writers, all com-
mimications between his country and theirs having ceased to
exist long before his time.
One of these narratives, carved on stone in bas-relief, is

preserved in the city of Chiclien. The slab on which it is
written forms the lintel of the door of the inner chamber at

Akab-aib, " the awful,
the southern end of the buiLding called
the tenebrous record." It is as intact to-day as when it came
from the hand of the sculptor. (Plate LIII.) Not only did the
Maya historians record the submergence of Mu in such a
lasting manner, but the date of its occurrence became a new
starting point for theu' chronological computations. From it
they began a new era and reckoned the epochs of their his-
tory, as the Christians do from the birth of Christ, and the

Mohammedans from the Hegira or flight of Mohammed from
Mecca.
They also arranged all their other computations on the base
of 13, in memorj^ of the thirteenth Chiieii, the day of the
month in which the cataclysm occurred. So they made weeks
of thirteen days ; weeks of years of four tunes thirteen, or fifty-
two years and their great cj^cle of thirteen times twenty, or

;
two hundi'ed and sixty years, as we are infoi-med by Father

Pedro Beltran.^
The second narrative of the cataclysm is to be found in the
' Pedro Beltran, Arte del Idioma Maya, numeracion p. 204.
Page UG. Plate LIII.
:-ii'^^'
m\
,
Page 147 Plate LIV.
QUEEN MOO AND THE EaYPTIAN SPHINX. 147
Troano MS., whose author has devoted several pages ^ of his

interestingwork to a minute description of the various phe-
nomena attending the disaster. (Plate LIY.) Thus he recounts
the closing scenes of the tragedy :
^ " The year six Kan,
on the eleventh Muluc, in the month Zac, there occurred
terrible earthquakes, which continued without intermission
until the thirteenth CImen. The country of the hills of mud,
the 'Land of Mil,' was sacrificed. Being twice upheaved,
it suddenly disappeared during the night, the basin being
continually shaken by volcanic forces. Being confined, these
caused the land to sink and rise several tunes and in various
places. At last the surface gave way, and the ten countries
were torn asunder and scattered in fragments; unable to
withstand the force of the seismic convulsions, they sank with
their sixty-four millions of inhabitants, eight thousand and
sixty years before the writing of this book."
Does not this recital recaU the story of the destruction of
Atlantis told by Plato, and the division of the country by
Poseidon into ten portions, assigning one to each of his ten
sons?
Let us hope that no one will be so bold as to accuse Plato
of having been in collusion with the author of the Troano MS.
The third narrative of the destruction of the " Land of
Mu "is by the author of that Maya book known to us as
Codex Cortesianus. His style is more prolix, less terse, more
symbolical than that of the writer of the Troano. His relation
of the event reads as foUows (Plates LY.-LVL):
' Troano MS., part ii., plates ii. to v.
° Hnd., plate v.
Have we not here the origin of tliat singular superstition that attributes
illluck to the number thirteen ? And is not this superstition a reminiscence
of the cataclysm, that has come down to us through the lapse of centuries ?
" By his strong will, Homen ' caused the earth to tremble
after sunset; and during the night, Mil, the country of the
bills of mud, was submerged.
"Mti, the life of the basin, was submerged by Homen
during the night.
" The place of the dead ruler is now lifeless; it moves no
more, after having twice jumped from its foundations. The
king of the deep, while forcing his way out, has shaken it up
and down, has killed it, has submerged it.
'
' Twice Mil jumped from its foundations. It was then
sacrificedwith fire. It burst whUe being shaken up and down
violently by the earthquake. By kicking it, the wizard that
makes all things move like a mass of worms sacrificed it that
ver}'' night.
From the fact that the Mayas changed their mode of com-
putation,^ and began, as it were, a new era from the time of
the submergence of the Land of Mil, it is evident that in
reading their ancient history, in order to establish correct dates,
it becomes necessary to know if the events related took place
before or after the cataclysm.
The commotion produced by that disaster seems to have
been no less great among the populations bordering on the
Mediterranean than among those inhabiting the Western Con-
tiuent. Plato teUs us that the Egyptians preserved a relation
of it in the archives of their temples, asserting it was the
' Homen
was the overturner of mountains, the god of earthquakes,
the wizard who made
all things move like a mass of worms, the volcanic
forces anthropomorphized and then deified. The Mayas deified all phe-
nomena of nature and their causes, then represented them in the shape of
human beings or animals. Their object was to keep for the initiates the
secrets of their science.
-
Landa, Las Cosasde Yucatan, chap, xxxix., p. 234.
Page 147 Plata LY.
Page 147. Plate LVI.
greatest deluge which had occurred within the memory of

man. Their narrative tallies exactly with that of the Maya
authors. From that time, they said, aU their communications
with the inhabitants of the Lands of the West had been
interrupted, the sea having become an impassable barrier of
mud.
As for the Greeks, they had good reasons for grieving at
the loss of Mu, since, according to Egyptian records, thou-

sands of their best warriors lost their lives by it. They cele-
brated the festival of the Small Panatheneas, in commemora-
tion of the victory gained by their ancestors, with the aid of
Minerva, over the Atlanteans, when the latter tried to invade
Greece after having conquered the other Mediterranean
nations —those living on the coast of Libya as far as Egypt, and
those dwelling on the European shores as far as Tyrrhania.
After repelling the invaders the Greek warriors pursued them
to their own homes ; so they also fell victims to the wrath of
Homen. La order to preserve the memory of the catastro-
phe for the knowledge of future generations, they wrote an
epic in the Maya language, which seems to have been at that
time still prevalent among them. In it were described the

geological and meteorological phenomena that took place and
caused the wholesale destruction of the Land of Mu and its
inhabitants. "When in the year 403 b.c, during the archonship
of EucHd, the grammarians rearranged the Athenian alphabet

in its present form, they adopted for the names of their letters
words formed by the agglutination of the various vocables
composing each line of said Maya epic. In this most interest-
ing philological and historical fact wiU be found the reason

why certain letters having the same value were placed apart,
instead of juxtaposed as they naturally should be. What else

could have induced Euclid and his collaborators, men of intel-

ligence and learning, to separate the Epsilon from the Eta.,
the Theta from the Tcm ? to place the OmiJcron in the middle
and the Omega at the end of the alphabet ?
In August, 1882, the Tvriter published in the "Eevista de

Merida," a dady paper of Merida, the capital of Yucatan, a
Spanish translation of the Maya epic formed by the names of
the letters of the Greek alphabet. He invited Maya schol-
ars to revie'w and correct it, in case any word had been mis-
apprehended, as he was desirous to present his discovery to the
scientific world. E"o correction was offered, although at the
time it attracted the attention of students in a country where
Spanish and Maya are the vernacular of the jêople —the
Spanish that of the white inhabitants, the Maya that of the
natives; aU, however, speaking more or less Maya, a knowl-
edge of it being necessary to hold intercourse with the latter,
who absolutely refuse to even learn the Spanish, which they

hate. That language perpetually revives the memory of the
lost autonomy of their people ; of the long and cruel perse-
cutions their race has suffered since 1540 at the hands of
the Spanish invaders, the destroyers of their civilization, and
at those of their descendants whose serfs they have become
and remain, although called free in accordance with the
law.^
The following translation may be regarded as absolutely
correct, being an English rendering of that published in Span-
ish in Merida.
'
See Appendix, note iv.
Gkeek Maya Vocables "with their English Meaning.

Alphabet.
Alpha. Al paa ha.

Heavy ;
break water.
Beta. Be ta.
Walk; place.
Gamma. Kaiii uia.
Receive earth.
Delta. Tel ta.
Depth; bottom; where.
Epsilon. Ep zil on-om.
Obstruct make edges whirlpool; to
whirl.
Zeta. Ze ta.
Strike place
ground.
Eta. Et Jia.
With; water. ,
Theta. TlietheaU lia.

Extend water.
Iota. lo ta.
All that -which earth.
lives and moves;
Kappa. Ka pda.
Sediment; break; open.
Lambda. Lam be ta.
Submerge go ; walk where place.
;
Mu. Mu.
Mu.
Ni.
Point; summit.
Xi. Xi.
Rise over; appear
over.
Omikeon. Oin Ik le on.
Whirlpool; whirl; wind; place circular.
Pi. Pi.
To place by little
and Ufctle.
Rho. La lio.
Until come.
152 QUEEN m60 and THE EGYPTIAN SPHINX.
Greek Mata Vocables with theib English Measing.

\
AiPHABET.
Sigma. Zi ik lua.
Cold; wind before.
Tau. Ta u.
Wliere basin; valley.
Upsilon. U pa zi le on.
Abyss tank; cold ; frozen place circular.
Phi. Pe hi. i
Come ; form clay.
Chi. Clii.
Mouth; aperture.
Psi. Pe zi.
Come out; vapor.
Omega. O mec ka.
There; wliirl sediments.
Freely Translated.
Alpha. Heavily break — waters the
Beta. extending over the — plains.

Gamma. They — cover the — land
Delta. in low places where
Epsilon. there are — obstructions, shores form and whirlpools
Zeta. strike — earth

the
Eta. with water.

Theta. The —water spreads
IoT.\. on all that lives and moves.
Kappa. Sediments give way.
Lambda. Submerged is the — land
Mr. of Mu.
Nr. The peaks only
Xl. appear above the water.
Omikron. Whirlwinds blow around

Pi. by little and little,
Rho. until comes

QUEEN MOO and THE EGYPTIAN SPHINX. 153
Sigma. cold air. Before

Tau. -where — ei'isfef?— valleys,
Upsilon. nmo, abysses, frozen tanks. In circular places

Phi. clay —formed.
Chi. a—mouth
Psi. opens; vapors
Omega. come forth— and volcanic sediments.
XV.
When Queen Moo reached the place where she hoped

to find a refuge, she discovered that the Land of Mil had
vanished. JSTot a vestige of it was to be seen, except the
shoals and muddy waters mentioned by Herodotus, Plato,
Scylax, Aristotle, and other ancient writers, who tell us that
this made the ocean impassable to ships and prevented naviga-
tion for many centuries after the cataclysm.
It seems that Queen Moo, notwithstanding these obsta-
cles, was able to continue her voyage eastward, and suc-
ceeded in reaching Egypt. We find mention made of her

on the monuments and in the papyri, always as Queen Mau
(Moo). She is, however, better known as the goddess Isis
wearing vestments dyed with a variety of colors, imitating
feather work,' like the plumage of the macaw, after which she
was named in Mayach. Isis was, no doubt, a term of endear-
ment applied to their beloved queen by her followers and her
new subjects. It seems to be a corruption or may be a dialect-
ical pronunciation of the Maya word loin (pronounced idziii)y
the "little sister."

'
Sir Gardner "Wilkinson, Manners and Customs, vol. iii., p. 395.
Page 155.
Plate LVII.
'Page 155. Plate L VIII.
We liave seen how, before leaving Mayach, Queen Mdo

caused the erection of a memorial liaR that she dedicated to
the memory of Prince Coli, her brother and husband; and that
in it she had the principal events of his and her life painted in
bright colors on the walls of the funeral chamber. !N"ot satisfied
with this mark of her love, she had raised over his remains a
mausoleum that would be an ornament to any of our modern
cemeteries or public squares. (Plate LVII.)
The foiu" sides of the monument were ornamented with
panels, on which were sculptures in mezzo-relievo. (Plate
LVIII.) That on the frieze represents a dying warrior on
his back, his knees drawn up, the soles of his feet firmly
planted on the ground. His head, covered with a helmet,
is thrown backward. From his parted lips the breath of
life escapes- in the shape of a slender flame. ^ His posture is,
in fact, the same as that given by the Mayas, in those

remote ages, to all the statues of their great personages; a
position that represented the contour of the Maya Empire
as nearly as the hmnan body could be made to assume it.
The upper part of the body in this case, instead of being
erect, is pictured lying down, the head thrown back, emblem-

atic of the chief of the nation being dead. In his right hand,
placed upon his breast, he holds a broken sceptre, composed of
three javelins, typical of the three wounds that caused his
death, and of the weapons with which they were inflicted.

One wounds was under the left shoulder-blade. The
of the
blow was ahned at the heart from behind, proving that the
victim was treacherously murdered. The two others were in
the liunbar region. These are indicated in the sculptures by
two small holes just above the waist-band of the kilt worn by
'
See Appendix, note xx.
156 QUEEN MOO AND THE EGYPTIAN SPEINX.
the warrior, and the image of a small arrowhead >, its point
directed toward the left shoulder. His left arm is placed across
his breast, the left hand resting on the right shoulder. This is
a token of respect among we have already seen

the living, as
but what can be its meaning when made to be assiuned by the
dead ? Does it signify that this is the attitude of humility in
which the souls of the departed must appear before the judg-
ment seat of Yiiin-cimil, the " god of death; " just as we see,
in the Egyptian inscriptions and papyri, the souls when stand-
ing before the throne of Osiris in Amenti, waiting to receive
their sentence from his mouth ? This is veiy probable, for the
same custom existed in Egypt. "The Egyptians," says Sir
Gardner Wilkinson,' "placed the arms of the mummies
extended along the side, the palms inward and resting on the
thighs, or brought forward over the groin, sometimes even
across the hêast; and occasionally one arm in the former, the
other in the latter position. ' ' Mr. ChampoUion Figeac, speaking
on the same subject, says: ^ " On croisait les mains des femmes
sur leur ventre; les bras des hommes restaient pendants sur
les cotes ; quelquef ois la main gaitche etait placee sur Vepaide
clroite; ce hras faisait ainsi ecliarpe sur la poitrineP The

upper end of the sceptre is ornamented with an open dipetal-
ous flower, with a half-opened bud in the centre of the corol.

This is significant of the fact that the dead warrior was killed
in the flower of life, before he had had time to reach maturity.
The lower extremity of said sceptre is carved so as to represent
'
Sir Gardner Wilkinson, Manners and Customs, vol. iii., chap, xvi.,
p. 486.
^ ChampoUion Fiijeac, L'univers, Egi/pte, p. 261.
"The women's hands were crossed on the belly ; the men's ai'ms re-
mained hanging at the sides ; but sometimes the left liand was placed on
the right shoulder, the arm across the chest.
Page 157 Plate LIX.
i
Page 157.
Plate LX.
a leopard's pa-sr. This is intended for the name of the dead

hero, Coh, or Cliaacmol, "leopard." The etymon of the
last word is: Cliaac, "thunder," " tempest, " hence, "irre-
sistible power; " and mol, "the paw of any carnivorous ani-
mal." The leopard being the largest and fiercest of the beasts
of prey inhabiting the forests of Yucatan and Central America,
the Mayas, who, as we have said, named aU things by ono-
matopoeia, called their most famous warrior Chaacmol ; that
is, "the paw swift Ulce thunder," " the paw with irresistible
power like the tempest " —just as the French designate a noted
general on the battle-field as " un aigle dans le combat," " un
f oudre de guerre. ' '
On the panels that adorned the architrave were carved two

figures (Plate LIX.), the one a leopard, the other a macaw
The first
(Plate LX.), in the acting of licking or eating hearts.
is the totem of the warrior to whose memory the mausoleum
was erected the other that of his wife, Queen M<5o, by whose
;
order it was constructed, and who dedicated it to the memory

of her beloved brother and husband. Being portrayed in the
act of licking the hearts of their enemies, whom they had
vanquished on the battle-field, certainly indicates that the
Mayas, although ordinarily not addicted to cannibalism, like
many other nations of antiquity sometimes ate the hearts of
their conquered foes, in the belief that by so doing they
would inherit their valor. This same custom prevails even in
our day among various peoples.
The corona of the cornice is adorned with a row of human
skuUs. Not one is artificially deformed. Evidently the cus-
tom of deforming the head was not practised by the ancient
Mayas as it was by the inhabitants of the cities of Copan and
'
"An eagle in the battle," " a thunder in war."
Palenque. These, therefore, could not have been Mayas as

the majority of Americanists assert without adequate proofs.
In fact, the sculptures at Chichen show that the Mayas and
the peoples that so deformed their heads, whoever they were,
were inimical to each other.
At the foot of the balustrades, on each side of the stairs
leading to the top of the mausoleum, there were large serpent
heads, with open mouth and protruding tongue.
These serpent heads, we know, were totems of the Cans,
used in all edifices erected by them, to show that they were
built by their order. The tongue protruding from the mouth
was the symbol of wisdom among the Mayas. It is often
found thus in the portraits of priests, kings, and other exalted
personages supposed to be endowed with great wisdom.^ It
may, perhaps, have been also a token of respect, as it is even

to-day in Thibet.^ (Plate LXI.)
The mausoleum was crowned by a most interesting statue.
It was that of a dying leopard with a human head (Plate LXII.),

a veriicMe sphinx j the prototype, may be, of the mysterious
Egyptian Sphinx, the most ancient monument in the vaUey of

the Nile. This Maya sphinx, like the leopard in the sculp-
tures, had three deep holes in its back —symbols of the three
spear thrusts that caused Prince Coh's death. Thus it has
come to the knoAvledge of succeeding generations that the
brave Maya warrior, whom foes could not vanquish in fair
fight, was treacherously slain by a cowardly assassin —this
assassin his own brother Aac ; just as Osiris in Egypt is said
to have been murdered by his brother Set, and for the same
motive, jealousy.
"
See Appendix, note xxi.
' M. Hue, Recollections of a Journey throvgh Thibet and Tartary, vol. ii.,
chap, vi., p. 158.

Page 15S. Plate LXI.
< '
Page 15S. Piatt LXII.
Osiris, in Egyptian history, comes to us as a myth. Prince

Coh, the well-beloved Ozil, is a tangible reality; the author
having in his possession his charred heart, part of which was
analyzed, on September 25, 1880, by the late Professor Charles
O. Thompson, at the request of Mr. Stephen Salisbury, now

president^ of the "American Antiquarian Society," of Worces-
ter, Mass. Besides, the author has also in his possession the
very weapon with which the murder was committed. (Plate
LXIII.)
From aU antiquity the Egyptian Sphinx has been a riddle,
that has remained unsolved to our day. (Plate LXIV.) It is
still, as Bunsen says, the enigma of history.^ " The name most
conspicuous on the tablet in the temple between the paws of this
wonderful statue is that of Armais." According to Osburn, it
was the work of King Khafra ;

' but he is still in doubt about
it, for he adds: " On the other hand, the great enigma of the
bearded giant Sphinx still remains unsolved. "When and by
whom was the colossal statue erected, and what was its signifi-
cation ? . . . We are accustomed to regard the Sphinx in

EgyjDt as a portrait of the king, and generally, indeed, as that
of a particular king whose features it is said to represent." In
hieroglyphic written character, the sphinx is caUed Neb, '
' the
lord."^
But Richard Lepsius' remarks: "King Khafra was named
in the inscription, but it does not seem reasonable thence to
conclude that Khafra first caused the lion to be executed, as
'
Aug. Le Plongeon, Sacred Mysteries, certificate of analysis by Prof.
Charles O. Thompson, pp. 84-85.
^ Bunsen, Egypfs Place in Universal History, vol. ii., p. 388.
' Osburn, Mmiumental History of Egypt, vol. ii., p. 319.
* Ibid., vol. i., p. 311.
E. Lepsius, Letters from Egypt, Ethiopia, and the Peninsula of Sinai,
*
Horner's translation, p. 66.

another inscription teaches us King Khafra had already seen

the monster, or, in other words, says that before him the
statue already existed, the work of another Pharaoh. The
names of Thotmes IV., of Eameses II., as well as that of
Khafra, are inscribed on the base."
Plinius, the first author who ever mentioned the Sphinx,
refers to it as the tomb of Amasis.'
Its age is unlcnown. De Kouge, ia his " Six Premieres
Dynasties," supposes it to be as old as the fourth dynasty; but
it is probably coetaneous with, if not anterior to, the pyramids.

As to its significance, Clement of Alexandria^ simply tells
us that it was the emblem of the "union of force with pru-
dence or wisdom; " that is, of physical and intellectual power,

supposed attributes of Egyptian kings.
Without pretending to emulate (Edipus, Ave may be per-
mitted to call attention to certain striking analogies existing
between the Eg}q3tian Sphinx and the leopard with hmnan head
that crowned Prince Coh's mausoleum. In order to better
understand these analogies, it will be necessary to consider not
only the meaning of the names of the Sphinx, but also its posi-
tion relative to the horizon and to the edifices by which it is
surrounded.
It is placed exactly in front, and to the east, of the second
pyramid, overlooking the Nile toward the rising sun. It rep-
resents a crouching lion, or rasij be a leopard, with a human

head, hewn out of the solid rock. Piazzi Smyth ^ tells us that
'
' about the head and face, though nowhere else, there is much of
the original statuary surface still, occasionally, painted duU red. '
"
Plinius, Hist. Nat., xxxvi. 17.
" Clement of Alexandria, Strom, v.
'Piazzi Smyth, Life and Work at the Great Pyramid, vol. i., chap, xii.,
p. 323.
Page 159. Plate LXIIL
Page 159.
Plate LXIV.
QUEEN m60 and the EBYPTIAN SPHINX. 161
The mausoleum of Prince Coh, in Chictien, stands in

front and to the east of the Memorial Hall. The statue on the
top was that of a leopard with human head. (Plate LXII.)
The color of the Mayas was red brown, judging from the fresco
Landa tells us that even
paintings in the funeral chamber, and *
to the time of the Spanish Conquest they were in the habit of

covering their face and body with red pigment.
According to Henry Brugsch: ^ " To the north of this huge
form lay the temple of the- goddess Isis; another, dedicated to
the god Osiris, had its place on the southern side ; a third tem-
ple was dedicated to the Sphinx. The inscription on the stone
speaks as follows of these temples: He, the living Hor, king
of the upper and lower country, Khufu, he, the dispenser of
life, founded a temple to the goddess Isis, the queen of the pyr-
amid; beside the god's house of the Sphinx, northwest from
the god's house and the town of Osiris, the lord of the place
of the dead."
The Sphinx being thus placed between temples dedicated to
Isisand to Osiris, by their son Hor, would seem to indicate that
the personage rejiresented by it was closely allied to both these
deities.
Another inscription shows that it was especially consecrated
to the god Ra-Atum, or the " Sun in the West; " thus con-
necting said personage with the "lands toward the setting
sun," with "the place of the dead," with the country whence
came the ancestors of the Egyptians, where they believed they
returned after the death of the physical body, to appear in the
presence of Osiris seated on his throne m
the midst of the
icaters, to be judged by him for their actions while on earth.

'
Landa, Lai Cosaa de Yucatan, § xx., p. 114, and xxsi., p. 184.
' Henry Brugsch, History of Egypt under the Pharaohs, vol. i., p. 80,
Sevmour and Smith's translation.
11
Mr. Samuel Birch, in a note in the work of Sir Gardner

"Wilkinson, "Manners and Customs of the Ancient Egyp-
tians,"^ says "that the Sphinx was called Ha or Akar.''^
These words mean respectively, in the Maya language,
"water," and "pond" or "swamp." In these names may
we not see a hint that the king represented by the huge statue
dwelt in countries surrounded by water ? Its position, again,
with the head turned toward the east, its back to the west,
may not be without significance. Might it not mean that the
people who sculptured it travelled from the "West toward the
East? from the "Western Continent Avhere Isis was queen,
when she abandoned the laud of her birth and sallied forth,
with her followers, in search of a new home ?
May not that lion or leopard with
a human head be the totem of some
famous personage in the mother coun-
tr}'-, closely I'elated to Queen Moo,
highly venerated by her and her peo-
ple, whose memory she wished to per-
petuate in the land of her adoption and
among coming generations?
"Was it the totem of Prince Coh ?
"We have seen in Mayach, on the
entablature of the Memorial HaU, and in
the sculptures that adorned his mauso-
PKIEST OF OSIRIS, COVERED WITH

leum at Cliiclieii, that he was repre-
' *
LEOPARD'S SKIN. scuted as a leopard. But in Egyjjt,
Osiris, as king of the Amenti, king of the West, was likewise

^Si.
portraj'ed as a leopard, His priests always wore
'
Samuel Birch, Sir Gardner Wilkiuson, Manners and Customs, note,
vol. iii., chap. xiv.
a leopard skin over their ceremonial dress, and a leopard

skin hung always near his images or statues. In seeking to
explain the meaning of the names inscribed at the base of the
Sphinx, we wdl again make use of the Maya language, which
ma}'' be for us, in this instance also, the thread of Ariadne that
will guide us out of this more than d^dalian labyrinth.
Henry Brugsch again tells us: " The Sphinx
is called in the
text Hu, a word which designates the man-headed lion, while

the real name of the god represented by the Sphinx was Sor-
maJchu, that is to say, Horus on the horizon.
'
It was also called '
Kliepra, Horus in his resting place on the horizon where the

'
sun goes to rest. '

" '
Herodotus says ^ that Horus was the last of the gods who
governed the Egyptians before the reign of Menes, the first of
their terrestrial kings. He came into the world soon after the
death of his father, being the youngest son of Isis and Osiris;
and he stood forth as his avenger, combating Set and defend-

ing his mother against him.
According to the Maya language Hormakhic is a word
composed of three Maya primitives Hool-nia-ku : that
is, hool, "head," "leader;" ma, "country," or ma, rad-^
ical of Mayacli, that becomes syncopated by losing the desi-

nence yacli in forming the compound name; and ku, "god."
Hormakhu would then mean " the Ood chief in Mayacli."
It is well to remember that the Maya inscriptions and other
writings were read, as generally were the Egyptian
and many other ancient languages, from right to left.
That Ma stands for Mayacli in this instance, there ^S^
seems to be no doubt, since the sign \,
which is the shape
' Henry Brugsch, History of Egypt, vol. ii., p. 464.

" Herodotus, History., lib. ii., 144.
of the peninsula of Yucatan, forms part of the hieroglyph rep-

resenting the name of the Sphinx. Had not this been the
intended meaning, the hierogrammatists would no doubt have
made use of some other of the various signs \vith -^vhich they
represented the Latin letter M. "We must not lose sight of the
fact that hiero- ^ graphic writings were mostly pictorial.
Besides, the sign ^^^î the " sun resting on the western hori-
zon," makes it
^^^^ evident that the hieroglyph M was
intended to represent a country, having similar geographical
contour, situated in the regions where the sun sets; that is, the
West. The Mayas made use of the same sign to designate
regions situated toward the setting sun.*
Kliepra would read in Maya Kel>-la. Keb means "to
incline; " La is the eternal "truth," the god, hence the sun.
Kebla or Khepra is therefore the sun inclined on the horizon.
As to the name IIu., used in the texts to designate the
Sphinx, it maj^ be a contraction of the Maya hul, an
"arrow," a "spear."
The Greeks placed offensive weapons in the hands of some
of their gods, as symbols of their attributes. So also the
Eg3rptians. They represented Neith, Sati, or Khem holding
a bow and arrows. To Horus they gave a spear, hul, with
which he was said to have slain Set, his father's murderer.
They represented him sometunes standing in a boat, piercing

the head of Set swimming in the water. ^ Did they mean
by this to indicate that the tragedy took place in a country
surrounded by water, reached only by means of boats ? They
' This sign forms part of the word Alau in the Troano MS., in part ii.,
plates ii. and iii.
See Introduction, uhi supra, p. lis.

" Plutarcli, De Yside et Osiride, H 35, 36.
also figured Horus on the land, transfixing with a spear the

head of a serpent (illustration, p. 124).
Was, then, the serpent in Egypt one of the totems of

Set, Osiris's murderer, as it was in Mayach of Aac, Prince
Coil's slayer ?
Xo doubt it was, since Osiris's worshippers were wont, at
the celebration of his feast, to throw a rope into their assem-
bly, to simulate a serpent, emblem of his murderer, and hack it
to pieces, as if avenging the death of their god. Was this a
reminiscence of the tragedy that occurred in the mother country,

where one member of the Can (serpent) family slew his brother ?
From the portraits of his children, carved on the jambs of

the door of Prince Coh's funeral chamber at Chicfien, we
learn that his youngest son, a comely lad of about sixteen, was
named Hixl his totem, a spear-head, is sculptured above
; his
head. Are not Hul, Hii, Hor, Hoi, cognate words ?

Elsewhere^ I have endeavored to show, from the identitj^
of their history, from that of their names, and from their

totems, that Seb and Nut, and their children Osiris, Set,
Aroeris, Isis, and NiM, worshipped as gods by the Egyptians,

Tvere the same personages known as King Caiichi, his wife
Zoo, and their five childi-en Cay, Aac, Coli, M6o and Nike,
who lived and reigned in Mayach, where, having received the
honor of apotheosis, after their death, they had temples erected
to theii' memory and divine homage paid them.
Queen Moo, not finding vestiges of the land of Mu, went
to Egypt, where we meet with traditions of her family troubles.
There she became the goddess Isis, was worshipped throughout
the land, her cult being superior even to that of Osiris.^ She
' Aug. Le Plongeon, Sacred Mysteries, p. 87, et passim.
' Herodotus, Mst., lib. ii., 43, 59, 61.
knew that, centuries before, Maya colonists, coming from

India and from the banks of the Euphrates, had established
themselves in the valley of the jSTile. She naturally sought
refuge among them. They received her with open arms,
accepted her as their queen, and caUed her loin, "the little
sister," an endearing word that in time became changed into
Isis.
Apuleius, in his " Metamorphosis," ' makes her s&j: " But
the sun-illumined Ethiopians and the Egyptians, renowned for
ancient lore, worshipping me with due ceremonies, call me by
my real name Isis." Diodorus causes her to say:^ "'I am
Isis, queen of the country, educated by Thoth, Mercury. What
I have decreed, no one can annul. I am the eldest daughter of
Saturn (Seb), the youngest of the gods. I am the sister and
wife of King Osiris. I am the first who taught men the use of
corn. I am the mother of Horus.' "
In the Book of the Dead Isis says: "I am the queen of
these regions ; I was the first to reveal to mortals the mysteries
of wheat and corn. I am she who is risen in the constellation
^
of the dog."
Was it she who, to perpetuate the memory of her husband
among the coming generations in the land of her adoption, as
she had done in the country of her birth, caused the Sphinx to
be made in the likeness of that with which she had embellished
the mausoleum of her beloved Coh in ChicJlen ? There she
had represented him as a dying leopard with a himian head,
his back pierced with three spear wounds. In Egypt she fig-
ured him also as a leopard with a human head but ; erect and
'Apuleius, Metamorphosis, lib. ii., 341.

' Diodorus, Bill. Hist., lib. i., 37.
° Booh of the Dead, chap, ex., verses 4-5.
Page 166. Plate LXV.
proud, a glorified soul watching over the country that had

insiu'ed her safety, giving her a new home; over the people
she loved, and who obeyed with reverence her smallest man-
date, and after her death deified and worshipped her, calling
her the "good mother of the gods and of men," as Maia
was called by the Greeks, as Maya was by the Hindoos, and
Mayaoel by the Mexicans. Did she entrust to her son Hul
the super\T[sion of the execution of the huge statue, that for
this reason was named Hu in the texts ?
Shall we answer with certainty in the negative these que-
ries that force themselves on the mind, when we reflect on the
influence of Maya customs and Maya civilization on the pop-
idations of Asia and Africa, ; on the similarity of the names,
and the striking analogy of the events in the lives of Isis and
Osiris, and those of Queen Moo and Prince Coh ;
particularly
when, among other things, we consider the identity of the
ancient hieratic Maya and Egyptian alphabets; that of the
rites of initiation into the mysteries celebrated in the temples

of Mayacli and Egypt, and many ^ other customs and tradi-
tions that it is impossible to regard as mere coincidences, these
being too numerous to be the effect of hazard ?
Furthermore, we may take into consideration the latest
discovery made by Col. G. E. Eaum, of San Francisco, in
excavating the temple between the fore paws of the Sphinx, of
the cap that once covered the head of the statue. This cap is
painted red and adorned with three lotus stems and a serpent.
Might not these indicate that the personage represented by
the Sphinx came from a country situated in the midst of the
waters, and belonged to the family of the Cans, serpents ? ^
'
Aug. Le Plongeon, Sacred Mysteries, p. 15, et passim.
New York Herald, March 20, 1896.
Page 169. Plate LXri.
APPENDIX.
Note I. (Page xxviii.)
(1) Diego de Landa, the second bishop of Yucatan, was a

native of Cifuentes de Alcarria, in Spain. (Plate LXVI.) Born
in 152i, in the noble family of the Calderones, he at the age
of seventeen, that is, in 1541, became a monk of the Order of
St. Francis, in the Convent of San Juan de los Eeyes, at Toledo.
In August, 1549, being then twenty-five years old, he went to
Yucatan as a missionary. He soon learned the language of
the aborigines Maya — under the tuition of Father Luis de
Yillalpando, whose grammar of that tongue he revised and
corrected. It was afterward published in the City of Mexico
by Father Juan Coronel.
From the time when Landa was able to understand the
Maya language he dedicated his whole life to evangelical work,
teaching Christianity to the natives, converting them to his
faith. During thirty years, to the hour of his death, which
occurred on the 29th of April, 15Y9, with the exception of the
170 APPENDIX.
two years lie passed in Spain, lie lived among the Mayas.
"Whilst preaching the gospel he took care to study the customs,
manners, mode of life, laws, institutions, religion, and tradi-
tions of the people among whom he labored. He tells us, in
his book, that their sciences, their history, and their religious
tenets, with the rites and observances which they practised,
were contained in volumes written in alphabetical and ideo-

graphic characters on prepared deer-skin (parchment), or on
paper made from the roots of certain trees. At the impulse of
a misguided religious zeal, attributable, no doubt, to the ideas
and prejudices prevalent in Spain in the sixteenth century, and
to his early education, assuming the rights and prerogatives of
an inquisitor, he ordered an auto-de-fe, which took place in
the city of Mani, in the year 1561, in presence of the majority
of the Spanish nobility resident in the country. It is to be
regretted that, together with the bones of a number of human
beings that he had disinterred for the occasion, many precious
volumes, containing the history and traditions of the Mayas
written in the characters in use among them at that time, and
other valuable objects, were consigned to the flames. Landa
himself, in his work, complacently gives a detailed account of
all the documents and various other things he thus caused to
be destroyed; stating emphatically, as if to allay some secret
pang of his conscience, that no human being was burned alive,
although several individuals, fearing lest such horrid chastise-

ment should be inflicted on them, hanged themselves, and their
carcasses were scattered through the forests to become the prey
of wild beasts and vultures.
However, the historian owes Landa a debt of gratitude,
since, in spite of his blind fanaticism, by a strange freak, and

as if to atone for the wanton destruction of the precious histor-
APPENDIX. 171
ical data, he has preserved, with the manners and customs of

the aborigines, some of the alphabetical and ideographic char-
acters used by the Maya hierogrammatists, together "with their
symbols for the names of days and months. These have served
as a key to decipher some pages of the Troano MS., as well
as some of the inscriptions painted on the walls of the apart-

ments in the palaces at Ivabali and other places. Whatever
certain Americanists may say, there can be no doubt as to the
genuineness of said characters and symbols, nor as to the good
faith of Landa, whose mental blindness we can only pity and
deplore.
173 APPENDIX.
Note II. (Page xxix.)
(4) Fray Diego Lopez de CogoUudo was a native of Alcala de

Ilenares, Spain. I have been unable to ol)tain data concerning
Lis family. The date of liis birth and that of liis death are
unknown. Though always ready to bestow praise on each and
every member of his Order, he is most reticent when speaking
of himself. lie seems to have been a man of superior intel-
ligence, remai'kably free-minded for his age and calling. From

his " llistoriade Yucathan," a great part of which is dedicated
to the doings and sayings of his friends and associates in the
evangelical labor of preaching the gospel and catechising the

aborigines, we learn that he received the sacred orders in the
Oouvent of St. Francis, in his native city, whence he came as
missionary to Yucatan in 163i, being one of twentj'^-five monks
brought to the country by Eev. Francisco Ximenes de Santa
Maria. Father Juan Coronel, author of a Maya grammar
published in ]\foxico, was his teacher of the Maya language.
During the twenty-two years that elapsed from the time of
his arrival until 1656, the last year mentioned in his work, he
occupied many posts of im]iortance in his Order. He visited
the cities of Guatemala and Mexico, travelling on foot. While

he was Su]Tcrior or Guardian of the Convent of Motul, a great
famine occurred in the country. The sufferings of the people
are said to have been very severe, many dying of inanition.

He also tells of a terrible epidemic, that, judging by the sjnnp-
toms, minutely described, was yellow fever of the most virulent
Page 17-3.
Plate LXVII.
^M (IS
! ^ Jîm
'^ 6*^
j-^l^
""
%
1<^'
^
>=5S,
^ ^M
APPENDIX. 173
form. It began in 1648, and lasted two years, reducing the

population of the country by one-half. Cogolludo wrote his
work at intervals as his duties allowed him, while Superior of
the Convent of Cacalchen. The MS. was sent to Spain, and
published in Madi'id in 1688 by Father Francisco de Ayeta,
procurator-general of the Order of St. Francis for all the prov-
inces of New Spain, having been granted a copyright by the
king; the printer was Juan Garcia Infanzon. Copies of this
first edition are now extremely rare. (Plate LXVII.)
174 APPENDIX.
Note III. (Page xxxi.)
The Troano MS. is one of the books written for the use of
(1)
the Maya priests and noblemen. It is one of the few anal-
tes that escaped destruction at the hands of the over-zealous
missionaries who came to Yucatan even before the conquest of

that countrjr by the Spaniards. How it was saved from their
iconoclastic fury, it is diiiicult to surmise; nor is it known who
brought it to Spain. CogoUudo, describing these Maya books,'
says: " They were composed of -a scroU of paper ten or twelve
varas (thirty to thirty-six feet) long, doubled up so as to form
folds about eight inches {una jxilma) wide, placed between two
boards, beautifully ornamented, that served as cover." Landa
teUs us that^ " the paper was manufactured from the roots of
certain trees, and that when spread in sheets, these were coated
with a white and unalterable varnish on which one could easily
write." The written space on each leaf of the Troano MS.
measures five by nine inches.
The learned Abbe Brasseur, returning from his expedition to
Yucatan, passing through Madrid, made the acquaintance of
SeiiorDn. Juan Tro y Ortelano, professor of palaeography at the
University of that city. That gentleman showed to Brasseur
an old manuscript which he said was Mexican. The abbe at
once recognized in it some of the characters of the Maya

alphabet preserved by Landa. He asked, and was graciously
'
Cogolludo, Hist, de Tucathan, lib. iv., chap, v., p. 185.
"Landa, Las Cosas cle Tumtan, chap, vii., p. 44.
APPENDIX. 175
pennitted, tomake a copy of the document. The work was

done by Mr. Henry Bourgeois, the artist who had accompanied
Abbe Brasseur to Yucatan, and the task occupied two years and
a half of the artist's time. It was published by the French
Government under the title of " Manuscrit Troano," from the
name of the owner of the original.
This Maya manuscript is, indeed, a most precious docu-

ment, for it is a brilliant light that, besides the monumental
inscriptions, now illuminates the darkness which surrounds the
histoiy of the ancient inhabitants of the peninsula of Yuca-
tan. The second part, after describing the events that took
place during the awful cataclysms that caused the destruction

of ten different countries, one of which, called Mil, was proba-
bly Plato's Atlantis, is mostly dedicated to the recital of mete-
orological and geological phenomena that occurred in the
"Land of the Serpent," also called Beb (tree), of which
Mayab formed a part.
176 APPENDIX.
Note IV. (Pages xxxviii. and 150.)
(1) "WTiat bitter irony ! Every day, all over the land, some
workingmen in the haciendas (plantations), sirvientes as they
are called, are pitilessly and arbitrarily flogged by their over-
seers ; put in stocks during the night, so that their day's "work
may not be left undone, and otherwise cruelly punished for the
smallest offence or oversight. True, we are told that there are
laws printed in the codes that forbid such iniquitous treatment,
and that those subjected to it can complain. Complain ! And
to whom ? If they lay their grievances before the owner of
the hacienda, their only redress is to receive a double ration of
lashes for {su atrevimiento de quej arse) daring to complain. If
they lodge a complaint before a Judge, as by law they have a

right, he, of course, is the friend or relative of the planter.
He himself may be a planter. On his own plantation he has
servants who are treated in like manner. "What remains for
the poor devd to do but to endure and be resigned ? That is
all. His fathers have suffered as he suffers, as his children will
suffer.
These facts I do not report from hearsay, but from actual

personal observation. How many times have I "witnessed the
whipping of some poor creature, for the most trifling cause,
without being able to interfere in his behalf, knowing weU that

such interference would be resented, and would entail on the
victim a more severe punishment later on ! To a gentleman, a
very stanch Catholic, who considered it a sin to fail to attend
APPENDIX. 177
mass every morning, who had been educated in the colleges of
Europe and of the United States, I was once making some

observations on the bad treatment inilicted on the Indians in
the plantations, which, though most Christianlike, was not-
withstanding extremely barbarous, when he interrupted me by
saying, "Well, they are accustomed to it. '
Al hidio pcun y
paLo '
(' For the Indian, bread and stick ') is the common
saying throughout the country."
Alas ! for the poor Indian this saying is true only in part,
for very little bread faUs to his share, but abundance of lashes.
Of course, those ill-treated people at times become exasperated
—who would not ? They kill their overseers. "Woe to them
then ! for they are soon and surely made to remember that there
are criminal laws, enacted by congress to punish such as they.
During twelve years that I have dwelt amid the ruined
cities of the ancient Mayas, in the depth of the forests of the
Yucatan peniusula, I have had occasion to study the character
of the Indians as well as the remains of the palaces and temples
where, not so very long ago, their ancestors burned copal and
incense in honor of their gods. I have found that the Indians,
treated kindly, as every intelligent being, human or not human,
should be, were generally as good as, if not better than, their
white or mestizo countrymen. Of course, there are exceptions;
these, however, are rare, and are to be found among those who
have been brought up by some white or mestizo master.
With Madame Le Plongeon, I have been altogether in their
power for months at a time, in the midst of deep forests, far
from any city or village, far from any inhabited place; I have
invariably found them respectful, honest, polite, unobtrusive,
patient, and brave. I cannot say as much for the mestizos in

general ; though among them, also, there are honorable excep-
13
178 APPENDIX.
tions, unhappily not as numerous as migkt be desired. During

my expeditions I have always preferred to be accompanied by
Indians; I could trust them even in case of alarm from the
hostile Indians of Ctiaii Santa Cruz. They knew that I had
full confidence in them. I never had occasion to regret having
relied on them. Of course, they have defects; but, Who has
not?
With Hon. Henrj^ Fowler, who, when colonial secretary of
the colony of British Honduras, in 187S, made an exploration
in the uninhabited parts of the country, accompanied by half

a dozen Indians and two American guides, I wiU say, " When
the Indian is sober, he is always a gentleman." ^
During my last sojourn at Cliictien, in December, 1884,
I had unearthed an altar sustained by fifteen atlantes of fine
workmanship, and painted with bright colors. One of these

some Indians who lived
particularly attracted the attention of
in the forest a few miles from the ancient city, perhaps be-
cause the ornaments that adorned it appeared like the chasubles
worn by Catholic priests when celebrating mass. They came
to look at it several times. At last they begged me to give it
to them, to carry to their village, notwithstanding its weight.
" What do you want it for ? " I inquired of them. " Oh,"
they answered, "we wiU. build a house for it; we avlU burn
wax candles and incense in its honor, and we shall worship it
— it is so pretty
! '
' they added.
I then learned that in a cavern, in the depth of the forest,
they venerated another ancient statue, which they called Zac-

talali, that is, the " blow or slap of a white man." But they
would not show it to me unless I subscribed to certain condi-
' Hon. Henry Fowler, Official Report of an Excursion in the Interior of

British Honduras. (Belize.)
APPENDIX. 179
tions, among others not to make known the place where it was
concealed.
The image represents a man with a long beard, kneeling,
the hands raised to a level with the head, the palms upturned.
On his back he carries a bag containing, according to the
Indians, Bill y uah, a paste made of a mixture of corn and
beans. It is now black with the smoke of wax candles and
incense burnt before it by the worshippers. Before applying
the Ughted torch to the felled trees that are cut down to prepare
the ground for sowing corn and beans, the devotees repair to
Zactalali's sanctuary, and place before him calabashes filled
with the refreshing beverage called Zaclia, made from corn.

They burn copal and wax candles, imploring him to cause the
wood to burn well; which is for them most important, since
on the more or less thorough burning of the trees depends the
greater or lesser abundance of the crops. At the beginiiing of
June, after the first showers of the rainy season, and before the
sowing of the seeds, they again visit the cavern to implore
the god to grant them a plentiful harvest and to prevent the
animals of the forest from eating and destroying the crops.
Having obtained these favors, at the time of the harvest the
grateful worshippers again come to pay their homage to their

beneficent deity. They come with their wives and children,
bringing the finest ears of corn, the ripest squashes, the primitise
of the fields, besides roasted corn and various other offerings.
They then kneel in the presence of the image, having previously

presented their oblations and lighted a large number of wax
candles. Soon the smoke of a mixture of incense and copal
gathered from the trees in the forest, with ground roasted corn,
fills the cavern ; and the devotees, to the accompaniment of a
violin, a tunkul, a zacatan, and other musical instruments

180 APPENDIX.
used by their forefathers in their ancient religious rites, chant

some prayers of the Catholic Church. These they repeat over
and over again, counting the beads of their rosaries. It is a
strange medley of ancient and modern idolatry. But what
matters it, since it makes them happy? And they have so
few joys in their life.
APPENDIX. 181
Note V. (Pages xxxix., xl.)
Eligio Ancona, " Historia de Yucatan," vol. i., p. 37.
(3) Seiior Dn. Eligio Ancona, who, in ISTS, was governor

of Yucatan when Madame Le Plongeon and I discovered and
unearthed the statue of Prince Coh (Chaacmol), is a Yuca-
tan writer well known in his country. Besides several his-
torical novels of doubtful merit, and a history of Yucatan of
no great value, he edited, at his own expense, after the death
of the author, the Maya dictionary compiled in great part by
Dn. Juan Pio Perez, a gentleman who applied himself to the
study of things relattag to the ancient history of the aborig-
ines of his fatherland. Whatever may be said of the history of
Yucatan, in four volumes, written by Senor Ancona, and its
worth respecting the events that have taken place since the
Spanish conquest, I leave to others to decide. But when he
attempts to write on the ancient history of the Mayas it may
be confidently said that it is a fictitious production of his fan-
ciful imagination, founded on the narratives of Bishop Landa,
Cogolludo, Lizana, and others, with some extracts from the
writings of Abbe Brasseur.
(1) Bernardo de Lizana was born in 1581, at OcaSa, in the

province of Toledo. He entered the Order of St. Francis
in the convent of his native city. He came as a missionary to
Yucatan in 1606, with eleven other monks, under the care of
Father Diego de Castro. He learned with great perfection
the Maya language, and was teacher of it for many years.
182 APPENDIX.
He is said to have been one of the most clever preachers

of his time. In his disposition he was very affable. Every-
body loved him. During the twenty-five years of his resi-
dence in Yucatan, he filled the highest posts of his Order,
except that of Provincial. It is reported that after predicting
the hour of his death, he passed from this life in 1631.
Father Lizana Avrote several Avorks, all valuable. They are

to-day, if not all lost, very difiicult to find. CogoHudo quotes
from his " Devocionario de N* Senora de Itzamal, Historia
de Yucathan y Su Conquista Espiritual. " Brasseur has pre-
served a fragment entitled "Del principio y fundacion de
estos Cuyos y pueblo de Itzamal " in his
6 Mules deste sitio
translation of Landa's " Eelacion de las Cosas de Yucatan."

APPEJS^DIX. 183
Note VI. (Page 3.)
(1) William Eobertson, in the second edition (1794) of his

\rork, "An Historical Disquisition concerning Ancient India"
(page 292), says: "It may be considered as the general result
of aU the inquiries, reasonings, and calculations with respect to
Indian astronomy, which have hitherto been made public, that
the motion of the heavenly bodies, and more particularly their

situation at the commencement of the different epochs to which
the four sets of tables refer, are ascertained with great accu-
racy; and that many of the elements of their calculations,
especially for very remote ages, are verified by an astonishing

coincidence with the tables of the modern astronomy of
Europe, when imj^roved by the latest and most nice deduc-
tions from the theory of gravitation. . . . These conclu-
sions are rendered particularly interesting by the evidence
which they afford of an advancement in science unexampled
in the history of rude nations."
One of the astronomical tables referred to by Mr. Eobert-
son goes back to the year 3102 before the Christian era; that
is, a century previous to the time when the Aryans established
their first settlements on the banks of the river Saraswati,
according to Mr. Adolphe Pictet (" Les Origines Indo-Euro-
piennes "). At that time the Brahmins were not the powerful
caste and corporation of learned philosophers which they
became after the Aryans made themselves masters of Hindo-
stan. That country was then under the s^vay of the highly
184 APPENDIX.
civilized Nagds. These were Maya colonists that, having

settled in very remote ages in the Dekkan, by little and little
had extended their dominion over the less cultured aborigines.
The Brahmins, it is well known, borrowed their system of cos-

mogony and acquired their knowledge of astronomy, as well
as all other sciences and the arts of civilization, from the
Nagas, whom, afterward, they relentlessly persecuted.
Again, Mr. Robertson says (page 296) " It is accordingly :
for those very remote ages (about five thousand years distant
from the present) that their astronomy is most accurate, and
the nearer we come down to our own times, the more the con-
formity of its results with ours diminishes. It seems reason-
able to suppose that the time when its rules are most accurate
is the time when made on which these
the observations were
rules are founded. . .The superior perfection of the
.
Indian tables becomes always more conspicuous as we go far-

ther back into antiquity. This shows, likewise, how difficult
it is to construct any astronomical tables which will agree

with the state of the heavens for a period so remote from the
time when the tables are constructed as four or five thousand
years. It is only from astronomy in its most advanced state,
such as it has attained in modern Europe, that such accuracy is
to be expected." Again (page 297): "When an estimate is
endeavored to be made of the geometrical skiU necessary for

the construction of the Indian tables and rules, it is found to
be very considerable; and, besides the knowledge of elemen-
tary geometry, it must have required plane and spherical trig-
onometry, or something equivalent to them, together with

certain methods of approximating to the values of geometrical
magnitudes, which seem to rise very far above the elements
of any of those sciences. Some of these last mark also very
APPENDIX. 185
clearly that the places to which these tables are adapted must
be situated between the tropics, because they are altogether
inapplicable at a greater distance from the equator." And
(page 298): "From this long induction, the conclusion which
seems obviously to result is that the Indian astronomy is
founded upon observations which were made at a very early

period; and when we consider the exact agreement of the
places which they assign to the sun and moon and other heav-
enly bodies, at that epoch, with those deduced from the tables
of De la CaiUe and Mayer, it strongly confirms the truth of
the position which I have been endeavoring to establish con-
cerning the early and high state of civilization in India."
186 APPENDIX.
Note YII. (Page 16.)
(1) In Maya there are several words for " ocean," " sea "
all To comprehend
convejîng the idea of fiery or yellow liquid.
the motives that prompted those who applied these names to the
element by which the planet is mostly covered would require
a thorough acquaintance with the geological notions of the
ancient Maya scientists. But when we reflect that names
were generally given to objects by onomatopoeia, those of the
sea may perhaps shadow such notions. A long dissertation on
the subject would here be certainly out of place. I will there-
fore content myself with giving the etymon of the words,
leaving it to each reader to draw his own conclusions. By
consulting Maya dictionaries we find the various words for
" sea," " ocean," to be kauali, kaaiiab, kaknab, kankab.
The first I have explained in the text, according to the
monumental inscriptions and the characters in ancient Maya
books, in which a serpent head invai'iably stands as symbol of
the sea —the Mighty Sei'pent.
The second, kaauab, is a word composed of two primi-
tives kaa, "bitter;" and nab, which has various meanings
"gold," "unction," "palm of the hand." In the countries
of the Western Continent it was customary to anoint the kings
by pouring over their heads and bodies gold-dust held in the
palm of the hand.' Is it a coincidence that the god, among
'
Fr. Pedro Simon, Notidaa Hisloriales de las Conquistas de Tierra Firme
en el Niievo Eeinq de Grenada. Apud Kingsborough, vol. iii.
APPENDIX. 187
the Assyrians, Avho presided over the unction of the kings, was
called Xaho ; and that Nuh, was the surname of the
in Egypt,
god Set,'^ and lifeb meant lord? In our day Nciboh is still the
title for a viceroy in India. It also means a man of great
wealth.^
In aftertimes gold was replaced by oil in the royal unc-
tion, and by lustral water, poured from the palm of the hand,
in the ceremony of purification.
The third word, kakiiab, is composed of two primitives

—kak, " fire," and nab, "the pakn of the hand." Like the
Egj^tians, the Mayas figured the earth as an old man with
his face turned toward the east, holding in his hand the spirit
of life,' Fire, the " soul of the universe," the primordial cause
of all things, according to the Yajur-veda,^ and to all ancient
philosophers whose maxim was Corpus est terra, rniima est
ignis.
The Aryans, and all peoples allied to them, represented the
earth as a woman and caUed it Mother Earth, even as we do
'
'
'
'
to-day. Would not this show that the Egyptians were not
of Aryan stock as some Egyptologists pretend; but, on the
other hand, that they were closely related to the Mayas ? —
fact which becomes more and more evident as we study deeper
their traditions, their manners, and their customs, and com-
pare more carefully their cosmogonic conceptions and astro-
nomical notions.
As to the fourth word, kankab, it is also composed of the
two primitives, kan, '
' yellow, '
' and kab, '
' hand. '
' It seems
' Henry Brugsch, History of Egypt under the Pharaohs, vol. i., pp. 213-
236 ; vol. pp. 120-246.
ii.,
' Webster's Dictiouary.

^ Codex Cortesianus, plates vii.-viii. See illustrations, plates Iv.-lvi.
^ Asiatic Besearches, vol. viii., pp. 431^33.
188 APPENDIX.
to have originated in the same personification of the earth as

an old man, with a golden or fiery hand, a yellow hand. It is
the same conception of the fire and the water allied to produce
all things, that we see portrayed in the cosmogonie diagrams
of the Mayas, the Hindoos, and the Chaldees.
APPENDIX. 189
Note VIII. (Page 82.)
(1) In his work "Lares and Penates," Mr. "William Burck-

hardt Barker, in Chapter IV., " On Certain Portraits of Huns
and their Identitj'' \7ith the Extinct Races in America, says '
'
" Mr. Abington's observations on this piece (55), a head of most

monstrous form, in a conical cap, are of so remarkable a nature
that I must be permitted to publish them here. . . . Mr.
Abington says :
'
This is the most exti'aordinary thing in the
Arhole collection. On the first view I was struck with the
identity of its strange profile with the figures sculptured upon
the monuments and edifices of an extinct people in Central
America. Many of Stephens's engravings represent the same
faces exactly. ' ... Is it not a faithful and correct por-
trait of a Hun ? . . . Hitherto the sculptures of Central
America have only been wondered at, but not explained.
Does not this head identify them with the Huns, and thereby
let light in upon a dark mystery? The following . . .
sketches of the scidptures in Central America, taken from

Stephens's plates ^ and the Qua/rterl/y Journal, will show that
my notion of the matter is not a mere fancy.
Heads so very unusual, not to say unnatural, though found
in such distant places, must surely have come from the same
stock. . We have written descriptions of the inhuman

. .
appearance of the Huns who devastated the nation; but I
'
John L. Stephens, Incidents of Travels in Central America and Yucatan.
(The author.)
190 APPENDIX.
never met with any representation of them either pictorial or

sculptured. Perhaps you have the gratification of first bring-
ing before the woi'ld a true and exact representation of that once
terrible but now forgotten race, and that, too, by an illustration
probably unique ; also of remo"\ang the veil that has hitherto

concealed the mysterious origin of the men ^v^ho have left the
memorial of their peculiar conformation upon the sculptured
stones of America, but who have been long extinct. " '
.
Up to here Mr. Barker. It is certain that the peoples who

left images of their strange and hideous visages sculptured on
the temples and palaces of Copan, Palenque, Manche, and other
places in the countries watered by the river Uzxmiacinta and
its confluents, did not belong to the Maya race. But it is
equally certain that it would be most difficult, not to say impos-

sible, to prove that they did to that of the Huns; notwith-
standing the fact that there exist abundant proofs of the
presence in America, before and after the beginning of the
Christian era, of Mongol or Tartar tribes, and that these have
left their traces in many places of the "Western Continent.
These portraits sculptured on the temples of Palenque, Manche,
etc. , may very well be those of people from Tahiti and other
islands of the Pacific, visited by the Mayas in the course of
their voyages to India. It was customary with the inhabit-
ants of certain of these islands to flatten the skiflls of the
infants of the warrior caste, in the shape of a wedge, to make
them appear hideous when grown up, so that by their looks
they might inspire terror in the hearts of their foes.
'
See, iibi mpra, Plate XXIX.
^ John Ranking, Historical EesearcJies <m the Conquest of Peru, Mexico,
etc., h/ the Mongols.
APPENDIX. 191
Note IX. (Page 87.)
(3) This same custom of making use of mercurj for the

pi'esei'vation of corpses exists still in Thibet. C. F. Gordon
Gumming (Mrs. Helen Hunt), in her interesting book " In the
Himalayas and on the Indian Plains " (page M2), says: " We
tried to exercise strong faith while recalling Hue's curious
account of Tartar funerals, telling how, when a great chief
dies, several of the finest young men and women of the tribe
are made to swallow mercury tUI they suffocate, the supposi-
tion being that those who thus die continue to look fresh after
death." In a note she adds: " QuicksUver is believed to
endow the body with power to resist death and avoid further
transmigration. So Hindoo wizards prepare elixirs of mer-
cury and powdered mica, which are supposed to contain the
very essence of the god Siva and one of his wives."
We read in the "Travels of Marco Polo," published in
Edinburgh by Hugh Murray (18M), that this ancient Italian
traveller found this same custom, of using mercury for the

preservation of corpses, existing in India and China when, in
1250, he visited those countries. Father Hue also makes men-
tion of it in his work, " Recollections of a Journey through
Tartary, Thibet, and China," and so does Bayard Taylor,
Bishop Heber, and other modern travellers.
193 APPENDIX.
Note X. (Page 88.)
(1) Bishop Heber, in his " Narrative of a Journey through

the Upper Provinces of India" (vol. i., p. 386 ; vol. ii., pp.
430, 525, 530 ; vol. iii., pp. 48, 49), says "that at the city of
Cairah in Guzerat, as in Greece, the statues have the white of
the eyes made of ivory and silver. The statues of the gods
are still painted with colors emblematic of their attributes.
The gods Vishnu and Krishna are painted blue; Thoth, the
god of wisdom and letters, red, etc."
(2) Henry Layard, "Mneveh and its Remains" (vol. ii.,
part ii., chap, iii.), speaks of the painted sculptures discovered

by him in Nineveh, Khorsabad, and other places; and in his
work, " Nineveh and Babylon " (p. 276), he mentions the find-
ing of statues with eyes made of ivory and glass. Diodorus
Siculus (lib. ii., c. xx.) speaks of the figures of men and ani-
mals painted on the walls of the palace of Semiramis in

Babylon, and so also does Ezekiel (chap, xxii., verses 14, 15)
and Smith, " Five Monarchies " (vol. i., pp. 450, 451).
(3) Eusebius, " Prsep. et Demons. Evang. " (lib. iii., chap,
xi.), says that the Egyptians painted the statues of their gods.
Kneph, Amen, Ba, Nilus, were painted blue. Set and Atum
were painted red. Sir Gardner "Wilkinson, in "Manners and
Customs of Ancient Egyptians" (vol. iii., chap, xiii., pp. 10,
207), also says that the Egyptians painted the statues of their
gods and of their kings, and provided them with eyes made of
ivory or glass.
(4) The Greeks colored their statues and provided them with
eyes.
APPENDIX. 193
Note XI. (Pages 100, 127, 128.)
(1) J. Talboys "Wheeler informs us that the JSfagds were a

tribe famous in the Kshatriya traditions, whose history is
deeply interwoven with that of the Hindoos; that they wor-

shipped the serpent as a national divinity, and that they had
adopted it as a national emblem.^ From it they derived their
name.
The origin of the Ndgds isunknown to Indianists and other
writers on the history of India. They agree, however, that
they were strangers in the country, having established them-
selves in the southern parts of Hindostan in thnes anterior to
the war of the Pandavas and the Kauvaras; nay, anterior even
to the epoch when the Aryan colonists from Bactria emi-
grated to the Punjab and founded their first settlements on the
banks of the Saraswati when this river still emptied itself into
the Indus. They do not know whence they came, nor in what
part of the earth their mother country was situated.
Conjectures are not wanting on that point. Because these
jVdgds worshipped the serpent, some have presumed that they
were a tribe of Scythians,^ whose race, Herodotus tells us, was
said to have descended from a mythical being, half-woman,
half-serpent, who bore three sons to Heracles.^ We wiU not
now inquire into the origin of that myth. Looking into the
' J. Talboys Wheeler, Hist, of hidia, vol. i., p. 146.

'
Ibid., p. 141.
^ Herodotus, Hist., lib. iv. 9-10.
13
194 APPENDIX.
land of fabulous speculations, we might as "weU imagine tliem

to have been the descendants of that Emperor of Heaven,
Tien-Hoang of Chinese mythology, who, the Chinese assert,
had the head of a man and the body of a serpent, since

they were regarded by the masses of Hindoos as semi-divine
beings.
We have seen in the early part of this book that the JVdgds,
having obtained a foothold in the Dekkan, founded a colony
that in time became a large and powerful empire whose
rulers governed the whole of Hindostan. They did not confine
themselves to India; but pushed their conquests toward the
west and northwest, extending their sway all over western
Asia to the shores of the Mediterranean, introducing their civ-
ilization in every ancient country, leaving traces of their wor-

ship in almost every system of religion.
Pundit Dayanand Saraswati, said to be the greatest Sans-
critist of modern India, and the most versed in the lore and
legends of Hindostan,^ affirms that he has discovered the
mother country of the J^dgds to have been Pdtdla, the antip-
odes; that is, Central America.' If it be so, then the N&gds
were colonists from Mayach ; and their civilization, their
' H. P. Blavatsky, From the Caves and the Jungles of Hindostan, p. 63.
' Ihid., Secret JDoctrine, vol. pp. 37-35.
i.,
The Swami Vive Kananda, a learned Hindoo monk, when lecturing

in New York on Yogi, the Vedanta, and the religious doctrines of India, in
speaking with the author on the origin of the Ndgda, assured him that it
was the received opinion of the learned pundits of that country that they
came originally from Pdtdla, the antipodes; that is. Central America. Pd-
tdla was the name given by the inhabitants of India to America in those
remote times. It was also that of a seaport and great commercial empo-
rium frequently visited by ancient Egyptians in their commercial intercourse
with India. In his Periplus maris Erythrcee, Arrian informs us that it was
situated at the lower delta of tlie river Indus. Tatta is the modern name
of the place.
APPENDIX. 195
scientific attainments, their traditions, their religious concep-

tions, must, of necessity, have been those of the Mayas.
Will any one object to the fact of a smaU colony of civUized
immigrants establishing themselves in the midst of barbarous
peoples, and growling, in the course of a few centuries, so as to
form a vast and powerful empire, exercising great influence on

the populations within its limits and even beyond ? To such
objection it may be answered, History repeats itself. Without
speaking of the origin of the great kingdoms whose history
forms our ancient history, let us cast a glance at what happens
round us. See what has occurred in the same countries within
the last two hundred and fifty years. From Fort St. George
and the small settlement called Madras, on the narrow strip six
miles long and one mile deep, bought by the English in 1639,
on the coast of Coromandel, in the peninsula of Dekkan, and
for which they had to pay, as tribute, every year, the sum of
twelve hundred pagodas, or about two thousand five hundred
doUars, has not the East India Company by little and little,
extended its domains, untH in our day, after a lapse of only

two centuries and a half, they have become the rich and
mighty British Indian Empire, whose viceroys now rule part
of the same territories conquered in olden times by the Nagds
and governed by their Cans, or kings ?
Are not the English to-day endeavoring to obtain a foot-
hold in Afghanistan, where, as we have already seen,* the
names of cities and localities are identical with the names of
villages and places in Yucatan, some of which are actually
inhabited, others being in ruins ? For instance, Kabul is the
name of the Afghan capital, and of the river on the banks of
which it stands. It is likewise that of a celebrated mound in
' See p. 27.
196 APPENDIX.
the city of Izainal in Yucatan. On its summit once stood a

temple declicated to the "miraculous hand." It was famous
throughout the land, even to the tune of the Spanish Conquest.

Father Cogolludo, in his " Historia de Tucathan," ^ says: " To
that temj^le they brought their dead and the sick. They
called it kabul, the working hand, and made great offer-
'
'
ings. . . The dead were recalled to life, and the sick

.
were healed."
The Nahuatls, who settled in the northwestern parts of the
peninsula of Yucatan about the sixth century of the Christian

era, used to offer at that temple human sacrifices to obtain from
the god the benisons they sought. This fact we learn from a
mezzo-relievo, in stucco, that adorned the frieze that ran round
the temple. (Plate LXVIII.) It represents a man with
]N"ahuatl features. His body is held in a posture that must
have caused great suffering. His hands are secured in stocks
his elbows rest on the edge of a hollow support; his emptied
abdomen is propped by a small stool; his knees touch the
ground, but his feet are raised and wedged by an implement;

his intestines hang from his neck and shoidders ; his heart is
strajjped to his thigh.
It is much to be regretted that since the author took the

photograph here reproduced, this figure, with its accompany-
ing inscription, has been purposely destroyed by the owner
of the premises, because he considered it an annoyance to
have interested parties coming to see it. This is but one
instance of that lack of appreciation manifested by the people
of Yucatan regarding the interesting and historically important
remains that make the Peninsula famous and attractive. It is
lamentable that the Mexican Government authorities take no

' Cogolludo, Hist, de Tucatflan, lib. iv., chap. viii.
Page 197. Plate LXVIII.
I
APPENDIX. 197
steps toward compelling the preservation of ancient works of art,

even in their deteriorated condition. The legend on the right,
in front of the figure, translated verbatim, reads as follows
the.
tem, altar.
kam, accepts; welcomes.
uucll, crushed.
noocol, lying face downward.
oxmal, TJxmal.
That on the back, over the figure
j
r ta, this.
three.
uuo. doubled.
That is: Ta ox uuo, u tem kam uuch noocol oxmal.

Freely translated: ^^
The thrice hent Tnan" '^
the altar wel-
comes the crushed iody, lying face downward, of the mam from
ZfxTnal.''''
It is well to notice that all the signs forming this legend are
198 APPENDIX.
Egyptian as well as Maya ; that, therefore, anj^ one able to

read Egyptian inscriptions can, without difficulty, with the aid
of a Maya dictionary, translate it as well as I. This proves
that the ancient Maya hieratic alphabet discovered by me and
published, in 1886, side by side with the Egyjitian, on page xii
of the introduction of my book, " Sacred Mysteries among the
Mayas and the Quiches," is a true key to the deciphering of
some, at least, of the Maya mural inscriptions, notwithstand-
ing the slanderous aspersions of Dr. Brinton, and his assertion

on page 15 of his " Prijner of Mayan Hieroglyphs " "that I
have added nothing to corroborate the correctness of the inter-
pretations." But may I ask why he has not verified them?

Has he no Maya dictionaries ? The trouble with him is, judging
from his own books, that he knows personally nothing on the
subject. Is he not utterly ignorant of the true meaning of a
single Maya character, when in composition with other signs
to form words and sentences ? Can he decipher one single sen-
tence of the Maya books ? Does he even know Maya as

spoken to-day ? How, then, does he dare to attack the knowl-
edge of those who, by hard study during several years passed
among people who speak nothing but Maya, have made them-
selves familiar with the subject, and set himself up as an
authority on what he does not know ? Let him not lose sight
of the fact that we are no longer in those times when the peo-
ple, as Bishop Synesius says (in " Calvit.," p. 516), wish abso-
lutely to be deceived. To-day honest inquirers after knowledge
object to being gulled by mere pretenders, even if these boast
of the titles of doctor and professor in a university.
We know that the ancient Mayas were serpent worship-

pers.* They worshipped the serpent, not that they believed it
' Aug. Le Plongeon, Sacred Mysteries, p. 109.

APPENDIX. 199
to be wiser than, or intellectually superior to, any other ani-
mal— thej^ had too much good sense for that — but because it
was the emblem of their country, the contour of which figures

a serpent with an inflated breast, like the Egyptian uraaus, for
which reason they called nohocli can,
it the great ser- '
'
pent. ' '

' The serpent was the emblem of Mayach,^ as the
eagle is that of the United States, the lion that of England,
the bear that of Russia, the cock that of France, etc.
Judging from their descendants in our day, the ancient
Mayas must have been fanatical lovers of their country. The
title of their rulers was can (serpent), as Tthan is to this day that
of the kings of Tartary, Burmah, and other Asiatic countries
as it was that Emperor of China even in the days of
of the
Marco Polo, and emblem is yet a dragon. Lilce the Egyp-
its
tian kings the Maya cans were initiates to the sacred mys-
teries performed in the secrecy of their temples.
No one has ever explained why the Asiatic rulers took
upon themselves the title of lehan, or adopted the serpent for
an emblem as did the Egyptian kings. The Maya language
offers a simple explanation.
Can, "serpent," "king," by permutation becomes nac,

the meaning of which is "crown," and also "throne," insig-
nias of royalty. But the verb Naacal means "to be ele-
vated," "to be raised." It was the title adopted by the
initiates among the Mayas, corresponding to our modern
'
Cogolludo, Hist, de Tucathan, lib. i., chap. i.
^ Troano MS., part ii., plate xvii., § 3; plate xxvii., § 1. The tree was
another emblem of Mayach (Troano MS., part ii., plates viii. to xiii.
Codex GortedaMus, plates vii. and viii.). It is well to recall here that Egypt
was likewise called the Land of the Tree, although the valley of the Nile was
well-nigh devoid of trees. (Samuel Birch in Gardner Wilkinson, Customs
and Manners of Ancient Egyptians, vol. iii., chap, xiii., p. 200.)
200 APPENDIX.
" His Highness, " they being elevated above their fellow-men
by their knowledge and superior wisdom. Transported to
India the word became corrupted, in the course of time, into
Naaca or Nagii. The title was kept by the initiates who were
among the Maya colonists that settled in Dekkan and Bur-
mah. They also preserved as emblem of their new nationality
that of their mother country in the antipodes, and worshipped
the serpent in remembrance of the home of their ancestors.
Elsewhere I have shown that the title of the highpriest,

chief of the adepts or naacals in Mayacli, was Hach-mac,
'
'
' the true, the very man. The title of the pontiff or chief
'
'
of the Magi, in Chaldea, was Hdb-mag, or, according to the

Maya, Lab-mac, the " old man; " - another of his titles was
Nargal, Maya Naacal, Hindoo Nagd, "initiate," "adept."
(2) John L. Stephens, "Incidents of Travels in Yucatan "

(vol.ii., p. 311), speaking of these remarkable pictures, says:
" The colors are green, yellow, red, blue, and a reddish brown,
the last being invariably the color given to the human flesh.
Wanting the various tints, the engraving, of course, gives

only an imperfect idea of them, though even in outline they
exhibit a freedom of touch which could only be the result of
discipline and training under masters."

(1) William Osburn, in his
'
' Monmnental History of
Egypt" (p. 260), says: "By comparing together the remains
of different epochs, it clearly appears that Egyptian art has
had its periods of perfection, of decline, and of renaissance, just
the same as art in Greece and Italy. But we have no trace

whatever of such beginnings in these first productions of art in
Egypt. It burst upon us at once in the iiower of its highest
' Le Plongeon, Sacred Mysteries, p. 30.

»
lUd., p. 45.
APPENDIX. 201
perfection. Where, then, are the imperfect attempts which

issued in this perfection to be found ? Iô such have been dis-
covered, either at Ghizeh or in any other locality in Egypt,
notwithstanding that no work of man perishes there. This
circumstance compels us to assume that the skiU of these primi-
tive artists of Egypt was a portion of that civilization which its
first settlers brought with them when they located themselves
in the valley of the JSTile."
202 APPENDIX.
Note XII. (Page 105.)
(1) Dr. Daniel G. Brinton, " Essays of an Americanist " (p.
439), says: " I do not know of any measurements undertaken

in Yucatan to ascertain the metrical standard employed by the
ancient architects. It is true that Dr. Augustus Le Plongeon
asserts positively that they knew and used the metric system,
and that the metre and its divisions are the only dimensions
that can be applied to the remains of the edifices. But apart

from the eccentricity of this statement, I do not see from Dr.
Le Plongeon's own measurements that the metre is in any sense
a common divisor for them."
Abbe Brasseur is now dead —he cannot, therefore, refute
Dr. Brinton's imputations; but I am still in the land of
the living, and wiU speak for the learned Abbe and for
myself.
The measurements that Dr. Brinton ignores to have been
undertaken in Yucatan, I have made most carefully, as proved
by my plans of the buildings and my restorations of the same.
The exactness of these surveys can be vouched for by the offi-
cers of my escorts in the ruined cities, they having helped me

in that work.
Unlike some genuinely good things, the would-be critic's
memory does not seem to improve with age. It is, indeed, a

pity. When he Avrote the lines just quoted he surely had for-
gotten that, once upon a time, after the one visit with which
he has ever honored me, he stated in the November (18S5),
APPENDIX. 203
number of the American Antiquarian (page 3Y8), under the

heading " The Art of Ancient Yucatan: "
"I recently passed an eveuing with Dr. and Mrs. Le Plongeon, who,
after twelve years spent in exploring the ruined cities of Yucatan, and
studying tlie ancient and modern Maya language
and character, are pass-
ing a few mouths in this country. The evening was passed in looking at
photographs of the remains of architectural and plastic art, in examining
tracings and squeezes from the walls of the buildings, in studying the accu-
rate plans and measurements made by the doctor and his wife of those struc-
tures, in reviewing a small but exceedingly choice collection of relics, and
in listening to the doctor's explanation of the Maya hieroglyphic system.
Whateter ojyinion one may entertain of the analogies the doctor thinhs he has
discovered letioeenMaya culture and language and those of Asia and Africa,
no one who, as I had the privilege of doing, goes over the actual product
of his labors and those of his accomplished wife, can doubt the magnitude
of his discoveries and the new and valuable light they throw upon ancient
Maj"a civilization. They correct, in various instances, the hasty deduc-
tions of Charnay, and they prove that buried under the tropical growth of
the Yucatan forests still remain monuments of art that would surprise the
world were they exhumed and rendered accessible to students." . . .
Compare this with his other statement. It would indeed

be most interesting to know if it was envy or charity that thus
caused him to alter his mind. He has never visited the ruined
cities of Yucatan, unless it be in imagination. He has, there-
fore, made measurements of the buildings erected by

never
the Mayas. How, then, can he know, of his own knowledge,
which of our modern standards of lineal measures applies to
them exactly ? This, however, I do know, not from hearsay,
but from actual experience, that the metre is the only measure
which, when applied to said buildings, leaves no fraction.
How, then, does he, a mere closet archceologist, dare impute to
eccentricity my statement to the '
' American Antiquarian
Society of Worcester," made first in June, 1878, and reiterated
in 1881, which reads: "I have adopted the metric standard
of lineal measure, not from choice, but from necessity, and
204 APPENDIX.
made the strange discovery that the metre is the only measure
of dimension which agrees with that adopted by these most
ancient artists and architects; another very striking point of
contact with the Chaldean priests, the Magi"? In August,
1893, in the New York Advertiser, I publicly challenged Dr.
Brinton to a conference before any scientific society of his
own choice, to show what he really knew about the Mayas,

their language, manners, customs, and history. He prudently
took no notice of my challenge. But, being as desirous to
defend my reputation in my chosen field of sti;dy as he is
to shield his, I seized the opportunity offered by the mem-

bers of the American Association for the Advancement of
Science holding their annual meetings, under his presidency, a
few steps from my residence in the city of Brooklyn, to send
him this second challenge, a copy of which was placed in his
hand on August 20th, while he was standing with other mem-
bers of the association in the reception room of the Polytech-
nic Institute:
DR. LE PLONGEON TO DR. BRINTON.
AN OPEN LETTER WHICH CONTAINS AN INVITATION TO A SCIENTIFIC DUEL.
The Eagle has received the following :
Dr. Daniel G. Brinton. President of the

American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Sir : Do you remember that in 1887, when the American Association
for the Advaucement of Science met New York
at Columbia College, by
in
direction of Professor Putnam, wrote to you from this city, inquiring if I
I
might be permitted to read a paper on " Ancient American Civilization"

before the archasological department of said association, you being then the
President of said section ? Do you remember also that I did not receive
until three weeks after the closing of the sessions of said association the
answer to my letter, it having somehow been sent to San Francisco, Cal.,
instead of Brooklyn, L. I. ? It is to avoid another such clerical mistake
that I now take this mode of reaching tlie association and yourself.
APPENDIX. 205
Tou are well aware that during the last quarter of a century, partic-
ularly, liuman knowledge has made great progress in all brandies of science
except that of American archaeology, which is not now much more advanced
than it was a century ago. You also feel, if you do not admit it, that all
that has been written on that subject in Europe and America does not pass
from mere speculation on the part of the writers, and is therefore, scientifi-
cally and historically speaking, scarcely worth the paper on which said
speculations and theories are printed; that none of the pretended authori-
ties on the subject can read a single sentence of the Maya books and mural
inscriptions; that they therefore know nothing about tlie ancient Mayas,
their culture and scientiflc attainments, although some of said writers pre-
sume to pronounce magisterially on these subjects. You pose as, and are
therefore considered, the authority in the United States on all questions
pertaining to the ancient Mayas ; for this reason I address myself to you,
and also because you are now the president of the American Association
for the Advancement of Science, whose members should be proud to help
in shedding light on the ancient civilization of the continent on which
they live.
In your book, "Essays of an Americanist " (p. 439), you aver that my
asserting that the ancient Maya standard of lineal measures was the metre,
or be it the ten millionth part of the quarter of the meridian, is one of my
eccentricities, but give no )-easons for so attacking my statement. A year
ago, through the columns of the New York Advertiser, a copy of which I
mailed to your address, I sent you an invitation to prove your averment
before any scientific society of your own choosing, provided the meeting
were public.
There can be no better opportunity than the present, no better qualified
audience than the scientists now assembled under your presidency, for pass-
ing judgment on all such questions.
Will you, then, appoint a day, at your own convenience, to meet me
before the members of the association and discuss all points treated by you
in your book above mentioned ? 1. Maj'a phonetics. 3. Wliat were the
true signs used by ancient Mayas for the cardinal points ? 3. Landa alpha-
bet and Maya prophecies. 4. Maya standard of measures. And, besides,
the following (1) Maya science of numbers
: (3) Maya cosmogony ; (3) ;
Maya knowledge of geography, geology; and, if you please (4), Maya

language and its universal spread among all ancient civilized nations of
antiquity in Asia, Africa, and Europe.
All said discussion to rest altogether on hard facts, scientific or his-
torical, not on mere conjectures or suppositions, so as to be of real value to
the scientific world, and thus give ancient America its proper place in the
universal history of the world. Of course, the four hundred photographic
206 APPENDIX.
slides made by me from photos also taken by me in situ I most Tvillitigly
place at your disposal to sustain your part of the discussion, which I doubt
not you will readily accept to redeem your written promise, made to me as
far back as 1885, as I intend using them to demonstrate my side of the
case. Hoping, sir, that you will gladly improve the opportunity to show
tluityou are really an authority, with right therefore to criticise others on
such an important subject, to all American scientists, and afford me one for
displaying my extravagancies or eccentricities before the members of the
American Association for the Advancement of Science, I beg to subscribe
myself.
Yours most respectfully,
Atjgtjstus Le Plongeon.
18 Sidney Place, Avgust 18, 1894.'
Dr. Brinton took no more notice of this challenge than he

had taken of the former one, published in August, 1893, in the
New York Advertiser.

Why?
Is it that he regards me, claiming no title of professor in
any university, nor even that of member of any scientific soci-
ety, as an adversary unworthy of him, whose defeat would

bring him neither fame nor honor? Or is it on prudential
grounds? Does he fear lest his ignorance of a subject on
"which he claims to be an authoritj^ should be made mani-
fest, and his reputation as a learned archfeologist be lost
forever? Since he has refused to give me the opportunity
to defend myself against his unwarranted aspersion, I will
say here what I would have said to him personally before
the members of the A. A. A. S. had he accejited my chal-
lenge.
The learned Professor of American Archceology and Lin-
guistics of the University of Pennsylvania seems to be ignorant
of the fact that the Chaldeans, who, we have shown, were in
'
Brooklyn Eagle, edition of August 19, 1894.
APPENDIX. 207
their origin a Maya colony, also used the metre as their

standard of lineal measures. Will he likewise accuse Ernest
Eenan, the late famous French scientist and professor in the
College de France, of eccentricity, because on pages 60 and 61
of his " Histoire Generale des langues Semitiques," he says:
"Ze caractere gra/ndiose des constructions Babyloniennes et
Winivites, le develo2>peinent scientifique de la Chcddee, les ra/p-,
forts incontestaMes de la civilisation Assyrienne a/vec celle de

VEgypte, awraient leur cause dans cette jnêvfiiere assise de
peujyles materialistes, constructeurs, a/uxquels le monde entier
doit avec le ststeme meteique les plus ancienyies connaissances
qui tiennent a Vastronomie, aux Tnathematiques et a Vindus-

trie."
No doubt the Professor of Archaeology of the Pennsylvania

University will also accuse the learned English astronomer
John Wilson of downright lunacy for stating in his work,
" The Lost Solar System of the Ancients Discovered " ^ :
" The adaptation of the Babylonian standard, based on a

knowledge of the earth's circumference, to the monumental
records of science prove that the Druids of Britain, the Persian
Magi, the Brahmins of India, the Chaldees of Babylonia, the
Egyptian hierarchy, the priests of Mexico and Peru, were all
acquainted, as C^sar says of the Druids, with the form and

magnitude of the earth; or, as Pomponius Mela states, with
the form and magnitude of the earth and motion of the
stars.
" Hence it is evident that the world had been circumnavi-
gated at an unknown epoch, and colonies formed in the old and
new world, all making use of the same standard in the con-
' John Wilson, The Lost Solar System of the Ancients Discovered, vol. ii.,
p. 236.
208 APPENDIX.
struction of their religious monuments. So the Babylonian or

Sabsean standard may be said to have been universal.
"The measurement of the earth's circumference made at
a very remote period by an unknown race, who constructed

the great teocalli of Xochicalco, accords with the measurement
lately made by the French, if the circumference of the fort
' '
equals four thousand metres.
The wandering Masons, who have left traces of their
'
'
monuments in the four quarters of the world, wiU be found to

have traversed the great Pacific Ocean, made the circuit of the
globe, and measured its circumference." ^
'
' The Burmese hj^perbolic temples, like the Egyptian and
Mexican pyramidal temples, were most probably originally
dedicated to the worship of the heavenly bodies.
The Sabseans regarded the pyramidal and hyperboKc temples
and the obelisks as the symbols of divinity." ^
"Religious zeal, so strongly characteristic of the doctrines

promulgated in the systems of India and Egypt, was the means
of furthering in those regions the extension of geographical
knowledge at an epoch long anterior to the date of Christian-
ity. This is e"\adent from the still existing monumental records
left by these early missionaries of religion and civilization, the
founders of settlements in both hemispheres."*
"The ancient missionaries of religion and civilization
planted the Babylonian standard with their pyramids and tem-

ples in all parts of the globe. It is only by these silent mon-
uments that the ancient missions have been traced, after the
'
Johu Wilson, The Lost Solar System of the Ancients Discovered, vol. i.,
p. 381.
"Ibid,, vol. ii., p. 333.
' Ibid., vol. i., p. 347.
* Ibid., vol. ii., p. 339.
APPENDIX. 209
lapse of ages, when, all other records of their science and his-
tory had perished. " *
"The Babylonian standard of these missions has been

traced through Asia, Egypt, Phoenicia, and along the Mediter-
^
ranean coasts. "
"Will the learned Piazzi Smyth be also accused of oddity by
the hypercritical Dr. Brinton because he asserts that the build-
ers of the great Egyptian pyramid used as a standard of
measures, at least in the king's chamber —the most recondite,
mysterious, and, no doubt, sacred spot of the stupendous edi-
fice —the one ten-millionth part of the earth's axis of rotation,
instead of the one ten-millionth part of the quadrant of a
great circle passing through the poles, as did the Chaldeans
and the Mayas ?
This selection of the one ten-millionth part of the diameter
on the one hand, and the one ten-millionth part of the arc
comprised between the pole and the equator on the other,
as standard of lineal measures, proves not only an identity
of canons in the astronomical computations of the Egyptians
and the Chaldees, but that they had ascertained the size of
the earth; and that, if they did not borrow this knowledge
one from the other, they had learned it from the same
masters, as Mr. John "Wilson asserts. "Were those masters the
Mayas ?
Let us hear what Piazzi Smyth says on the subject: " Hence
all that we can declare as to the fact is that near the interior of
'
John Wilson, The Lost Solar System of the Ancients Discovered, vol. ii.,
p. 312.
Their language has also remained. It has been our guide through the
present volume. (The author.)
- John Wilson, The Lost Solar System of the Ancients Discovered, vol ii.,
p. 339.
14
210 APPENDIX.
a building whose ancient name, it is said, was '

a division into
ten, ' there is one typifying, or rather positively illustrating, a
division into five.
"The coffer, according to the metrological theory, is
founded in part on the one ten-millionth of the earth's axis

of rotation.
" This is something suspicious of a connection, especially if
divided by the pyramidal ten, but not enough; and on looking

round the room, an attentive observer may soon perceive a
more striking illustration of the division into five, in that the
four walls of the room have each four horizontal joint lines,
actually dividing the wall's whole surface into five horizontal
' '
stripes or courses.
'
' Hence the chamber is constructed commensurably to
the coffer, and the coffer to the chamber, with fifty and fi.ve as
the ruling numbers. But there exists even more testimony of
this sort, identifWng the whole pyramid also with the coffer
and its chamber, in a quarter, too, where I had certainly never
expected to find anything of the kind ; viz., the component
course of masonry of the entire building."^
From the foregoing observations by Mr. Piazzi Smyth, it
is evident that the Egyptians made use of a decimal system

derived from their knowledge of the length of the earth's
diameter, just as the Mayas did.
Landa tells us that, in archaic ages, before the occurrence

of the event ^ which induced them to alter the basis of their
chronological computations and adopt as such the number
'
C. Piazzi Smyth, Life and Worh at the Great Pyramid, vol. iii., pp.
162-163.
= Ibid., vol. iii., p. 199.
' Pio Perez, Cronologia Antigua de Yucatan. Apud Landa, Las Corns de
Yucatan, p. 404. Brasseur's publication.
APPENDIX. 311
thirteen, they also made use of the decimal system. " They
counted in fives and twenties up to one hundred." " Que su
euenta es cle V en V liasta XX,
y de XX en XX hasia (7. " ^
Cogolludo, Lizana, Torquemada, in fact, the majority of the

ckroniclers 'O'ho have written on the manners and customs of
the ancient Mayas, mention this mode of computation by
them until that by thirteenths was adopted. Of all these
writers Landa alone hints at the cause of this change.
Many a long and senseless discussion, full of profound
learning, has been indulged in; many an eloquently written
dissertation, replete with more or less specious reasons to show
why the wise men of Mayacli adopted the number thirteen as
a basis for their computations, has been published by erudite
professors, each advocating his private opinion with as much
ardor as uselessness. And the conclusion? The same, of
course, as that reached by that " scientific society on the Stan-
islaus," whose debate on a certain jaw-bone, whether it was
that of a mule or that of an ass, Bret Harte has recounted.
AU because they never read the book of Landa, or they dis-
dain to believe the relation of a man who was in an exceptional
position to learn much concerning the native traditions.
"We need not rely altogether on Landa's testimony regard-
ing the use of a decimal system by the Mayas. We find
abundant proofs in the ruins of their temples and palaces.
Had the learned Professor of American Archaeology of the
Pennsylvania University been less grossly ignorant of all things
relating to the Mayas, their religious and cosmogonic notions,
their scientific attainments, the meaning of their architecture,
and their language, he certainly would not have indited such
a paper as his "Maya Measures," nor attributed to eccentri-
' Landa, Las Cosas de Yucatan, chap, xxxiv., p. 206.
213 APPENDIX.
city my statement that thej^ made use of the metre as a

standard of lineal measures.
As to his emphatic assertion that he "does not see from
my own measurements that the metre is in any sense a com-
mon divisor for them," this is not in the least surprising. He
has never personally measured the Maya constructions ; he has
GNOMON at MAYAP AN
Distsncp between Ceiitsrs CC of Colu 90' Diameter of Columns 07 43 Latitude of Mayapati 20'3G.
ntmlfTiofcolumnt V#T*cd-S.n« C) ofDectinalion. * Diam.ler of Column:

ArcACoFS.ctinaUoii> id.i>1>M»b
BJ of A ofCircunfrrmrr ttul na«*j|firongti fmiro CC V,r9ed-Sin.JCofUitudi.i Dianxeler FGof coltimiu

Sine t-Ali tudi! .
DiBmererFG of f oLumni ^tS Omintrrrnft fkat f»)lclt^ÔlgllfmIrtC(

SmrflKofWeAO^W distaTi" bflwi
/VofCiTc^nfe, ( ItiAt bai tKTousKCf«t."CC
LcJjgl'i of to; of Pyrft-m;d North *id. iriO-
Height of Pyv*™ia 6-
never had access to my field notes, or any of the restorations

of the buildings made by me from said notes and from the
photographs of said edifices made by me in situ. He has only
looked superficially at the few plans in my possession when he
honored me with his visit ; these did not seem to interest him.
The only example of the use of the metre by Maya astron-
APPENDIX. 213
omers, architects, and mathematicians, ever published from

manuscripts written by me, is the protraction of a gnomon
which I discovered in the ruined city of Mayapan, situated
on the lands of the hacienda X-Canchakan, distant thirty
miles from Merida, the capital of Yucatan. This protraction
forms part of one of my reports to the "American Antiqua-
rian Society," of "Worcester, Mass. (See illustration, p. 212.)
It is not the result of intricate calculations wherein errors
may creep. It is a simple drawing constructed from measure-
ments made by me in situ. These must, by force, have been
very accurate, or the various parts of the drawing would not
fit exactly in their proper places. . Such protraction should
therefore settle all doubts regarding the true standard of
lineal measures used by the Mayas, in very remote times, and
even after the destruction of the Land of Mu by earthquakes
and submergence.
This report was published in the proceedings of said society
under the title of "Mayapan and Maya Inscriptions." It
contains various typographical errors. The proof-sheets were

not submitted to me before being sent to press (I was then in
the forests of Yucatan). Therefore I could not correct them.
There is, however, one mistake which is due to a lapsus calami
on my part. How did it occur ? It was one of those inex-
plicable oversights that frequently take place in making com-
putations; perhaps a temporary systematic anaesthesia pro-
duced by the concentration of the mind on a single point when
passing over a number of figures in calculation. At any rate,
there is no mistake in the drawing, which is perfect, and in

accordance with the measurements made of the gnomon itself.
The diameter of the columns is 0.45 metre. The distance

between their centres is 1.90 metres. In my manuscript, it
214 APPENDIX.
seems, I Tvrote 1.70 metres, or I made the 9 and 7 so as to mis-

lead the printer; and therein consists the grave error that has
given ground for Dr. Brinton's criticism of all my measure-
ments. Had he not been loolcing for an excuse to impugn the
conscientious work of an original explorer, thereby seeking his
own aggrandizement, he could have seen that the error was

merely typographical; and that my statement "that the
Mayas, like the Chaldees, did certainly use the metre as a
standard of lineal measures," was not eccentricity, hut positive
Tcnowledge.
APPENDIX. 215
Note XIII. (Page 111.)
(1) It may be asked, How is it that the Mayas came to

adopt the one ten-miUionth part of the quadrant of the great
circle that passes through the poles of the earth, as standard of
lineal measures ?
To him who is acquainted with the " Sacred JVIysteries " of
the ancient Maya adepts, the motive is indeed very evident.
Like the ancient Egy]3tians, the Mayas of old were, as their
descendants are to-day, an eminently religious people. "With
them, as, in fact, with every civilized nation, their cosmogonic
notions formed the base of their religious conceptions, and
both were embodied in their sacred edifices, particularly in
their pyramids, symbols of God in the universe.
They conceived this universe to be an infinite boundless

darkness, in which dwelt the unknowable, the inscrutable
Will, Uol. Having come to the knowledge that, by first
concentrating their thoughts, and then sending them forth in

every dii-ection to the utmost limits of space, these formed, as
it were, radii of equal length, that terminated at the vault
of a sphere whose limitation was a great circle ; having, be-
sides, discovered that the circle is, in nature, the ultimatum
in extension, they figured that Will, that Eternal One
Being, as a circle, Q, which they also called Uol, whose
centre was everywhere and circumference nowhere. They
imaofined this Will as being both male and female —Andro-
gvnus —two in one and one in two. In it life pulsated uncon-
216 APPENDIX.
scious. At the awakening of consciousness, when the Infinite

Sexless ceased to be sexless, the male principle, remaining still
distinct, fructified the immaculate virgin womb of nature, that

cosmic egg that we see pictured in the tableau of creation at
Chictieii.^
This new manifestation of the Boundless >^T~n. One they
figured as a circle with its vertical diameter, f
J
and called
it Lalmii, the " aU-pervading one," from vj^ Lali, "he
who is everywhere, '
' and hun, '
' one. '
' It became the Decade,
image of the universe evolving from the boundless darkness,
the number lO, the most mystic among the initiates of aU
nations, formed of the triad and the septenary the most bind- ;
ing oath of the Pythagoreans. From this vertical diameter,
sjnnbol of the male principle impregnating the virgin womb

of nature, originated the idea of the Phallus as emblem of
the Creator, whose worship under this image we find among
aU civilized nations of antiquity from the remotest ages.
The circle divided into four parts, by its vertical and hori-
zontal diameters crossing each other, formed the tetraktis,^

"the sacred four," the "builders," that is, the Caiiol} of
the Mayas, or the Tian-cliihans of the initiates among
them, the "heavenlj^ giants," the same called by the Hindoo
occultists Dhyan-Ohohans. The universe, now under the
regency of these Fottr powerful intelligences, they figured as a
circle with its vertical and horizontal diameters crossing
each other thus formine: the mundane cross, and to
them was ^-J--' intrusted
1 the building of the physical world
and the guardianship of the cardinal points. To distinguish
'
VU supra, Plate XXIII.
' This sacred square, that Pythagoras taught his followers was Four and
their oath, was a sacred number with the initiates in India, Egypt, Chaldea,
Greece, and other countries, as well as with the Naacals of Mayach.
APPENDIX. 217
them, the genii of the north and of the south — that is, the
keepers of the male principle of nature, of the active and
fecundating forces —were figured by the same circle with its
crossed diameters, to which wings Avere added. This we learn

from the inscriptions that adorn the facade of the sanctuary
atUxinal (Plate LXXI.) and from the Troano and other

Maya MSS.
These genii of the cardinal points, these four creators, are
known to the occultists as the "Four Maharajahs,"
Hindoo
or "great kings " of \he Dhywn Chohans.^ In Ocosmgo, Guate-
WTNGED CIRCLE FROM OCOSINGO.
mala, as also in Egjrpt, we see them portrayed as circles with
WINGED CIRCLE FROM EGYPT.
wings in Assyria, as ferouhers.

; They became the amshaspands
of the Mazdeans ; the Elohim and the seraphs of the Hebrews
the ai'changels of the Christians and Mohammedans the kabiri
;
and Titans of Hesiod's theogony; the four gods whose golden
' H. P. Blavatsky, The Sacred Doctrine.

218 APPENDIX.
statues, Clement of Alexandria tells us,' were carried bj'' the

Egyptians at all the festivals of the gods.
îs;
WINGED CIRCLE FROM ASSYRIA. (FEROITHER.)
These "four powerful ones," these " Canobs," these

heavenly architects, emanated from the " Geeat Infinite
One," evolved the material universe from chaos. The Maya
occultists figured this manifested universe by
inscribing a square within a circle; that is, by /
joining the ends of the vertical and horizontal

diameters. ,
s
The Pythagoreans honored numbers and geometrical de-

names of the gods.^ The Egyptians called the
signs with the
monad "Intellect,"^ male and female, "god," "chaos,"
"darkness."
' Clement of Alexandria, Stromat, v., p. 243.

' Plutarch, De hide, s. 76.
' Macrobius, Somnium Scipionis, c. 6.
Page SIS.
Plate LXXL
I
APPENDIX. 219
Damascius in Ms treatise "TIspiApxiov " says: " The Egyp-

tians asserted nothing of the First Principle of things, but cele-
brated it as a thrice unknown darkness transcending all intel-
'
lectual perception.
'
' According to Servius, ' they assigned the
perfect number three to the Great God." Tetraktis was the
mj'sticname of the Creative Power, and three was looked upon
as embracing all hmnan things. "Know God," says Pythag-
oras, "who is number and harmony. Number is the father
of the gods and men." Pythagoras borrowed his knowledge
of numbers and their meanings from the Egyptians. These
received their science from the Mayas, those civilized stran-
gers, their ancestors, who in remote ages, coming from the
East and from the West, had settled and brought civilization
to the banks of the Mle. Such being the case, it is but nat-
ural that we should find the same doctrine regarding cosmog-
ony and the meaning of numbers in Mayach, their mother
country in the " Lands of the West."
Pythagoras's teachings were that the rectangular triangle
which Plato called the mystic diagram, its height being repre-
sented by 3, its base by 4, and its hypothenuse by 5, was the

most perfect image of the "Infinite Spirit in the Universe,"
because 3, composed of 1 -I- 1 -i- 1, stood for the male principle
4, the square of 2, for the female; and 5, proceeding from both
2 and 3, the universe, and so was counted Penta in the general
numeration.
The Mayas called the first centenary (100, the square of
10) the nmnber representing the "Infinite One about to
Manifest," Hokal, and placed it in their diagram at the
upper end of the vertical diameter.
The second centenary (200) they said was " the Infi-
nite still whollt enclosed," Laliunkal (that is, Lah,
220 APPENDIX.
" wholly; " hiiii, " one; " kal, " enclosed "), and placed it at
the right hand end of the horizontal diameter.

The third centenary (300) they held to be the piei'cing of the
closed mrgin womh, Holhukal (that is. Hoi, "to pierce;"

liu, " virgin womb, " and kal, "closed"), and placed it at
the lower end of the vertical diameter that forms the height
of the four rectangular triangles which compose the square,
and therefore stands for the male principle in Plato's mystic
diagram.
Out of this notion came the doctrine so general in the
theogonies of all civilized nations of antiquity, of an immacu-

late mrgi?i conceivmg and giving hirth to a god.
The fourth centenary (400) the Mayas called Himbak,
the one Tnale organ of generation, and placed it at the left end
of the horizontal diameter ; that is, the base of the rectangular
triangles composing the square, corresponding therefore to the
female principle of Plato's mystic diagram.
The hypothenuses, standing for number five and the uni-
verse in said diagram, form tlie sides of the square inscribed
in the circumference. Their numerical aggregated value is
twenty, which the Maya sages called kal, or that which

closes and completes the square.
Thus we come to know that the identical doctrine regard-
ing the esoteric meaning of numbers which existed in India,

Chaldea, Egypt, and Greece was likewise taiight to the initi-
ates in the temples of Maya.cli, and why, in their numer-

ical computations, the Maya sages counted in fives up to
twenty, and by twenties to one hundred, thus making use of
what we moderns call the decimal system.
They refrained from counting by tens for the same reason
that we forbear to habitually utter the name of God number ;
APPENDIX. 221
lO, Laliun, representing to their mind the " Spirit of the

Univekse," the "Boundless," the "Infinite One," Kit,
whose name was too sacred to be pronounced except with the
utmost reverence.
Is it mere coincidence that in all countries wliere vestiges
of Maya civilization can be traced, there also we find that
among the occultists and initiates into the sacred mysteries
number ten stood for the name of God ?
Even for the Hebrew cabalists, who no doubt learned the
doctrine from the philosophers of the school of Alexandria,
number ten was represented by the letter J or I, Jod,
signature of the name of Jehovah, by whom all things were
created; Jah (Jehovah) being a name composed of the two
letters t/ând iT, that is, 10 and 6, or " God and the universe."
The ten Sephiroth, or numbers, were regarded by them as
emanations of the Divine Intelligence, that, according to the
book of light, the Sohar, combined to form the Heavenly Man,
of whom man on earth is an image. ^
As we count by thousands, saying " one thousand, two thou-
sand, three thousand," etc., the Mayas, for sacred reasons,
counted by "four hundreds." Thus they said " one four hun-
dred, two four hundred, three four hundred, '
' etc.
It may interest my readers, particularly those who have

made a study of occultism, to know the esoteric meaning of
the names of the cardinal numbers as taught by the ancient
Maya adepts, the IVaacals, to those they initiated into the
mysteries of cosmogonj'^.
In my rendering of the Maya names I have adhered to
their original purport as closely as the genius of the English
' Moses de Leon, Booh of SoJiar, ii. 70 J ; i. 30 a.

223 APPENDIX.
language permits. The correctness of my translation may be

easily verified by consulting Maya vocabularies.*
1 Hun one; Hunab, the universal,

2 ca is (call),
3 ox wAo, by his inherent power, caused

4 can Avisdom, the word, the Logos,^
5 ho to come;
6 iiac to disentangle things;
7 line to he his associate (iik, companion) ;
8 iiaxac make them stand erect

to
9 bolon and send them revolving on themselves.

10 Lahun He is all in one (Lali, all; hun, one).
The fact that the Mayas alone, among all civilized
nations of antiquity, and even of modern times, epitomized in

the names of the cardinal numbers their system of cosmogony,
would tend to prove that they were the originators of it.
This identical system having been adopted in all countries

where traces of their name is found, would show that, at some
time or other, they carried it to said countries; and its adojj-
tion, without any material change, by the priesthood of these
'
There is Maya dictionary MS. in the Brown
a very complete ancient
Library in Providence, R. was the property of Abbe Brasseur, wlio
I. It
used it extensively in forming liis own vocabulary Maya and Freucli.
He allowed Dr. Carl Berendt to malê a copy of it. This copy is now in
possession of Dr. Brinton, who refers to it as "the Motul dictionary." I
made a partial copy of it in 1884, when it was intrusted to me for that
purpose by my friend the late Mr. Bartlett, then librarian of Brown's
Library.
' Are we to see here the origin of the idea of the serpent being regarded
as the wisest of all animals (Genesis, chap, iii., verse 11), and therefore of
its being used as symbol of the Creator by all civilized nations of antiquity ?
Can, in Maya, is the generic word for '

' serpent."
Page 222.
Plate LXIX.
Page S3 Plate LXX.
APPENDIX. 323
different countries, would establish the inference that they were

held by aU as the most learned and civilized people of those
times.
It is admitted as proved beyond controversy that the Ar-

yans, the Hindoos, the Chaldees, the Greeks, in fact, every
nation regarded as civilized from which we have received our
knowledge of numbers, began their system of numeration by
counting the fingers of their hands, and named each number
accordingly. The Egyptians seem to have formed an excep-
tion. Bunsen has showed conclusively that their names for the
cardinal numbers had no relation to each other, and the few
whose etymon is suspected do not have reference to their
notions of the cosmic evolution. It is, however, probable that
they also took the five fingers of the hand as starting point for
their nmneration, since Tu orSB, name of the numerical five,
is regarded as an original form of TT ox Tot, the " hand." '
It now remains to explain why the Mayas adopted the

metre as standard of lineal measures.
That they were acquainted with exact sciences there can

be no doubt. They were mathematicians, astronomers, archi-
tects, navigators, geographers, etc. As well as the art they

possessed the science of navigation, since they knew how to
calculate longitudes and latitudes, as proved by the construc-
tion of the gnomon discovei'ed by me at Mayapan. They
were, therefore, familiar with plane and spherical trigonome-
try. They had computed the size of the earth, estimated the
distance from pole to pole, calculated the length of the merid-
ian. I have already mentioned the fact that in the construc-
tion of their sacred buildings they invariably embodied their
cosmogonic and religious conceptions, particularly in their
'
Bunsen, Egypt's Place in the Universal History, vol. iv., pp. 105-106.
224 APPENDIX.
pyramids. The several parts of these edifices were so arranged

and proportioned as to agree with the ratio of the diameter to
the circumference, n = 3.1415; the sum total of which, 2x7,

was a numerical that, to the Maya initiates, as to all the occult-
ists in other parts of the world, represented the "circum-
scribed world," the earth.
The vertical section of the plans of these sacred buildings
was always inscribed in a half circumference having a radius
of 21 = 3 X 7 metres, whose diameter formed the ground line.
Esoterically these buildings figured the earth; their height
stood for the gods of the earth, represented numerically by
number 1,065 = 21, number of the creators or frajaimtis, ac-
cording to the " Mahabharata; " and that of the raj'^s on each
side of the cosmic Qg^ in the creation tableau at Cliiclien.^
We have seen that it is likewise the numerical value of the
letters composing the name of Jehovah.^ It is well to remark
that the height of the principal pyramids in Yucatan is invari-
ably twenty-one metres.^

In fixing a standard of lineal measures the Maya sages
adopted a subdivision of the circle which was naturally divided
into four hundred parts, in accordance with their cosmic con-
ceptions, whilst the Egyptians selected a subdivision of the
'
Tlhi iupra, p. 76, illustration xsiii.
"^
Ibid.
Those of my readers who are desirous to know why the Maya arclii-
^
tects always inscribed the vertical section of the plan of their pyramids
within a cii'cumference, I beg to refer to the work of my friend the late
J. Ralston Skinner of Cincinnati, O., Source of Measures, at | 55, "Effect
of Putting a Pyramid in a Square " (p. 95), and to | 83, "Pyramid Symbo-
lization " (p. 159), published by the Robert Clarke Company of said city.
Also to the remarkable work The Lost Solar System of the Ancients Dis-
covered, by Mr. John Wilson, an English astronomer, vol. i., parts i. and
ii., London edition of 1856.
APPENDIX. 225
circle divided into three hundred and sixty parts, as modern

scientists do; this subdivision representing the abstract circum-
ference value of the celestial circle, being the mean between

355, number of the days of the lunar synodical year, and 365,
the number of the days of the solar year. The Mayas chose
the twenty-millionth part of one-half of the meridian —that
is, the metre— înstead of the ten-millionth part of the distance
between the poles of the earth as did the Egyptians.
15
226 APPENDIX.
NoTK XIV. (Pixge 105.)
(1) Having explained how the ancient Maya sages came to
adopt the (kjcimal system in their nmiioi'iiticjn, and the metro as

a standai'd ol' lineal measures, as found by actual survey of their
ancient temples and palaces, I will premise a few observations
on Dr. Drinton's chapters on "Maya Measures'" l)y some
lines from the introduction to my paper on " Maya and Maya
insc^riptions," pul)lislie(l in the "Proceedings of the American
Aiiti(piiirian Society," of Worcester, Mass. They were writ-
ten by Mr. Stephen Salisbury, now its president. This gen-

tleman lias niiiny friends in Yucatan, a country which ho has
often visited. These know personally Mrs. Le Plongeon and
myself. They are well acciuainted with our worJc among the
ruined cities of their native land.
" Dr. and Mrs. Lo Plongeon have the rare advantage of an
almost continuous residence among Maya ruins I'or more than
seven years, and of constfint relations with a class of Indians
most likely to ]n'eserve traditions regai'ding the past history of
the mysterious structures which abound in Yucatan."^

It being settled, I hope beyond doubt, liiat wo have stud-
ied the MayaH whore they can bo thoroughly studied —that is,
by living among tliom and as ono of them — and it being admit-

ted that such l)eing tlie case we ought to know their customs,
manners, traditions, etc., better than any one who has not
'
D. (J, Bi'iiiloii, lijHHaijH (if nn Amevkdidal, pp. <l;i;)-4;!0.
' Steplien Salisbury, Proceedings of Am. AiUiq. Hoc, April, 1881.

A PPENJDIX. Wl
even set foot in their country, iiiay J be permitted to ask Dr.
liiiiiliiii 11 low (|iicsti()ns rcspectinjij; the ^' only measv/rea^^ that,
lie asserts, were used by their ancestors? If these did not use
the metric system, why, in speaking of the size of tiio pages of

the Dresden C(jdcx, <loes he say, " The total length of the sheet
is .3.5 metres, and tiie height of each page is 0.295 metre, the
width 0.085 metre"?'
What, name of common sense and professorial con-
in the
sistency, does this mean? Does he not assert authoritatively,

on page 434 of his book, "The Maya measures are derived
directly and almost exclusively from tlie Iiuiikui body, and
largely from the hand " ?^ It would seem that the apostrophe
of Festus to Paul suits his case exactly: " Tho'((, mi hemde
thyself; much learning doth niMke thee m«ci. "' The first duty
of a teacher, and particularly a would-be critic, is to be con-
sistent with himself. Describing the size of tlir; Dnssdfin
Codex, a Maya book, he should have said, "It is three and

one-half ]iacf;s long, one span and four fingers in height,
and four lingers in width." His readers would then have been
able to form a very exact idea of its size, particularly had they
perused th<; biilf dozen pages of the Maya names for foot-
step, pace, or stride ; for the distance from the ground to the
ankle, to tlie knee, to the waist, to the breast, to the neck,

%() the mouth, to the top of the head; then for the width of
the finger, of the hand, of the stretch between the end of the
thumb and each of tlie other fingfjr tips, which lie has copied
from Dr. Carl Herman Eerendt's notebook, and imposes upon
his rea<lers as being, of his own knowledge, the only memureH
'
D. G. Brinton, EnmyH of an AmmrMnM, " Maya Codices," i>.
SOI.
' IMd., work quoted, " Maya Mea»urcH," i'dA-4'M).
' Acts of the Apostles, chap, xxvi., verse 34.
228 APPENDIX.
of length in use among the Mayas. Unhappily the late Dr.
Berendt's cast-off philological garments are a misfit on Dr.

Brinton's figure. He does not know how to wear them, nor
that it is not always safe to parade with the feathers of a
strange bird, though the feathers are paid for and the bird is
dead.
AU the words quoted are perfectly correct. The German
naturalist certainly noted them down when he began to learn
Maya, from the mouth of the natives, not because he believed
that the learned Maya mathematicians and architects had no

other lineal measures than these rough estimates, which, on
the other hand, are not peculiar to the Mayas, but are used
by ignorant people in every country, and even by those who
are not ignorant. Do we not say ankle deep in the sand;
knee deep in the mud waist, breast,
; chin deep in the water ?
Do we not measure distances approximately by steps or strides ?
depth, by fathoms ? Describing the stature of a horse, do we
not express it by saying it is so many hands high ? Does this
mean that these are the only standard measures of length in
vogue among us ? that astronomers, surveyors, architects,
and mechanics make use of them in their mathematical compu-

tations ? Can any one with common sense be guilty of such
stupendous absurdity as to pretend that they do ? WUl any
intelligent person doubt that that which happens to-day among
us has happened in aU times, in all countries, when and where
skilful workmen have wanted accurate measurements to carry
on their undertakings ?
How, then, can the learned Professor of Linguistics and
Archaeology in the Pennsylvania University assert that the
ancient Maya astronomers and architects had no other stand-
ard of lineal measures for their mathematical calculations, and
APPENDIX. 229
then attribute to ony eccentricity the statement that they used

the metre and its divisions ?
In conchision, it is apparent that this pedantic display of a

useless nomenclature of Maya names for what he calls the
standard lineal measure of the Mayas, was not published so
much to impart to his readers exact information, as to parade
Dr. Berendt's knowledge of the Maya language, while con-

veying the nnpression that this knowledge was his own. He
should have remembered the saying: " Those who live in
glass houses should not throw stones "
; to which I wiU add
If they venture to do so, they should at least wait until their
neio-hbors are dead and buried.
330 APPENDIX.
Note XV. (Page 105.)
(3) May we inquire, Trithout being accused of indiscretion,
how great is Dr. Brinton's acquaintance with this most inter-

esting of languages, the Maya ? It must indeed be quite
extensive, since he presumes to declare authoritatively that
Abbe Brasseur "knew next to nothing about it,'" and that
Father Cogolludo, the author of the best history of Yucatan,
published for the first time in Madrid in 1688, although he,
during twenty-one years, preached the gospel to the natives
in their own language, " was only moderately acquainted with
the Maya tongue. " ^ This is indeed a singular assertion. How
does the learned doctor know it ? What proof has he that such
statement is true? Has he the pretension to expect that
students of Maya civilization will accept such preposterous
averment because he makes it ?
If Abbe Brasseur "knew next to nothing about the

Maya," and Dr. Brinton was aware of this, why, instead
of making for himself a correct translation of that most inter-
esting ancient Maya prayer, " The Invocation to the God of
Eain," has he given a crippled, curtailed English rendering of

the French version published by Brasseur, and offered it to
his readers as a sample of Maya composition ? Since he was

intent upon imposing on them this deception, as he did not
even preserve the depth of fervor exhibited in the French
' D. G. Brinton, Essays of an Americanist, p. 361.

' n>id., p. 137.
APPENDIX. 231
interpretation, the least he could have done was to give the

invocation complete.
As rendered by the Spanish translator, it means little, and
Dr. Brinton's version is quite as meaningless, v^'^hilst the Maya
text expresses devotion and religious sentiment, and is for us,
at this late date, full of significance and information, as shown

by my own interpretation (pp. 107, 108).
This is the Spanish version given by Brasseur in Vol. II.
of Troano MS. (pp. 101, 102): " Al asomarse el sol, senor del
oriente, en las cuatro esquinas del cielo, en las cuatro esquinas
de la tierra, cae mi palabra a cada cuatro punto, a la mano del
Dios padre, de Dios hijo, (fe Dios Esjpiritu Santo.
"Al levantarse las nubes al oriente, ^1 subir en medio de

la majestad celeste, a las trece ordenes de las nubes el que
pone en orden el uracan amarUlo, esperanza de los seiiores vis-
itadores, el que pone en orden los asientos para el precioso vino,
con el precioso amor para los seiiores cuidadores de milpas,

para que vengan a poner su precioso favor, al santo grande
Dios padre, Dios hijo, Dios Espiritu Santo.
" Yo entrego su virgen semilla con mi santo amor, tu tendras
que mirarme un momento; yo suplico que me lleves tu ben-
dicion con todo tu corazon y entregues tu santo amor, para
alcanzar tu creciente y virgen favor ;
porque es precioso entre-
gar en la mano del Dios padre, de Dios hijo, de Dios Espiritu

Santo.''''
The following is Dr. Brinton's pretended interpretation of

the Maya text: *
" At the rising of the Sun, Lord of the East, my word goes
forth to the four corners of heaven, to the four corners of the
' D. G. Brinton, Essays of an Americanist, p. 167. Compare with my

own version of this invocation, pp. 107, 108.
232 APPENDIX.
earth, in the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God
the Holy Ghost.
"When the clouds rise in the East, when he comes who
sets in order the thirteen forms of the clouds, the yellow lord
of the hurricane, the hope of the lords to come, he Avho rules
the preparation of the divine liquoi', he who loves the guardian

spirits of the fields, then I pray to him for his precious favor;
for I trust all in the hands of God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Holy Ghost."
Did he not know then, does he not know now, that even
with the admixture of Christian ideas as Brasseur received it
from the mouth of Marcelo Canich, mayoral of the hacienda

of X-Caiicliakan (who also recited it to me), if the mean-
ing of the words had been properly rendered, far from be-
ing the senseless sentences he has published, he would have
found it, as it is, replete with curious and most valuable
information ?
His rendering of the Invocation is indeed worthless, but
the Maya text tells its own most interesting story. From
his not giving a proper translation, made by himself, are we
to infer that the learned professor of linguistics does not
know the Maya language as he would have the Avorld
believe ?
No one can read the learned analysis of the Maya, and
the comparison of its grammatical construction with that of
the ancient Greek, hj the scholarly Brasseur, which forms the
introduction to his "Elements of the Maya tongue," in the
second volume of the Troano MS., without being satisfied that
he was thoroughly acquainted with said language; and with-
out acquiring the conviction that, by attacking the memory
of a great scholar, who now lies silent in the grave, Dr.
APPENDIX. 233
Brinton has given another proof that he wants to build for

himself a reputation for learning at the cost of that of fellow-
students.
In mentioning Balam, the Yumilcax, the "lord of the
fields," the learned Professor of Archceology of the University
of Pennsylvania confounds him with the Cliacs, " the gods of
rain, " " guardians of the cardinal points. " " These Balams, '
says he, "are in fact the gods of the cardinal points, and
of the winds and rains which proceed from them," etc.,* and to
prove his assertion he covers several pages of his book with idle
tales,known to everybody. They are current to-day among
the natives, who beguile the evening hours by recounting them
over and over. These stories have no relation with ancient
traditions. They contain as much teaching as the stories of
" Puss in Boots " and " Bluebeard."
"We have seen (p. 103) that the Chacs were the "gods
of rain," and as such held as the "keepers of the fields," the
' D. G-. Brinton, Essays of an Americanist, " The Birds of the Winds "
(p. 175). It willbe noticed that Dr. Brinton "writes the word Balams and
gives JI-Balamob a,s the Maya plural. This is a word of his own coinage.
He will not find copy of Brown Library (Motul) dictionary. He
it in his
does not seem to know that the ancient termination ob, as sign of plural
in nouns, has not been in use for very many years, having been replaced
by ex, second person plural of the personal pronoun. So that, if in ad-
dressing his workmen he should say to them, "Palob " (" Boys "), as it was
proper anciently, they would cast at each other an inquiring glance, the
meaning of which would plainly be, What does he say ? But should he
tell them, " Palex ! conex banal " (" Boys, let us go to eat "), he would
not liave to repeat the order twice.

Neither does he seem to know
never used before a noun,
that h is
except as a mark of the masculine gender, being the contraction of ab,

it
masculine article, never as a diminutive or particle of elegance. In that

case X, contraction of the feminine article ix, is, and has always been, em-
ployed, even before a masculine noun, as, for instance, in X-Kukulcan.
But this is regarded as affectation on the part of the speaker.
234 APPENDIX.
good genii who brought fertility to the earth. Balam's

office, however, is quite different. He is the lord of the
fields, the protector of the crops, and to him the primitiae of
all the fruits of the earth are oif ered before the harvesting is
begun. Is he an imaginary Being ? By no means. His name

Balaui tells who he is —an anthropomorphism of the puma,
whose clear, shrill whistle rings sharply through the forests,
breaks the stillness of the night, and, waking the sleeping
echoes, sends a thrill of terror coursing along the spine of the
superstitious native. Hoav came he to be looked upon as the
protector, the guardian of the fields Yuinil col ? Most
naturally, indeed.
The fields, covered with their abundant, ripening crops of
corn, beans, and pumpkins, are nightly the resort of deer,
peccaries, rabbits, and other herbivora that, during the day,
sheltered by thick foliage from the fierce rays of the tropical

sun, roam in the forests. AH these grass-eating denizens of
the woods are the natural food of leopards, pumas, cata-
mounts, and other carnivora. These emerge from their lairs
after sunset in search of prey. In the twilight, in the dark-

ness, they prowl in and around the fields where they know
their intended victims are feeding. Pouncing upon those
nearest, an awful struggle for life takes place. Alarmed by
the noise and the despairing cries of the victims, the others
seek safetjr in flight, and the crops are thus saved from destruc-
tion. This is why these self-constituted protectors of the
crops came to be regarded as natural guardians of the fields.
Believing that the pumas and leopards obey the orders of their
invisible spirit lord, Balaiu, the natives, with appropriate
ceremonies called Tich, make to him offerings of the best
fruits of their fields. (Plate LXXII.)

Page 236. Plate LXXII.
APPENDIX. 235
ISTotwithstanding his pretensions, Dr. Brinton does not

know 3Iaya, even remotely. If any further proof were
needed of the truth of this assertion, it would be found in
this simple sentence, " Pixe avito^ xnoch cisi7i," printed in his
book (p. 174), as it is here, in italics; as is also his Spanish

translation, which, with cause, I omit. He has copied both,
original and translation, from a manuscript by a native of
TDiosuco, named Zetina, who, it seems, was not over partic-
ular in the choice of his language. I wish to believe that the
learned Professor of Linguistics is but httle better acquainted
with the Spanish tongue than with the Maya, else how does
he dare call particular attention, by printing them in italics, to
words that no gentleman would use in refined society ? words —

that, besides, are not a correct translation of what was prob-
eiblj intended to be conveyed in the Maya ; the exact render-
ing of which in that tongue would be, " Pixe a ito, xnoch
ciziii," - whilst the intention of Seiior Zetina was to write,
"Pixe a iiitho, xnoch cizin." Like the majority of his
counti'ymen, he did not know how to write correctly his
mother tongue. It must be confessed very few do.
The first lesson in Maya taught to pupils is the letters of
the alphabet and their proper pronunciation. At the same
time they are told that several of the characters forming part
of the Latin alphabet are not used in the Maya among ;
these the letter v.
Avito is not a Maya word. It has no meaning in that language.

° I might be censured for publishing this sentence, which is a verbatim
translation of Dr. Brinton's Spanish. M3' excuse for doing so is to show
that the learned doctor does not know Maya, which is an unknown
language outside of the countries where it is spoken I do not therefore ;
run the nsk of shocking the sense of propriety or decency of my readers in

this or in European countries.
236 APPENDIX.
Dr. Brinton is evidently ignorant of this elementary fact.

Throughout his book, whenever he has had occasion to men-
tion the Maya word for mcMi, he has invariably spelled it
vinic? This is Quiche. The Maya orthography of the word

is iiiiiic.
In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries the letters v and

u were used indifferently one for the other. Thus it is that
Landa, Cogolludo, Torquemada, Las Casas, and the other
writers of those times wrote both uinic and vinic. It is
quite different, however, in our day.
It is evident that the learned Professor of Linguistics does
not know which is the right word in Maya for "man," any
better than he knows what was the true name for each of the
cardinal points among the Mayas, although Landa gives
them verj^ explicitly. Shall it be said of Dr. Brinton as of the
wooden saints, He has eyes but sees not? Or has he also,
perchance, the pretension of being better informed on that sub-

ject than the author of " Las Cosas de Yucatan " ? In every
one of his books he assigns a different name to each of said
points, in the hope of perhaps hitting, in one at least, on the
right name.
For instance, in his book "Myths of the New World,"
article "Quiche Legends" (p. 82), he magistrally informs his
readers: " The four known by the names of Kan, Mviliic, Ix,
Caiiac, represent respectively the east, north, west, and soicth.
As in Oriental symbolism, the east was yellow, the south red,
the west black, the north white." These were the names of
the guardians of the pillars that sustained the vault of heaven.^
In his " Essays of an Americanist " (p. 201), the author seems
' D. G. Brinton, Esmys of an Americanist, pp. 176, 254, 438, et passim.

2 Ibid., Myths of the New World, p. 83.
APPENDIX. 237
to indorse Prof. Cyrus Thomas's interpretation of tlie Maya

signs for the cardinal points. In that case he would take
Miiliic to be the north, Cauac the south, Ix the east, and
Ivan the westj'^ but he does not know that the signs he repro-
duces are not the names of the cardinal points, nor even of the
genii, guardians of the same, but of certain localities situated
Again, in another of his works,

in the direction of said points.
" Hero Myths," the learned doctor, following Bishop Landa's
assertion that in his day the Mayas assigned Kan to the
south, Muluc to the east, Ix to the north, and Cauac to the
west, informs his readers that such were the true respective
names of the cardinal points.^ But he probably reasoned,
What did Bishop Landa know of Oriental symbolism ? So he
casts aside Landa's positive teachings, with the result that, to-
day, he does not know which are really the names of said
cardinal points. As for me, I positively affirm that it can be
demonstrated that Bishop Landa has transmitted to us the
correct name of each point, and that they agree with those
given by the authors of the various Maya books and inscrip-
tions known to us, notwithstanding the learned Dr. Brinton's
opinion.^
On October 16, 1887, I wrote to him that, as I was writing
a review of what had been done in the decipherment of the
Maya inscriptions and books, 1 would be very glad, so as not
to misrepresent him, if he would be kind enough to teU me
which of the names he looked u^jon as the real one given by the
Mayas to each particular cardinal point, as it was impossible
to find out his opinion from his own works.
'
D. Gr. Brinton, Essays of an Americanist, p. 304.
" Hid., Hero Myths, p. 209.
^ Landa, Las Cosas de Yucatan, cap. xxxiv.
238 APPENDIX.
Five daj's later —that is, on October 21 —he ansTvered

me:
" The first time I visit New York I liope to have the pleasure of seeing
you and Mrs. Le Plougeon, and then I should like exceedingly to hear of
your discoveries, and also to explain to you my views about the .cardinal
points and their representations in the Maya hieroglyphs.
'
' I remain, etc.
"D. G. Brinton."
Well, Dr. Brinton has never called upon me, nor given me
his views about the cardinal points and their representations in
Maya hieroglyphs, though in August, 1887, I offered him an
excellent opportunity, when the '
' American Association for the
Advancement of Science" met at Columbia College in ISTew
York. "Bj request of Professor Putnam I then wrote to him,
as president of the archaeological section, asking the privilege

of reading a paper on " Ancient Maya Civilization " before its
members. I did not read such paper; neither was my request

refused; but the envelope containing the granting of it reached
me exactly three weehs after the association had closed its ses-
sions. It had been sent to me, by mistake, to San Francisco,

Cal., instead of to Brooklyn, N. T. ; at least, so I was in-
formed in the apologetic letter that came in the same envelope.

Dr. Brinton's essay on the "Maya Phonetics," from page
196 to 205, had better not have been written, much less pub-
lished. Its contents are most misleading, injurious even, to
students of Maya palaeography, who might place reliance on
the assumed knowledge of the author on this particular subject.
The following statement made by hun is positively inaccurate:
" Turning first to the Maya, I may in passing refer to the
disappointment which resulted from the publication of Landa's

alphabet by the Abbe Brasseur in 186i. Here was what
APPENDIX. 239
seemed a complete phonetic alphabet, which should at once

unlock the mysteries of the inscriptions on the temples of
Yucatan and Chiapas, and enable us to interpret the script of
the Dresden and other codices. Experience proved the utter
fallacy of any such hope. His work is no key to the Maya
^
scripts."
ISTow, I affirm that, if it be true that the characters of

Landa's alphabet are not of themselves a complete clew to the
decipherment of Maya books and inscriptions, they are never-
theless repeatedly found in the Maya manuscripts known to
us, and with the identical value attributed to them by Landa.^
I furthermore maintain that, with the names of the days and
the al]3habetic characters preserved by him, the Maya codices
can be translated. Of course, there are modifications of the
same, as there are with our mode of writing; there are also
composed signs as there are composed words in the language.
It is the translator's business to know what they are.
This I have demonstrated in my unpublished work, " The

Monuments of Mayach and their Historical Teachings,"
which contains translations from the Troano and Cortesianus
codices, whose authors have recorded many interesting his-
'
D. G. Brinton, Essays of an Americanist, p. 199.
'To (^
j^ exemplify my assertion,
exemp let us take, for instance, the
character -«rJJ
tion, No.
negation,
.
®^
®
|^
^®
|
I „
Nen?
that
1^'ât
Is it
Landa tells
I us stands for
not identical with
But ma, radical
the
of
ma, adverb of nega-
Egyptian adverb of
Mayacli, also means
"land," I , "country," both in Egyptian and in Maya. The sign
I
f^ Maya
in Mayi scripts is the hieroglyph for Mayach ; that is, the
_^ 1^ peninsula of Yucatan, standing between the Gulf of Mex- Îff^
K0 © ico and the Caribbean Sea, both represented by the sign ( mi ,
J
imix, "bosom," "bosom of the deep." The Egyptian word Nen ViiU'
means in Maya "mirror." Nen-lia, the "mirror of water," is said to
have been the ancient name of the Mexican Gulf, on account of its almost
circular shape.
240 APPENDIX.
torical events that occurred ages and ages ago, and wliich have
reached us in the guise of myths and mistj^ traditions.
As to the late Abbe Brasseur, I cannot claim the honor of
having been personally acquainted with Mm, but among my
friends and acquaintances in Yucatan and British Honduras
several have knoAvn him intimately when he was residing in
those countries. AU agree that he understood and spoke
Maya and could converse freely with the natives.
The late Dn. Juan ViLlanueva, a well-known lawyer in Mer-

ida, when in 1873 I made his acquaintance, was acknowledged
by his countr3nnen to be one of the best Maya scholars in the

country. He gave Brasseur his first lessons in that language,
and was proud of his pupil, who, he said, learned it very rap-
idly. Dn. Juan now sleeps that sleep that knows no wak-
ing but I can testify to what he told me.
; Many, however, are
who were intimately acquainted with the learned
stiU living
Abbe, and who have also assured me that he had a fair knowl-
edge of the language. Among these I may mention my
esteemed friend the Kight Eev. Dr. Dn. Crecencio Carillo y
Ancona, now bishop of Yucatan, himself a student and a
thorough Maya scholar ; also Dn. Vicente Solis de Leon,
owner of the hacienda of X-Canchakan, a govermnent
engineer; Dn. Eafael Eegil y Peon, a wealthy merchant and
landed gentleman; Dn. Jose Tiburcio Cervera, a planter,
owner of the lands on which the ruins of the ancient city of
Labnaa are situated. All these gentlemen are well-known

citizens of Merida, who have imbibed Maya with their nurses'
milk.
In Belize, Mr. Henry Trumback, a merchant, whose name
is mentioned by Abbe Brasseur among those of the persons to
whom he was indebted for information whilst acquiring data
APPENDIX. 241
for the compilation of his Maya vocabulary ; Eev. John

Anderson, a Baptist minister, author of a Maya and English,
and English and Maya dictionary; and Eev. Father Pitar,
superior of the Jesuit college in Belize, wherein dwelt the
Abbe when in that city, have assured me, aU and each one, in
particular, that they had been well acquainted with the late
Abbe Brasseur and that he knew the Maya language.

Let us hope that the testimony of such witnesses, and
others whose names I could mention, will suifice to wipe off
the slanderous aspersion with which Dr. Brinton has tried to

tarnish thememory of a great scholar.
To Abbe Brasseur belongs the honor of having been the
first to bring to public notice the existence, in our day, of
ancient books of Maya origin, when in 186Y he placed on
exhibition in the Exposition on the Champ de Mars, in Paris,
some of the proof-sheets of the Troano MS., which was then
being reproduced under his supervision.
In jSTovember, 1864, as a member of the " French Scientific
Commission '
' which went to Mexico under the auspices of
the French Govermnent, he landed in Yucatan, and at once set
to work to study the Maya language under the tuition of our
friend, the late Dn. Juan Villanueva, a great Maya scholar.
He was unable to make a prolix study of the ruins of

Uxmal on account of the many difficulties placed in his way
by the Imperial Commissary.
On his return to Europe, he found in Madrid, in possession
of Dn. Juan Tro y Ortelano, professor of palaeography at the
University, an original American manuscript, which at a glance
he recognized as being written with characters analogous to
those he had seen on the edifices at Uxmal. He obtained
from the owner not only the loan of the document for aU
16
242 APPENDIX.
the time he might need it for his stuclj^, but also permission
to reproduce it. After reaching Paris the Abbe applied
himself with ardor to the classification and deciphering of
the characters and symbols contained in the manuscript,
with the help of those handed down by Landa. In 1869 he
'
published the result of his labors in his work, ' Etudes sur le
Systeme Graphique et la Langue Maya." In it he announced

that he had discovered, classified, and deciphered two hun-
dred and thirty-three variants of the thirty-five alphabetic
characters of Landa, and one hundred and forty- one variants
of his twenty sjnnbols of the days.
With this vast arraj^ of signs, the value of which he fancied
he knew, and with his knowledge of the Maya language, he
undertook the deciphering of the texts of the Maya book.
He certainly was better qualified for the woi'k than those who
after him have attempted it, as proved by the results. Still,
not only have they criticised his interpretations, without how-

ever offering better in their stead, but they have tried to belit-
tle his labors, going so far as to assert that he had hindered for
a long time the study of American palteography. Yet it may
be asked, "What have his critics done ? Have they not made
use of his works in their endeavors to find a clew to the mean-
ing of these same texts ? Have they not built a reputation for
learning on the debris of his fame, and from his own mate-
rials, to which they have added not a single valuable particle ?
Do we not find them consulting his Maya and French vocab-

ulary, and translating ancient characters and symbols by words
of modern coinage, not to be found in old dictionaries, and that
are unknown in the vernacular of the natives ?
Brasseur's vocabulary is decidedly the work of a scholar.
Were it mine I should be proud of it. It is a comparative

APPENDIX. 243
study of Maya with ancient Greek and other languages,

marred, however, by his having taken too great a license with
the language, and having given explanations of" ancient lore
and traditions according to his own personal bias and precon-
ceived ideas. Barring these blemishes, it is a most valuable
work for students of Maya antiquities and of philology. So
also is his French translation and rearrangement of Father
Gabi'iel de San Buenaventura's "Arte del Idioma Maya,"
which he transcribed from the copy in possession of my
honored friend, Bishop Dn. Crecencio Carillo y Ancona.
Although his many scholarly attainments preeminently
qualified him for the undertaking of the interpretation of the
Maya texts, his great drawbacks were his preconceived opin-
ions on the one hand, and a strange weakmindedness on the

other. The first led him to see analogies and similitudes where
none existed, and to launch into speculations and fancies unsup-
ported by facts and lacking evidence ; the second caused him to
be influenced by criticisms of persons incapable, for want of the
necessary knowledge, of judging of the accuracy or inaccuracy
of his renderings; but who, in their dogmatic ignorance, pre-
sumed to jeer at the idea of the Troano MS. containing an
account of earthquakes, of the subsidence of certain countries
and the upheaval of others, of volcanic eruptions, of inunda-
tions and cyclones and other geological and meteorological

phenomena, that either happened in the writer's time or a rela-
tion of which he had found in older works. Tet it is well

known that all early chroniclers, speaking of the books found
among the natives, state that some contained the events of their
ancient history; that they had treatises on archeology, med-
icine, and other sciences ; and why should not the Troano be
one of these? Still he allowed himself to be persuaded, and
244 APPENDIX.
ackno-n'ledged (p. xxvii) in his " Bibliotheque Mexico Guate-

malienne precedee d'un coup d'oeil sur les Etudes Ameri-
caines,
'
' that he had begun the reading of the Maya text at the
wrong end adding, however,
; that his translations were smiply
intended as mere experiments. Could he answer from beyond
the grave, I would ask him :
'
' Abbe, how did you know, when
you wrote this confession, that you were not mistaken again in
making it ? Tou had not learned then how to read the texts
better than before; you did not even know it at the time of
your demise. Friend," I would tell him could he hear me,
" you have been weak, and many have taken advantage of your
weakness to ridicule you, and then place themselves where
you ought to be,by making use of your own discoveries."
It is evident that he had no reliance on his ability to wade
through the intricacies of the Maya symbols and characters;
and that he did not notice the clew, placed by the author of the
Troano within reach of his readers, like another thread of
Ariadne, to guide them out of the mazes of the labyrinth. So
he took no heed of the red lines that divide the text into para-
grajjhs, and mark to which part the illustrations correspond.
He read the horizontal lines from end to end, mixing discon-

nected sentences of one paragraph with equally disconnected
sentences of another, then beginning the reading of the per-
pendicular columns at the bottom instead of at the top; the
results were, of course, what might naturally be expected —an
incoherent jumble and senseless phrases.
He likewise interpreted literally the names of the symbols
for the days, many of which he simply regarded as variants of
the originals given by Landa, not reflecting that variation in
the sign implied also variation in the meaning, and that many
of the characters were composed of the elements of several
APPENDIX: 245
others, just as our polysyllabic words are formed of syllables

found iu man}^ other vocables having very distinct mean-
ings. However, through his acquaintance with the significa-
tion of the Maya words, and the works of the early writers
and chi'oniclers, perhaps also guided by his scholarly intuition,
he felt, more than he really made out, the general drift of the
contents of the Maya text which he attempted to interpret.
So he became convinced that in his writings the Maya author

described volcanic eruptions and other geological phenomena.
By jjublishing Ms con^'ictions, he afforded his would-be critics
an opportunity to condemn the results of his labors, although

incapable themselves of deciphering a single sentence of the
Maya books.
To the present day they are unable to correct his mistakes
by offering a true translation of the passages which they
accused Brasseur of having improperly rendered. And may I
ask how they know that they are not well translated ? It is
the same old, old story so happilj^ expressed in these few French
words: JLa critique est facile, mais Vart est difficile.
This recalls to my mind a certain conversation which I once

had on this same subject with a French antiquary, a member
of the Societe Ethnologique de Paris. He also was bitter in
his denunciation of Brasseur's interpretation of the Troano.

" What do you know, personally, about translating Maya
writings ? Do you understand the Maya language ? Can you
interpret a single Maya sign? "
" N"o," he answered, " but Mr. de Eosny, and with him aU
authorised Ame7'ica?hists, have condemned Brasseur's interpre-
tation."
" So, so, my man," I replied, "this is a case of give a dog
a had name and hang him, is it ? Pray tell me who are the
246 APPENDIX.
cmthorized Americanists ? "Who are they that dare pass judg-

ment on the efforts of a fellow student and condemn him ? Is
it Mr. de Charencey, whose assertions and speculations are

not worth refuting? " ^
" Oh !
" replied my antiquary friend, "Mr. de Eosny has
severely criticised all his attempts at decipherment of Central
American inscriptions."^
"Yes, I am aware of it; he has also bitterly condemned
those of Brasseur. By what right, pray ? Is it because he
has published large volumes on Maya palseography ? "What do
their contents amount to, so far as the reading of the Maya
books and inscriptions is concerned ? True, he says that since
he has determined, '
after a certain fashion, the value of the
'
greatest part of the Maya characters, it wiU be easy to read

them. But he himself cannot translate a single sentence of
said books ; and yet he seems quite proud because the meaning
of a few words interpreted by him has been accepted by
some atothorised Americanists, whoever these may be; or, in
his own words, '
J'ai donne, dans divers receuils la lecture de
quelques mots, la quelle a ete accepteepar les americanistes auto-
rises. ' ^ And do these quelques mots, which he thinks he has
interpreted, give him a right to sit as judge, and enable him to
pass such a severe verdict, on Abbe Brasseur ?
" "What I say of the French applies equally to the English
German, and American Americanists. They have not advanced

one step toward the interpretation of the Maya books and
inscriptions, bejônd Brasseur's attempts. He, at least, never
'
H. de Charencey, Essai de Dechiffrement, Actes de la Societe PTiilologique
de Paris, vol. i., No. 3, p. 50, Mars, 1870.
' Leon de Rosny, Essai sur le Dechiffrement de V Venture de VAmerique

Centrale, p. 13, Paris, 1876.
^ Ihid., Le Dechiffrement de VEcriture Hieratigue, Introduction.
APPENDIX. 247
designated any of the personages who figure in the Maya

boolvs as does Dr. P. Schellhas/ and after him many whose
name is legion, who pretend to be authorities on Maya palae-
ography, '
the god with the banded face, '
'
the god with the
long nose/ etc., instead of giving each his proper title, such
as Ppa and TJacach, which are plainly written in the orna-
ments that adorn these anthropomorphic personifications of the

forces and phenomena of nature.
" Thej^ assert that their god with the long nose
' '
is the '
god
of rain, ' disdaining to take heed of the broad hint as to who
he is, given by the author of the Dresden Codex on the lower
division of plate Ixv. of his work, where he represents
Uacacli paddling a canoe, under which a big fish is figured
swimming in the ocean. May we be allowed to ask on what
occasion the god of rain had to paddle his own canoe, and
'
'
when big fishes swam in the clouds ?

" It may truthfully be said that a very great part of what
has been published in modern times on the subject of Maya
writings can onl)^ be ranked with comic literature, though not
very amusing either. Even the beautifully jjrinted papers of
the Smithsonian Institution, on the subject, are as meaning-
less as they are pretentious ; and I challenge any Americanist,
authorized or not authorized, to disprove this assertion.
" I will add: more than any of those who have followed in
his wake on the road opened by him, the learned Abbe was
competent and well prepared to surmount the diiiiculties with
which it is strewn. His knowledge of the Maya as well
as of the QuicM, a cognate tongue ; his acquaintance with

the lore and traditions of the Indians of Eabinal, in the moun-
'
Schellhas, P., Die Maya Handschrift der Koliglichen BibliotheJc zu Dres-
den, p. 149.
248 APPENDIX.
tains of Guatemala; his sojourn among the Quiches and the

Mams to whom he administered the rites of the Catholic
Church, and preached in their own vernacular, besides his
many other scholastic attaimnents —I repeat, qualified him
preeminently for undertaking the interpretation of the Maya
texts. He erred in letting his imagination and his pre-
conceived opinions blind his judgment. But who on earth
is perfect? To err is human. Did not his self-appointed
judges err when they condemned him because he dared say
that the Troano contained the narratives of geological events ?
Tet the learned Abbe was right in so saying; and they were
wrong in presuming to pass an opinion on what they did not
know, and do not even at present. "Whilst disapproving his
translation, it was their duty to point out where it was incor-
rect. Have they done this ? !N"o ! Why not ? Because they
themselves are unable to interpret the Maya texts, and are
ignorant of their meaning.
"Instead of accusing him of ha\ang impeded the study of
Maya palaeography, they should have thanked him for having
made known the existence of Maya books in Europe in our
day. These books had been preserved in libraries, private
and public, since they were sent to Charles Y. and presented

,
to him by Dn. Francisco de Montejo, the conqueror

in 1520
of Yucatan, and Porto Carrero, by order of Hernando Cortez,
whose companions in arms they were. No one knew in what

language they were written, nor to what kind of alphabet the
characters belonged, iintlL Brasseur recognized them as being
similar to those preserved by Landa in his work Eelacion de '
las Cosas de Yucatan, which had remained unpublished in the

'
library of the Boyal Academy of History in Madrid.

'
'
Brasseur again unearthed it from beneath the coating of dust

APPENDIX. 249
where it had lain for more than three centuries, and in 1860
had it printed. Is not that alone sufficient to cause his mem-

ory to be respected by aU students of American archseology ? "
My interlocutor, "vrho had been listening with manifest
impatience to my just jjanegyric of the learned Abbe, inter-
rupted me and exclaimed: " Do not speak so, or you will kill
your own reputation and lose the fruits of your own labors;
aU authorized Americanists will condemn you as they have
'
Brasseur.
'
' Indeed ! Well, sir, they are welcome to do it ; that is,
when they can do it knowingly. Meanwhile, before they pro-

nounce their sentence, let them remember the words of Themis-
tocles to the over-hasty Eury blades: ' Strike, but heaeme! " '
250 APPENDIX.
Note XYI. (Pages 132, 133.)
(7) This custom of carrying children astride the hip still pre-
vails in Yucatan, as it does in India (" Buddaghosha Parables,"
translation by H. T. Hogers, R.E.) and other places where Ave
find Maya customs and traditions.
(1) Landa, "Las Cosas de Yucatan" (p. 236): "El primer

dia del aiio desta gente era siempre a xvi dias de nuestro mes
de Julio, y primero de su mes de Popp.
ChampoUion Figeac, " Egypte " (p. 336): " Or pendant plus
de trois mil ans avant I'ere chretienne et quelques siecles apres
cette belle etoile (Sirius) s'est levee le meme jour fixe en Egypte
(parallele moyen) un peu avant le soleil (lever heliatique) et ce
jour a ete le 20 Juillet de notre calendrier Julien.
Censorius, " De die Watali," says that the canicula in Egypt
regularly rises on the first of Thoth, that corresponded to the
20th of July, 1322 b.c.
Porphyry says " that the first day of the month Thoth and
of the year are fixed in Egy]3t by the rising of Sothis, or Dog-
star."
APPENDIX. 251
Note XVII. (Page 124.)
(2) During the reconstruction of the temple of Jerusalem,

under the reign of Josiah, on a certain morning the High Priest
Hilkiah, in the year 621 b.c, told Shapham, a scribe, that
he had found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.
Shapham took the book and presented it to the king, who

named a committee to go and consult the prophetess Huldah
regarding the genuineness of the book. She, wise woman that
she was, not wishing to make an enemy of Hilkiah, gave an
evasive answer, that, however, satisfied the king, who, it seems,
was not of a very critical turn of mind. The prevalent opin-
ion at the beginning of the Christian era, regarding the author-
ship of the Pentateuch,was that Moses never wrote the book.
(Clementine, Homily, 11. §51; Homily, YIIL, §42.)
,
IToTE XVni. (Page 127.)
(1) Henry Grose, "Yoyageinthe East Indies" (chap, vii.,

p. 95): "Elephanta Island, near Bombay, contains cave tem-
ples so old that there is no tradition as to who made them.
There are paintings round the cornices that, for the beauty and
freshness of the coloring, not any particularity in the design, call
the attention; which must have lasted for some thousands of
years, on supposing it, as there is all reason to suppose it, con-
temporary with the building."
253 APPENDIX.
Note XIX. (Page 139.)
(1) The acceptance, by a young girl, of a fruit sent by her

lover constituted betrothal among the ancient Mayas, as it
does in our day among their descendants. In Yucatan, if a

young man wishes to propose marriage to a girl, he sends by a
friend, as a present, a fruit, a flower, or some sweetmeat. The
acceptance of it is a sign that the proposal of the suitor is ad-
mitted. From that moment they are betrothed. The refusal
of the present means that he is rejected. A similar custom
exists in Japan. "When a young lady expects a proposal of
marriage, a flower-pot is placed in a convenient position on the
window-sill. The lover plants a flower in it. If next morning
the flower is watered, he can present himself to his ladj'^-love,
knowing that he is welcome. If, on the contrary, the flower

has been uprooted and thrown on the sidewalk, he understands
that he is not wanted.
In Egypt the eating of a quince by two young people, to-
gether, constituted betrothal. So also in Greece, where the
custom was introduced from Egypt. In this custom we find
a natural explanation of the first seven verses of the third
chapter of Genesis, and why the serpent was said to have
offered a fruit to the woman.
APPENDIX. 253
Note XX. (Pages 15, 155.)
The Mayas held Fire to be the breath, the direct eman-

(1)
ation of Kii, theSupreme Intelligence; its immediate agent

through which aU things were produced, and the whole crea-
tion kept alive. Therefore they worshipped it as deity itself.
To it, in high places, they raised altars, on which a perpet-
ual fire, rekindled once a year, was watched by priestesses
whose special duty was to see that it never became extin-
guished. These were recruited from among the daughters of
priests They were called Zuliuy Kak, "Vir-
and nobles.
gins of the Fire. " At their head was a Lady Superior,
^
whose title, Ix naacan-katuii,^ meant She who is forever '

'
exalted."
They procured the new fire either directly from the rays of
the sun, or from the shock of two hard stones, or by rubbing
two pieces of wood together.
Among the sjanbols sculptured on the mastodon trunks that,
at a very remote period of Maya history, embellished the

f agades of all sacred and public edifices, these signs are occasion-
ally seen: f^Z/T^^J^- Taken collectively they read
Chaac, UXSK^^XS " thunder, " hence, "fire."
Far deeper, however, is their esoteric meaning. The inter-
pretation of each individual sign reveals the fact that they

form a cosmological pandect, or treatise, on the creation of the
' Cogolludo, Hist, de Tucathan, lib. iv. , cap. ii., p. 177.
254 APPENDIX.
world. They thus afford us a glimpse of some of the scientific

attainments of the learned Maya priesthood. Their knowl-
edge they communicated in the mysterious recesses of the tem-
PAET OF MASTODON TRUNK. FK03I UXMAL. (PLATE LSSIII.)
pies, where the profane never penetrated, to initiates only.
These were bound by the most solemn oaths never to make

known the sacred mysteries there taught, except to those
rightly entitled to receive them.
Science was then, as it is even to-day, the privilege of the
few. In those remote ages the sacerdotal class and the nobility
claimed it as their own now; it is that of the wealthy. True,
in our times, knowledge is denied to none, provided the appli-
cant can pajr for it, and no one is under oath not to divulge
what he has learned but ; its acquirement is costly, and bej'ond
reach of the majority.
The temples of the Maya sages are in ruins, slowly but
surely crumbling to dust, gnawed by the relentless tooth of
time and, what
; is worse, recklessly destroyed by the iconoclas-
tic hand of ignorance and avarice. Sanctuaries have become
Page 256. Plate LXXIII.
APPENDIX. 255
the abode of bats, swallows, and serpents. Lairs of the wild

beasts of the forests, they are not only deserted but shunned
by human beings, who stand in awe of them. "WTiere now are
the sages who used to assemble within their sacred jirecincts
to delve into the mysteries of creation, to wrest her secrets from
. the bosom of Mother Nature ? Do their spirits stdl hover there,
as the natives assert? Purified from all earthly defilement,
have they been reabsorbed in the great ocean of intelligence,
as Buddhists Are they enjoying the
would have us believe ?
perfect repose of Mrvana, waiting to be summoned to begin
another cycle of mundane existences in more advanced plane-
tary worlds than ours ?
To-day I surely violate no oath if I reveal part of those
very teachings that the adepts of old so carefully kept from

the multitudes, whom they regarded as unworthy to participate
in the divine light that had been vouchsafed to their minds ; a
principle practised, likewise, by the Egyptian priests, and that
Clement of Alexandria, who had been mys-
initiated into their
teries, proclaimed by asserting (Stromate XII.), " The myste-

ries of the faith are not to be divulged to aU. . . . It is
requisite to hide in a mystery the wisdom spoken."

I wHl premise the explanation of the signs under consider-
ation by stating that they teach precisely the same doctrine re-
garding creation that we find in '

' Primander, '
' the most ancient
and authentic of the first philosophical books of Egyj^t, attrib-
uted to Thoth, that is, Hermes Trismegistus. " Out of it
[chaos] came forth the fire, pure and light, and rising it was
lost in the air that, spirit-like, occupies the intermediate space
between the water and the fire. The earth and the water were
so mixed that the surface of the earth, covered by the water,
appeared nowhere."
256 APPENDIX.
Again we read in the Hermetic books on the origin of things

"For there were boundless darkness in the abyss, and water,
and a subtile spirit, intellectual in power, existing in chaos."
Berosus, recounting the Chaldean legend of creation, says

" In the beginning all was darkness and water."
In Genesis we read: " In the beginning darkness was upon
the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God moved upon the
face of the waters."
The author of the " Popol-vuh " tells us: " This is the recital
of how everything was without life, calm and silent ; aU was
motionless and quiet; void was the immensity of the heavens,
and the face of the earth did not manifest itself ;
yet only the
tranquil sea was, and the space of the heavens."
In the '
' Manava-Dharma-Sastra, '
' we are told :
'
' The visible
universe in the beginning was nothing but darkness. Then the
great, self -existing Power dispelled that darkness and appeared
in all his splendor. He first produced the waters; and on
them moved Narayana, the Divine Spirit."
As in Egjqjtian so in Maya, the sign

f
\ corresponds to
our Latin letter h, or ch, which in Maya LlLl is pronounced
with a peculiar hard accent, clla.
Cfta is the radical of the verb ctiab, "to create," "to
bring forth from nothing," "to animate," "to give breath
or life." Also of the word cllall, "a drop of water."
Placed as it is in the inscription, it stands for its heading or

epitome of its contents.
The next /^VN is a complex sign, as the world it repre-
sents. It is vX7 composed of a circumference, image of the

horizon; of a central point, or boss, symbol of the sun; and of
five radii, or rays, emanating from it. These rays are curved
from right to left, to indicate the direction in which the sun
APPENDIX. 257
apparently travels every day. These same five radii stand for
the numerical "five," lio, in the Maya language, radical of

hool, the "head," "that which is above," hence the Deity,
and also the imiverse. As to the five parts into which the
circle is divided, they probably stood for the five great conti-
nents —North America, South America, Asia, Africa, and
Europe.
The whole sign is therefore symbolical of the world, with
the Deity, " the sun," shedding its beneficent rays over it, as
it travels from east to west.
We have just seen that in the cosmogonies of all civilized
nations of antiquity, in Asia and Africa, as well as in America,^

water is not only regarded as the primordial element, but is said
to have covered the whole surface of the earth. The Mayas,
the Chaldeans, and the Egjrptians also called it " ^," probably
because that is the first sound uttered without constraint by
the vocal organs of infants.
The Mayas graphically represented that name of the water
by a circumference Q, the shape of a drop of water, or of
the horizon, sometimes with, sometimes without, a central point,
indicating the sun.
When inventing the characters of their alphabet, which are
mostly images of objects surrounding them, they naturally
assigned it the first place. Thus " J. " became the first letter
in the adphabets of all nations with which they had communi-
cations, and it is yet the first letter of the majority of alphabets
in use.
The Egyptians were not the inventors of their own alpha-
bet. They attributed it to Thoth, their god of letters. Did
they learn from the Mayas the name and shape of their first
letter?
17
258 APPENDIX.
" A " in Maya is radical of many words conveying the idea

of humidity, generation, reviviscence. A few will suiBce.
Aakal, a pond; humidity; as a verb, to become green, as

the plants after the first showers.
Aakll, to revivify; to spring, back to life, as does nature
after its apparent death during winter, when it lies
dormant.
Ab, is the breath; the respiration; vapor.
Ac, to prepare for cultivation dried-up swamps; popula-
tion; people.
^<^ This last sign is perhaps the most comprehensive, and

^^ therefore the most interesting.
As an alphabetical sign, it is the X of the Maya alphabet,
pronounced as the English sh. As prefix to a noun, it indicates
the feminine gender, being a contraction of ix, the feminine

article. In the inscription under consideration, it represents
the female forces of nature^ as ^ \, component part of K ,
the Maya letter corresponding LTu to our H, stands Qi

for all, the masculine article, the inale forces.
The character ^JO' is composed of two C ., one of
the signs that in ^Vj the Maya alphabet is equivalent
to letter N in ours. As a distinct symbol it is found
four times only in the Troano MS. (plates xs., xxi., xxiii.,
part ii.).
This sign lias been mistaken by the learned Dr. Henry Schliemann for
'
a svastica. Quoting my name in his work Troja (p. 122), he says it was dis-
covered by me in the mural inscriptions of the Mayas. This is an error,
so far as the meaning of the sign is concerned. Neither in the monumental
inscriptions nor in the Maya
books known to-day have I ever found a
svastica. I am not aware tliat such symbol was used by the ancient 3Iaya
sages. It may have existed among them, however. All I can assert is that
I have met with no proof of it.
APPENDIX. 259
The author of this most interesting work informs his readers

that it represents the " boundaries of the two inclosed basins or
seas;"' that is, the two American mediterraneans, the Gulf
of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea —a fact easily verified by-
tracing a general outline of the shores of the Gulf of Mexico

from Cape Sable, the southernmost point of Florida, to Cape
Catoche, the northernmost end of Yucatan; then continuing
the drawing to Cape San Antonio, the westernmost extremity
of the island of Cuba, thence following the general contour
of the western shores of the West India Islands to Grenada.
The curved
W, initial letter of
line thus obtained wiU be precisely the sign C
the ancient names Nen-ha
^
of the
—
Mexican
Gulf, and ]Vau of the Caribbean Sea.
Does not this sign recall that over which stands the serpent
|0 with inflated breast, emblem of Lower Egypt ? Under
S^y it the image of a sieve, symbol of lordship and
is
dominion. The sieve in Maya is called Mayab, one of the

ancient names of Yucatan.
The character X, the female principle, the matrix, is the
initial letter of many words relating both to water and to
generation.
The ancient philosophers held, and modern physiologists
teach, thataU livino- things had their origin in water. It
would appear that the Maya sages, in remote times, had dis-
covered this scientific truth, and adapted their language to
this, as to many other of their scientific discoveries, so as to
express them in as concise a manner as possible. So, for
instance:
Xaa, to flow.
Xaan, to flow slowly. It becomes, by permutation.
260 APPENDIX.
Nax, to shine in the darkness, as fire; the divine spirit

floating on the surface of the waters; or the phos-
phorescence of the water in tropical seas.
Xaab, the abyss of water in which took place the genera-

tion xab. This may be one of the reasons why the
mse Maya priests selected as emblem for god of the
ocean the mastodon, that, like the elephant, could
propagate only in water.
Now, if we consider the »1^ as a composite sign formed

bj^two ^-
^, its —
dom," "knowledge,"
meaning *'W
since it
is then
gives us
"power,"
the
"wis-
word ca-n,
which, as we have seen (p. 95), is always significant of might,
power, intelligence, as all vocables allied to it. Such, for
instance, as:
Kaan, manifested, raised.

Kaanaat, great intelligence; genius.
Kaiiab, the sea.
Kanlia, the rain storm.
Kanchaac, hurricane.
Kalian, that which is necessary, which is precious.
The doctrine contained in the three signs that form the

inscription can therefore be epitomized in the following words:
"In water, hj fire the vivifying power of the universe, were

created the male and female forces of nature, and they pro-
duced all things."
A glance at the sculpture of the dying warrior that adorned
Prince Coil's mausoleum ' suflices for us to see that the ancient
'Plate LVm.
APPENDIX. 261
Mayas, like the Egyptians, Greeks, Chakleans, Hiadoos, and

other civilized nations of antiquity, held that the mtal princi-
ple, the soul, in man and animals, was an igneous fluid that
escaped as a blue flame through the mouth at the death of the

material body. " This blue flame," says Baron Charles von
Reichenbach, in his vrork " Physico-physiological Kesearches
in the Dynamics of Magnetism, Electricity, etc.," is "often
seen escaping from dying persons, by sensitives."
"We learn from the Hei'metic books the ideas of the Egyp-
tians regarding the composition of the soul. Fire, a constit-
uent part of divine intelligence, becomes a soul when immersed

in organic water, and a body when it enters into organic clay,
hence the old philosophic saying, '
' Corpus est terra, anima est
ignis." Hermes Trimegistus teaches that "at the moment of

death, our intelligence, one of God's subtle thoughts, escapes
the body's dross, puts on its fiery timio again,, and floats hence-
forth in space, leaving the soul to await judgment. '
Among the prayers and hymns of the Yajur Veda, there

are passages in which the unity of God is taught. One of said
prayers begins thus: "Fire is the original cause; the sun is
that; so is the air; so is the moon; such, too, is that pure

Brahm, and those waters, and that Lord of creatures.
'
' {Asiatic
Researches, vol. viii., p. 431.)
Macrobius in his work " Somniimi Scipionis " (cap. xiv.),
resumes the doctrine thus: " There is a fluid luminous, igneous,
very subtle, called ether, spiritus, that fills the whole universe.
The substance of the sun, of the stars, is composed of it. It is
the principle, the essential agent, of all motion, of all life. It
is, in fact, the Deity. When a body is about to become animated

on earth, a globular molecule of said fluid gravitates through
the milky way toward the moon. There it combines with
263 APPENDIX.
grosser air, thus becoming fit to associate with, matter. It tlien
enters the bocty tliat is forming; iills it completely, animates

it, grows, suffers, expands, contracts with it. When this body
perishes and its material elements dissolve, this incorruptible
molecule escapes from it. It would return immediately to the
great ocean of ether were it not detained by its association
with lunar air. It is the latter that, preserving the shape of
the body, remains in the condition of shadow or ghost, a per-
fect image of the deceased. The Greeks called that shadow
the image or idol of the soul. The Pythagoreans said it was
its vehicle or envelope. The rabbinical school regarded it as its
vessel or hoat. If the individual had lived a righteous life, his
whole soul — that is, his vehicle and his ether —ascended back
immediately to the moon, where their separation took place.
The vehicle remained in the lunar elysium; the ether returned
to God. If, on the other hand, he had lived an unrighteous
life, his soul remained on earth until it became purified, wander-
ing here and there in the fashion of Homer's shadows."
"While in Asia, Homer had become acquainted with this
doctrine, three centuries before its introduction into Greece,
according to Cicero {Tuscul., lib. i., §16), by Pherecides
and his pupil Pythagoras, who pretended to be the inventors
of it, if we believe Herodotus. He positively asserts that the
story of the soul and its transmigrations had heen invented iy

the Egyptians.^ Did these receive it from the Mayas ?
Kak is the Maya word for

'
' fire.
'
K.a is the Egj^^jtian for the double; the astral shape; exist-
ence; individuality.
Ku is the Maya for the Divine Essence; the God-head.
'
Herodotus, Hist., lib. ii., cxxiii.
APPENDIX. 263
Khu = Akh is the Egj^ptian for intelligence ; spirit ; manes

light; God-head.
Kill, Maya, to worship ; to adore.
Khu = AM, Egjrptian, to worship; to adore.
" The root of life was in every drop of the ocean of innmortal-
ity, and the ocean was radiant light, which was f/re, anid heat,
and motion. Darkness vanished and was no more; it disap-

pea/red in its oton essence, the hody of f/re and xoater, or father
and mother. ^^ (From the Book of Dsyan, stanza iii., §6.
Apiid H. P. Blavatsky, " The Secret Doctrine," vol. i., p. 29.)
The ancient Mayas believed in the immortality of the
spirit and in reincarnation, as do their descendants to this day.
264 APPENDIX.
JSToTE XXI. (Page 158.)
(1) It maj^ be seen from the foUowing passage in the Saddh-

arma powidarika, " The Lotus Good Law," chap, xx.,
of the
entitled
'
' Effect of the Supernatural Power of the Tathaga-
tas," '
that the putting out of the tongue was a symbol of great
wisdom in India. This chapter is a record of what took place
in a council of Bodhisattvas ; that is, of men who, having
acquired the learning necessary to teach aU creatures, had
arrived at the supreme intelligence of a Buddha. " The
hands joined they worship Buddha, who has brought them
together, and they promise him, when he shall have entered
Nirvana, to teach the law in his stead. The Master thanks
them. Then the blessed Qakyamouni, and the blessed Pra-
choutavatma, always seated on the throne of their stoupa, began
to smile of one accord; then their tongues ccmie out of their
vno^tth, and reached the world of Brahma. . . . The
innumerable Tathagatas, by whom these personages are sur-
rounded, imitate them."
This simply means that all these wise men pronounced dis-
courses and gave their opinions on the matters discussed in the
council.
(2) Abbe Hue, in his work, " EecoUections of a Journey

through Thibet and Tartary " (vol. ii., chap, vi., p. 158),
says : "A respectful salutation in Thibet consists in uncovering
' Apud Barthglemy de Saint-Hilaire, Vie de Bmiddha, pp. 71-73.
APPENDIX. 265
the head, lolling out the tongue, and scratching the right ear at
the same time.
'
"W". Woodville Kockhill, in the Century Magazine (ISTew
York, edition of February, 1891, p. 606), says: "The draw-

ing out of the tongue, and at the same time holding out both
hands palms uppermost, is the mode of salutation near Dre-chu,
in Thibet. . . . At I'Hasa, capital of Thibet, the mode

of salutation consists in one sticking out his tongue, pulling
his right ear, and rubbing his left limb at the same time."
INDEX
PAGE
A, meanings of letter 358 Ancona, Eligio, biographical sketch, 181
Maya words
Akkadian
....
Afghanistan, names of places
treatises, copies of old,

in,
197
Annals,
den ......
Maya,
Antagonism of the
destroyed and hid-
Ijrothers Coll
Iviii
ordered by Assurbanipal . and Aac 123
East
the scientific language of the
and Maya languages com-

Arts and
early Christians ....
sciences,
Art, works of, destroyed

abhorred by
xiv
196
pared Aryans, had no idea of a created
Akkad, its Maya meaning . universe 18
Altar in Prince Coil's Memorial Ashes, preserved in heads of statues
Hall 7 in Mayacli. In Egypt, like-
America, its ancient history never ness placed on cof&n lid
taken into account . . .10 Asps, emblematic of royalty in
the oldest continent . . ix Egypt
, hypotheses regarding its peo- Aspersions of Dr. Brinton 199
pling and civilization . . viii Asshur, god, name of Maya ori-
Analyses of sign of negation Ma, gin 43
239 (note), liii Astronomical tables, Hindoo, the
Ancients, the, generally acquainted oldest, the most accurate . 183, 185
with size of earth , . . . 307 Attitude of respect, alike in May-
Ancient Maya buildings, regard- acli and Egypt 131
ed with awe by natives . xxxii
Maya structures, their build- Baal, god, his name Maya . 60
ers unknown to natives . cynocephalus in Mayach,
xxxiii BaaD,
buildings in ruins at time of attendant of God of Death 115 .
Spanish invasion . xxxii Babel, its Maya etymology

. 34 . .
268 INDEX.
PAGE
Babylon, Maya etymology of
Chaldeans used the metre its207 .
.33 Chaldean magicians exorcised with

Chaldean names
Babylonian standard of measures 307
Balain, why regarded as protec-
.
Maya words
.
. 40 ....
tor of crops
and Chacs not the same
....
234
238 Rome
magicians first welcomed, and
later condemned to death, in
. 39
Balcli^, sacred liquor (note) 111 Challenge to Dr. Brinton 204
Bel-JIarduk, god, his name Maya, 73 Children, carried astride the hip in
Bird,
Islands
emblem
offering to
.....
of Deity in
God of Rain
Sandwich
.
74
Ill
Mayacll and
Cocom, killed by
CogoUudo, biographical sketch of
India .
his nobles
173 .
133
105
, symbol of principal female wrote the most complete his-

divinity 13 tory of Yucatan xxxiii. 330
. .
mourning color Mayas,

Blue,
Books,
,
Maya,
of
of
Egyptians
Cosmic egg, origin of all things
written in alpha-
. 90 peccary ....
89 Consulting fate on the entrails of a
.
134
73
betical characters xxxi Cosmic diagram, Chaldean and
. .
Brahmins, origin of, obscure 17 Hindoo amplifications of the .
borrowed their science from Maya 36

others 17 Cosmogonic conceptions, epito-
Burmah, Mayas in 201 mized in names of cardinal num-
. . .
bers
Can, title of Maj'a rulers . . 4 notions, base of Maya reli-
, its important meanings . 98 gious conceptions 315

Cans, make
teries
initiated iuto Sacred Mys-
Carchemish, commercial city of the

200
Creator, his attempts to
perfect man
Creation Tableau, explained
.... .
a
77
70
Khati 63 , figure in cosmic egg of 75
Cardinal points, Maya, how Creation, various accounts of 356
named 236 Cremation of bodies 87
, genii of, according to , preparation of bodies for138
Maya writings .319 . . Criticisms on Abbe Brasseur's work. 243
Maya woman's dress, 63
Carian and Cross, emblem of Rain God among
Caribbean Sea, its emblem a deer . xliv Mayas 108
Carthaginians, America visited by, xii rarely found in Maj'a sculp-
Carvings of lintel at entrance to tures 110
Prince Coil's funeral chamber. Custom of proffering love with a
Their meaning . . . . 133 fruit 140
Central America, ancient Maya Curio hunters, guilty of leze-his-
Empire 5 tory xxiii
Chaldeans, primitive, Maya colo- Cynocephali, represented with God
nists 29 of Death at XJxnial . . . 115
, strangers in Babylonia . 33 Cynocephalus. indigenous to Cen-
, their name a Maya word . 33 tral America, not to Egypt 116 .
INDEX. 269
PAGE
Danavas, of 3Iaya origin . . 2 Egyptian pyramid, king's chamber
Decimal system, use of, proved by measurements of 209
Maya ruins . . .211 Egyptians pointed-^S the West as
, wliy used by the Mayas, 220 home of their ancestors 52
used by Egyptians . 210 not of Aryan stock 187
Defilement, presence of corpse a, , primitive, strangers in the
(note) 138 valley of the Nile 53
Defence of Abbe Brasseur
Desert of Shur,
word
its name a Maya
. . 240
the
58 Emblems,
Mayas
Maya,
....
received their sciences from
interpreted
219
258
Mu,
Destruction of
Maya authors ....
told in the
described by
names of
146
End
of the universe, the simplest
that of the
of
Mayas
Can dynasty
.
.
14
143
the Greek letters . . . 149 Enmity ofSun and Serpent, tradi-
narrated in Egyptian tional among all nations . 123
archives 149 Entablature of Memorial Hall,
Dhyan Chohaus,
Hindoos
of the
four Maharajahs
....
meaning of
217 Errors of Abbe Brasseur
Diagram, mystic, of the Mayas 320 Esoteric meaning of cardinal num-
243
.
ornamentation 130
Dragon, emblem on banners of bers, Maya

Khans in Asia
Dress of laborers,
199 ....
Ma-
alike
of numbers in various
in
322
countries .... 320

yacll and Egypt . . .132 doctrine of creation, Maya, 216
, Maya, in olden times . . 83 cosmic diagram of Mayas . 16
Drowned valleys of Antillean lands, xliv Evolution of creation, doctrine of,
Durability of pigments used by among various ancient nations . 71

Mayas 88 , Maya doctrine of 79
known
Early Christians plunged Western
Europe into ignorance . . xv
Exact
Mayas ....
sciences to the
223
Maya
Egyptian civilization, infancy of,
unknown
, its origin must be sought
51 hieroglyphics
Pate, read
....
Failure of scholars to read
by ceremony of Pou,
248
.58
in the West
Art, maturity of
. .
Feast of Feralia
.
.
Sphinx, the enigma of history, 159 Feathers worn by kings and war-
.10 201 .... (note) 129
opinion of various wri-

, riors xlv
ters regarding it . . . 159 , insignia of gods and kings,
painted red . . .95 (note) 100
, its position relative to Festival of ancestors, among all
the pyramid . . . .160 nations at same time of year . 11

•
,
,
buildings surrounding it, 160
names at base of
whose portrait was
.
it
.
.
161
162
First Principle, the,
known darkness
Fire, the essential
....
a thrice un-
element . 187, 361

319
370 INDEX.
De Cordova, first Span- Homen, God of

Francisco
who landed in Mayacll, sxviii
iard Forces .... Volcanic
(note) 148
French, modern measurements of
remote, unknown
Horned snake, sacred
the earth, accord with those of a
race . 208
and Mayacll
symbol of royalty
,
.... in Egypt
.
5
5
Fresco paintings, at CliicTlen, Huklah, prophetess, consulted 351 .
admired by John L. Stephens 200 . Huns, were they the founders of

,
in Memorial Hall 6 . Copan, Palenque, etc. ? 189 . .
disfigured by visitors . 127

Coll Immaculate Conception, doctrine
in
Funeral customs of
, history of Prince
Mayas and
of, its
Immortality, the
origin ....
Mayas believed
220
Egyptians 84 in 261
urns, charred viscera pre- India, British invasion of . . 195
served in red oxide of mercury Inscriptionon Creation Tableau,
in Egyptian and Maya . . 70
vases,
Maya meaning of word
Canopi in Egypt.
. 85
on mastodon trunk, esoteric
meaning of
Kabul mound
.... 260
Genii of
Maya and others
the cardinal
.
points,
. .86
on
tian characters
Intimate relation of
....
Mayas
in Egyp-
witli
199
Geometric symbology of the primitive Chaldeans . . .72

Mayas and others . . .15 Invocation to God of Eain. Its
Gift of cloaks to victors in athletic historical interest . . 106, 232

games 132 Ishtar, goddess, her name Maya, 60
Goddess Isis, the bird an emblem of, 13 Isis, the Good Mother, in Egypt,
God of Bain, invocations to . . 104 like Maya in Greece, India, and
symbolized by image Mexico 167
of Southern Cross . . . 109 Itzaes, abandoned their homes . xxx
Greek alphabet, why letters of Izamal, description of stucco bas-
same value are placed apart . 150 relief at 197
Gucumatz, emblem of Creator . 71
Jehovah, name of, numerical value 231
Hakaptah, a Maya word . . 48 Jesus, last words spoken by in
Hanuman, veneration for, in Maya tongue . . . .38
Ceylon 78
Hapimau, name of Nile, Maya Kabul, Afghan capital . . . 195
etymology 47 temple in Izainal . . 196
Hieroglyphics, Maya, not the Kanaan, a Maya word . . 58
same as those of Copan and Pa- Katish, name of the city of, a
lenque 81 Maya word , . . . .62
on Kabul mound, interpre- Khan or Can, its meaning . . 199
tation of
, Maya, their true key found, 198
107 Eastern
,
as a dragon
title,
....emblematized
199
INDEX. 271
Khati,name of the, a Maya word, 61 Maya Empire, emblems of, ex-

King Menes, his name a Maya plained 1
TTord
Knowledge among Mayas, privi-
lege of priesthood and nobility, xxxi
48 ,
ages .....
a powerful nation in remote
colonists settled on the banks

xxxviii
of the Nile in Nubia . .44 .
Land of Mil, pride of the ocean . 144 called their settlement

, its emblem after de- Maioo 44
struction xliv origin of tree, serpent, cross,
, its ten provinces . 66 and elephant worship . . 35
, Plato's Atlantis . xli rulers, how represented after
Landa, Bishop, a Maya scholar . li death 5
his biography
, . . . 169 Empire, symbolized as a tree, xlix
destroyed Maya books . 170 represented as a serpent, 135
Maya letters
•
•
preserved
signs for days
Language,
....
gauge of a nation's
and
171
buildings,
antiquity ....
some of very great
colonists called the Valley of

xxxiii
spirit 1 the Nile Cliem, also Ain ; mean-

an accurate guide in trac-
, ing of these names . . .47
ing relationship between various sages believed America the
peoples xvi oldest continent . . . . xi
a knowledge of
, nec- Maya esotericmeaning of yellow . 98
essary for understanding sculp- mother of gods and men . 73
tures
Legend on each
egg, its explanation
side
.
of cosmic
. .74
112
hunters ....
remains, destroyed by curio
books reveal origin of some

sxiii
Leleges, ancient name of Carians, myths and traditions . . . xvii

Maya 63 conquest of India anterior to
Likbabi, etymology of the name . 36 the Aryan 32
Lineal measure, true standard of geographers acquainted with
the Maya 313 contour of American continent . 59
adopted by the Mayas, 334 civilization, ancient, unknown
Lip ornaments, American 118 . . to chroniclers . . . xxxiv
Lizana, Bernardo, biographical , decadency of, its cause, xxxi
sketch of 181 books, description of . .174
a universal name among na-
Magic words, supposed cure for tions of antiquity . . . x
hydrophobia, Maya . . .41 writings relate the destruc-
Map of Maya Empire explained . xliii tion of Plato's Atlantis . xviii
Masons, wandering, measured the colonists, went to the land of
circumference of the earth 208 . Canaan 57
Mastodon, God of the Ocean 110 . . history written in books . 5
3Iausoleum of Prince Coll at etymology of the name Brah-
ChicBien . . . .155 ma, and of that of the Cosmic egg, 34
273 INDEX.
Maya Mayas
carved in stone
philosophers,
....
history, important events
their notions,
6 try
familiar with trigonome-
an eminently religious people, 315

328
cosmogonioand others, portrayed did not artificially deform

in sculpture . . . .74 their skulls . . .81, 158
etymology of the word by vari- geologists and geographers . xliv
ous authors . . . .39 established colonies west of
•
and Hindoo cosmic evolution the River Indus . . . .37
identical 16 established colonies in the
migration to the banks of the country called Akkad . . 38
Nile, antiquity of . . . 55 little acquainted with rules of
not a dead language, an aid perspective 128

in finding origin of ancient civi- , proofs of their communication
lizations 30 with natives of Asia and Africa, xv
word tor fire, analyses of
names among all civilized
nations of antiquity
263
. .
.
.58
Nahuatls ....
adopted religious practices of
and Egyptians, acquired civ-

xxxi
Mayas addicted to giving nick- ilization from same masters 54

names 35 intensely patriotic . 200
scientists and artists . Iviii believed that the spirits of
Cans called themselves ChD- men reanimated
•
•
,
dren of the Sun ....

likened the earth to a caldron
xlvi
their great
....
ues in which their ashes were
preserved 189
stat-
and to a calabash . . . Ixii Mayach, fruit offering a pro-
architects ....
colonizers, astronomers,
used vegetable colors 128 .

and
(note) 2
.
posal of marriage in
,
, not India, mother of nations 33
353
great personages of, deified, xxxi

. . .
ate the hearts of enemies slain Mayapan, ruins of . . . 105

in battle 157 , city of, destroyed . . . xxx
, traces of the, found in all his- Meaning of the name Akkad, a puz-
torical nations of antiquity . 3 zle for scholars; its interpretation, 28
and Aryans seem to have had of Prince Coil's name . . 157
no communication with each Measurements of Maya gnomon 313 .
other 31 Mehen, serpent accompanying the

believed in reincarnation . 139 Creator in Egypt .75 . .
believed in the eternity of Memorial Hall of Prince Coll at

being 90 Cliiclleii, by whom erected 6 .
treatment
, of, and of their , description of . . 7
descendants, by the Spaniards . 176 Metre, its use by the Mayas . 303
highly civilized, great navi- Migration into Egypt, Bunsen's es-
gators 1 timate of dates . . . .55

believed the breath of Misur and Muzur, names of Egypt,
life to
be fire 155 Maya etymology of . . 46

,their astronomical knowledge, 233 Mizraim, Maya etymology of . 47
INDEX. 273
Mode of wearing the hair by- Name of God Asshur's dwelling-

Maya and Egyptian matrons place, of Maya origin . . 43
in mourning- . . . .84 Names of Greek— letters, their
Moloch, the god, his name a Maya Maya meaning . . .151
word 61 of Egyptian gods, Maya
Mongols in America . . . 190 words 49
Monkey worship in Mayach, 77, 116 Natives of Yucatan, their character 178
in India . . .77 worship ancient im-
Moukey-god Thoth, great price ages 178
offered for his image by an In- adhere to ancient re-
dian prince . . . .78 ligious practices . . xxxvii
Monkeys worshipped by Egyptians, 78 Nose-rings worn in America 118 . .
men changed into, Number four in the cosmogony of

,
their iniquities
sacred in
....
Babylonia
because of
and
77 many nations
Number
.94
.
ten sacred to the

.
Maya
.
Japan 79 and other ancients . . . 231

buried in reserved spots in Numbers and geometrical figures
Egypt and Guatemala . . 78 honored with names of gods 218 .
Mu, Land Number thirteen basis of Maya

of,
corded by Mayas and Greeks

,
its
history
destruction re-
of its de-
. siii computation ....
its adoption discussed by
,
211
struction preserved by many na- professors 211

tions 66
its destruction recorded in Cannes, brought civilization to
stone Ixiv Mesopotamia ..26 , . .
,Maya etymology of the

Nagfe, Brahmins acquired knowl-
edge from the
serpent worshippers
.... name
184 Ocean, its
193 meanings .
names, and their
.
26
186
Maya
,
anists
,
......
their origin unknowir to Indi-
their conquests .
likened to a serpent
. .
193
194
. 71
Offerings to the
yacli, Egypt, and India
dead, in
.
.
Ma-
. 8
khans
their rajahs called 8 in China, Japan,
•
,
rulers held sway over Hin-

dostan before Aryan invasion
.
. 19
Peru, and elsewhere
Offerings of fo3d to the dead in
... 9
originally Maya adepts . 19 Yucatan 10

meaning .97
,
Xahuatl sacrifice ....

of the
196
word . . 200 Origin of nobility .
of ill-luck being attributed to

. .
Name
stroyed cities
Maya
....
Nahuatls invaded Yucatan and de-
xsx
number thirteen
of British foot measure,
.
woman
(note) 147
(note) 76
ing to
of
Maya
of Carians
Empire, accord-
books ...
and Caribs, same
1
of
and serpent
enmity
....
between
Ornaments in use among ancient

143
meaning 64 Mayas 117

274 INDEX.
PAGE
Osiris portrayed as a leopard . 165 Prince Aac vanquished Queen
Outrages, Spanish, during conquest Moo 142
of Tucatan . . . xxxv proffered love to Queen
Mdo, by a present of oranges . 139
Pacab, Don Lorenzo —lineal de- in presence of the Priest, 134
scendant of kings of Muna . 106 incited civil religious
Paintings
phanta Island
Palenque, were
in cave
its
.... temples, Ele-
inhabitants
251
war
Pshent, crown of Lower Egypt in
Maya sculptures
141
125
Huns ? 189 Ptah, Egyptian, the Creator, born
tablet explained . . 110-113 from an egg .74
. . .
Patala (Central America), mother Pyramids in Yucatan, invariably

country of Nagas . . 100, 194 twenty-one metres high . . 224
Pentateuch, not written by Moses, 251 Pythagoras's teachings regarding
People represented in sculptures, numbers 219
at Copan, Palenque, Manche,
etc., not Mayas .190 Queen Mdo, consulting fate by
. .
Phallic worship, origin of . . 216 Pou 129

Physiognomy, Maya, compared , marriage to
ofEer of 130 .
with that shown in sculptures at built in Clliclieu a

Palenque, Copan, and Quirigua. 82 memorial hall and a mausoleum
Pontiff Cay, consulting fate by to the memory of her husband . 155
entrails of a fish . . . 135 , her refusal of Prince
Pope Sylrester II., pupil of Moor- Aac's love brought misery to
ish philosophers . . . xv her and to her country . . 140
Posca, what made
Position of priest's
mony of Pou
of
.... hand
.
in cere-
(note) 38
130
West Indies
,
,
her
lier flight
....
flight from
recorded by
the
154
of great personages' hands, author of Troano MS. . . 142

after death, alike in Mayacli her arrival in Egypt, re-
,
and Egypt 156 ceived with open arms xix, 154 .
Priests of Osiris wore leopard skin called Iain, corrupted

over ceremonial dress . . 162 into Isis 154
Prince Cob, leading his warriors . 136 called Mau in Egypt . 155
, his charred heart pre- may be the builder of the
served in red oxide of mercury . 136 Egyptian Sphinx . . . xix
portrayed as a leopard,
with human head . . . 166 Eabbis extol number twenty-one
.76
,
cally analyzed ....

his heart, part of, chemi-
Aac
by his brother
slain
beyond all others
159 Rays around cosmic egg, their
number, emblem of the Creators, 76
. .
as Osiris was by his brother Red. distinctive color of nobility, 89-95

Set 158 ,symbolical of power 99 . .
Prince Aac became a tvraut . 143 , its meaning in Maya . . 103

INDEX. 375
Red always used for seals among Serpent, supposed wisdom of, pos-
ancient Egj'ptians . . . 102 sible origin 222
hand in Mayacli, Polyne- , scales of, foriiL background to
sia, and India 100, 101
. . . figure of Creator in tableau at
, mark of ownership . 102 ChicTlen 75
Reincarnation beliered in by , antagonism of Sun with . 123
Mayas 263 , offering of fruit by, ex-
Religious ideas embodied in sacred plained 252
edifices 223 emblem of Mayacli 199
Rephaim, a
Respect for
Maya word
elders in
.
Mayacli
. 59 Set,
,
god of the Khati

Seven-headed serpent
....90
.
.
.
.
97
Maya
as in Egypt . .
Royalty, yellow its distinetivecolor,

. .182 Sign of negation,
89-91
tian alike
,
....Maya,
and Egyp-
shape of the
liv, 289
Royal brothers and

in marriage ....sisters united
131
Yucatan peninsula
unknown
,
.....
Egyptian,
.
its
.
origin
. iv
iv
Sacred Four, in India and Ma- for Land of the West, alike in
yacli 217 Mayacli and Egypt . . . lix
word "Aum" explained by Sieve, one name of Yucatan, Egyp-
Maya language . symbol of dominion
. 13, 24 259
tian . .
mode of writing no Maya the Egyptians , why chosen by

longer understood at beginning as symbol of power 137 . . .
of Christian era . xxxi Similarity of Maya and Hindoo

. .
Sati, a Maya word, name given architecture and customs 24 . .
by Egyptians to the Eephaim 58 Skulls deformed by some Pacific

.
Science, the privilege of the few 254 Islanders . .190 . . . .
Scientific knowledge revealed in Soul, escape of the . 261 . .
Maya architecture 224 Sphinx, totem of Prince Coll,

. . .
Sculptured portraits used as fu- adorning his mausoleum 158 . .
neral urns 87 Sri-Santara, names of its various

Sculptures in Mayacli, colored as parts are Maya words . . 22
in Greece and other countries . 88 ,an ampliilcation of the
Sculpture of dying warrior, on Maya cosmic diagram . . 17
Prince Coil's mausoleum 155 . . Standard lineal measure, why the
Self-torture by devotees of Goddess Mayas adopted the metre 234 .
Kali 109 Statues of deceased persons, made

in America . . 108 by the Mayas . . .87
Selk, goddess, deification of "West provided with shell eyes and
Indies, name of Maya origin . 67 nails 88
Serpent,
its
,
emblem of the Creator
Maya origin
emblem of the Creator
.
among
. .94 as in America ....
colored in Eastern countries
in the East, as in America,

192
Mayas, Egyptians, and others, 71 provided with eyes . . .193

276 INDEX.
Statues of Maya rulers, conven- Troana MS., its author gives a

tional posture of, explained . 59 clue to the reading of his text . 244
Stone circles, their meaning . . 15 , description of the . . . 174
Story of enmity between the woman
and the serpent
Survey of Maya buildings
.... care-
143
,
torical
,
a precious
document
Part First, plate
scientific
.
xxii.,
and
.
Trans-
his-
. 175
fully made 203 lation of Ivi

Symbolism, a knowledge of, neces- Part Second, plate xiii., Trans-
...
• ,
sary for the understanding of lation of . (note) Ix

Maya sculptures . . . 112 Tzidon, a Maya word . . .59
Tzur, a Maya word . . .60
Taba, word of Maya origin . 48
Umbrella, insignia of royalty in
Tau, Egyptian, explained by
Maya language . . . 110
Maya 128
Universe, Maya conception of 215
......Maya .
Tehom, the deep, a

Urukh, Blaya etymology of the
word 73
Thalatth, her Maya name of ori-
name of . . . . .36
gin 39
Uxinal, escutcheon of . . xlvi
Thibet, corpses preserved in mer-

Vase, hung from necks of the
cury in 191
dead in Egypt . .85 . .
Thirteen, computation by, to com-

,placed on the abdomen of the
memorate date of cataclysm 146
.
dead in Mayacli .85

Thoth, God of "Wisdom,
cephalus monkey, second
as cyno-
God of
Virgins of the
Votive offerings
fire ....
....
. .
258
101
the Dead 114
Vulture, symbol of Goddess Isis . 12
, God of Letters, its name a
Maya word . . . .78 Water, primordial substance . . 78
Tiamat, monster, name of Maya , analysis of the Maya word
origin 72 for 259
Tiaii-CliUians, "Sacred Four" Western continent, mentioned by
of the Mayas . .216. classical authors
. . . . xi
Ticll, religious ceremony in honor West Indies called by Mayas
of the God of the Fields . . 62 "Land of the Scorpion" . . xli
T-Mu, god, personification of At- West, the, regarded by Egyptians

lantis . . . . . .99 as place of the dead, where Thoth
Tongue, the putting out of the, exercised his duty as Scribe . 116
symbol of wisdom . . 264 Winged Serpent, insignia of roy-
Tradition of Sandwich Islanders alty in Mayach, like the
regarding creation .74 . . winged dragon in Asiatic coun-
Triangle, apex upward fire, apex tries 129
downward water .15 Winged circles in America, Egypt,
. .
MS. made known by

Troano
Abbe Brasseur
why thus called
,
.....175 .
and Assyria, origin of
242 Words written on Belshazzar's ban-
quet hall were Maya
.
217
37
.
.
.
.
INDEX. 277
PAGE
Work of Abbe Brasseur . . 242 Yucatan, its various names . xxix .
Worship of elephants, of Maya , Peninsula of, represented as

origin 25 a shoot and a veretrum . xlvii
of cross, ofMaya origin . 25
of serpent, of Maya origin . 25 Zactalall, modern God of the
of tree, Maya origin . . 25 Crops, its worship by natives of
Eastern Yucatan . . 179 .
Year, began on same day in Ma- Zahi, name given to Phoenicia by

yacll and Egypt . . . 250 the Egyptians. A 3Iaya word, 58
Yucatan, description of the country, Zinaan (Scorpion), name of West
Indies, Maya . , . . Ix
lA \1c^
Date Due
ÂY -5 .^
iiu^ » '5&
tmr 1^ ™ I
y^t^ ^
l-lio^S GlX
Library Bureau Cat. no. 1137

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^"v-

ALICE CHENEY BMiTZELL

THE EGYPTIAN SPHINX

AUGUSTUS LE PLONGEON, M.D.

Entered according to act of Congress, April, 1896, by AtJGDSTUs Le Plonoeon,.

Press ot J. J. Little & Co.

AUGUSTUS LE PLONGEON, M.D.

Brooklyn, February 15, 1896.

A. Charencey, Hyacinthe de.

Alcedo, Antonio de. Cieza de Leon, Pedro.

C. Duncker, Maximilian Wolfgang.

Champollion Pigeac. Ellis, William.

Euclydes. Layard, Sir Henry.

Isaiah, Book of. O.

Oman, John Campbell.

Engraved ty F. A. Bingler & Co., of New York, from photographs and

discovered by the author .......

XL Altar at the Entrance of Funeral Chamber in Prince Coil's

Memorial Hall, discovered by the author ....

XV. i Coh's Memorial Hall 14

XXXI. Queen ZoD.

One of the atlantes supporting the table of

table of the altar in Prince Coil's Memorial Hall . . 84

from Pontiff Cay's Mausoleum at Clii-

' Hall. Casts from moulds made by the author . . 133

XLH. Attitude of Respect among tlie Mayas. Statue of Prince

XLV. Fresco Painting in Funeral Chamber in Prince Coil's Me-

XL VI. Fresco Painting in Funeral Chamber in Prince Coil's Me-

Chamber in Prince Coil's Me-

morial Hall. Prince Coli's Body prepared for Cremation 138

Lm. Account of the Destruction of the Land of Mu. Slab in

mould made by the author ......

LIV. Account of the Destruction of the Land of Mu. Plate

v., part ii., of Troano MS 147

LVn. Mausoleum of Prince Coh. Restoration and drawing by

A bas-relief from Prince Coil's Mausoleum 157 . . .

LXI. Salutation and Token of Respect in Thibet. From the

LXn. A Dying Sphinx (a leopard with a human head) that was

the entablature of the east fa9ade of the Governor's House

Memorial Hall. Adepts consulting a Seer 333

" What you have learned, verify by expe-

I^- this work I offer no theory. In questions of history

presented for their consideration. Whatever be their conclu-

A record many of these events has reached our times writ-

guage, the religious conceptions, the cosmogonic notions, the

ancient civilizecl nations of Asia, Africa, and Europe, of which

zation, from Asia. True, there is a split in their ranks. They

that these opinions are mere conjectures, simple hypotheses,

appeared on earth than the new-born babe knows of his sur-

the origin of those primeval men. Furthermore, it is now

species, with their distinct, well-marked anatomical and intel-

lectual characteristics, was due to the difference of those bio-

If the opinion of Lyell, Humphry, and a host of modern

their people and their country ?

It is but natural to suppose that intelligence in man was

inhabitants ; and that its concomitant, civilization, grew apace

ords of natural phenomena and predominant incidents in the

Mayas that we must turn if we wish to learn about the pri-

Historians when writing on the universal history of the