The Savannah morning news., 1902-05-11

names wherever they appear, makes
this theory more plausible.
A striking feature of the Codex, and
one which suggests interesting lines of
research, Mrs. Nuttall says, is the
prevalent association of individuals
with symbols of the calendar Oc-
casionally the figures are also accom-
panied by some peculiar sign which
stands for a name or title, but it is
noteworthy that in all ancient codices
painted before the Spanish conquest
many of the characters have either a
date symbol or both a date symbol and
individual name, but none is ever des-
ignated by an individual name-sign
alone This popularity, Mrs. Nuttall
thinks, is a confederation of her pre-
Vtous view that the symbols of the CAL
endar were used not merely to express
years and days but also as the names
OF tribes or cities of the old Mexican
commonwealth. Archaeologists have
also brought forward evidence to prove
that the date of a mans birth was
made part of his name, and there are
numerous instances of the designation
OF places by the picture-word that
stands for some division of the cal
endar. In this connection Mrs. Nuttall
points out another interesting prob
abillty-that,- as distinctive garments,
insignia, and colors We're worn during
each of the twenty festivals of the old
Aztec year, the pictures of the codex
Immediately conveyed to the ancient
Mexican information of the periods of
time with which they were to be as
Soclated. 1t is certain, at any rate,
that the extreme care with which the
artist did his work is largely due to the
importance of both color and personal
decoration as means of conveying
rank, age, and tribe and of expressing
the performance of some political act or
religious rite.
The application of this theory APP
pears most interestingly in Mrs. Nut
tails codex. The story includes a
series of events in the lives of several
personages, who are displayed in a
great variety of costume and insignia.
The changes in dress and decoration
often tell of a rise in rank, as, for ex-
ample, when, after a career of trium-
plant progress, one of the characters,
who appears first in sacerdotal garb
and then as warrior, is shown un-
dergoinG the rite of having his nostrils
pierced by priest so that he may re-
ceive the nose Turquoise badge of
chieftaincy-which he wears through
out the rest of the story. One of the
most entertaining pages in the codex
represents three chieftains in
boats crossing a body of water.
on the further side of which
rises a high mountain. In the
water are an alligator, a serpent,
hsh. and some shells; while on the
further shore, behind the mountain,
rises tall, red and black column
which looks as if it were supporting
the starry heavens "
sented in the usual conventionalized
manner, though without any of the
recognized symbols for individual con-
stellations. The leader of the party
has a boat to himself and is designa-
ted by the name-sign above his hand
as Underwater character who
has entered the story shortly before.
In this name water" is supposed to
sand for one of the twenty Aztec
months, and nine for the day of the
month-"Ninth Day of the Month of
Water, therefore, would be the chief
tain's name, in accordance with the
custom of deriving personal names
from the calendar Death, Serpent,
and Deer were the names of other
months. Accordingly. the names of
the persons occupying the second boat
are Eleven Death" and "Nine-Ser-
pent." The former curiously resem-
bles Eight Deer" the hero of the
story in appearance and dress. but the
name-signs distinguish the two char
acters Enthusiastically. His fellow voy-
ager looks so much like a chieftain la
belled Eight Serpent" who appears
earlier in the narrative, that Mrs
Nuttall thinks the figures were intend
ed 10 represent the same man, the al
teration in the name being caused by
the accidental omission or effacement
OF a part OF one mineral
The hero Of another Of the codex