#maya codex

Mysterious Maya Codex Verified As Oldest Text in Ancient America

(Q24N) Researchers of Brown University have verified the authenticity of the Grolier Codex, an ancient document that is among the rarest books in the world.

Regarded with skepticism since it was reportedly unearthed by looters from a cave in Chiapas, Mexico, in the 1960s, the ancient Maya text from the 13th century, solving the long-standing riddle of whether the mysterious fragment was actually…

Mysterious Maya Codex Verified As Oldest Text in Ancient America

(Q24N) Researchers of Brown University have verified the authenticity of the Grolier Codex, an ancient document that is among the rarest books in the world.

Regarded with skepticism since it was reportedly unearthed by looters from a cave in Chiapas, Mexico, in the 1960s, the ancient Maya text from the 13th century, solving the long-standing riddle of whether the mysterious fragment was actually…

Codex Dresden p. 60

The Codex Dresden / Dresdensis is one of only three surviving Maya manuscripts which date to before the Spanish conquest, likely between the 12th and 15th centuries. The codex depicts the religious beliefs of the Maya people and is written in a complex logosyllabographic script. 

The top image of this page depicts Pawhatun, wearing a tortoise shell, with two warriors wielding atlatls and darts. They are located on top of a platform containing a deer and a “hok-snared” glyph collocation. 

The accompanying text reads:

?? / / waxak-?-waj / ol / / ?-ha / / pa-wah-mak / / u-kab’-hi-tz’a-tan / ta / / tu-b’a-chaak? / cha-ki

On ? 8 Kumk’u Pawah-mak ?? under the auspices of ?? Chaak.

b’olon-ok-te’ / / ?? / / yah?-winik / winal-ki / / xul?-k’in-? / / tok’-pakal / / pa-wah-och

B’olon Yokte’ ? Damage to the people; end of days. Pawah-opossum’s flint-shield (warfare). 

The bottom image depicts a figure with a black stripe kneeling and supporting a throne on his shoulders. A figure rides the throne holding a spear and shield, accompanied by a fire serpent. The spear and shield designates this figure as a warrior and is read phonetically as tok’ pakal. The deity Xiuhtecuhtli stands next to this warrior, holding a spear tired to a captive with a dark black ring around his eye. 

The accompanying text reads: 

buluk-ahaw-ahaw-wa / / lahun-yax-k’in-ni / ne / / tzutz-yi / k’atun

The k’atun was completed on 10 Yaxk’in 11 Ahaw.

ah?-kimil-la / / yu-tun / ku’la’kab’ / nal? / ch’en?

The dead person; the shaking of the earth cave.

u-yax-k’’in-yu / / b’olon-ok-te’ / / ahaw-su-wa / / ya-ahaw-su

The first sun/day of the lord of Bolon Yokte’

yah?-winik / winal-ki / / yah?-kab’-ch’en?

Abril 13

No supimos verte

En el año 2009, en el atrio del convento de Maní de Yucatán, cuarenta y dos frailes franciscanos cumplieron una ceremonia de desagravio a la cultura indígena:

—Pedimos perdón al pueblo maya, por no haber entendido su cosmovisión, su religión, por negar sus divinidades; por no haber respetado su cultura, por haberle impuesto durante muchos siglos una religión que no entendían, por haber satanizado sus prácticas religiosas y por haber dicho y escrito que eran obra del Demonio y que sus ídolos eran el mismo Satanás materializado.

Cuatro siglos y medio antes, en ese mismo lugar, otro fraile franciscano, Diego de Landa, había quemado los libros mayas, que guardaban ocho siglos de memoria colectiva.

>> Fragmento contenido en el libro "LOS HIJOS DE LOS DIAS", de Eduardo Galeano, Siglo XXI, 2012.

>> Ilustración digital | Andrés Casciani.