Introduction to Maya Hieroglyphs - Wayeb

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Kettunen & Helmke 2011 Structure and Content of Texts IV TYPICAL STRUCTURE AND CONTENT OF THE TEXTS 17. MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTIONS It is clear now that the content of monumental inscriptions is primarily historical. The focus of these public texts is almost exclusively on important events of particular dynasties. The most common occurrences in the inscriptions consist of royal activities, such as accessions, war, capture, various ritual activities, birth, death, heir-designations, royal visits, and the like. Quite frequently the histories represented in the public art were limited to momentous events in the lives of the elite, and linked with powerful historical or supernatural beings. The inscriptions on more public monuments, like stelae and altars, deal primarily with historical events and with issues which were deemed acceptable for the scrutiny of the public. The inscriptions in more restricted areas, such as the carved lintels or panels inside temples, deal with limited or more ritual information reserved exclusively for a specific audience. STELA 4 (A1-B5), IXTUTZ, GUATEMALA: TRANSLITERATION, TRANSCRIPTION, AND TRANSLATION: A1: 12-AJAW lajunchan? ? ajaw 12 ajaw A2: u-tz’a[pa]-wa TUN-ni utz’apaw tuun (he) planted/inserted the stone A3: a-ya-YAX-ja-la aj yayaxjal? Aj Yayaxjal? A4: u-CHAN-na bo-bo ucha[’]n bo[h]b guardian of Bohb A5 : yi-IL-a? K’UH-MUT-?-AJAW yila? k’uhul mut[ul] ajaw (he) saw it, the divine lord of Mutul B1: 8-TE’-[PA’]xi-la waxakte’ paxiil 8 pax (9.17.10.0.0) B2: u-CHOK-ko-wa ch’a-ji uchokow ch’aaj (he) scattered droplets B3: BAK-? baak …? Baak ...? B4: K’UH-lu 5-KAB-AJAW-wa k’uhul ho’kab ajaw divine lord of Ho’kab B5: yi-IL-a? 8-WINAK-ki-AJAW-TAK yila? waxak winak ajawta[a]k (they) saw it, the 28 lords Figure 11: Stela 4 (A1-B5), Ixtutz, Guatemala (drawing by Harri Kettunen) “On 12 ajaw 8 pax (2 December 780), Aj Yayaxjal? Baak ?, guardian of Bohb, divine lord of Ho’kab, planted the stone and scattered droplets. It was seen/witnessed by the divine lord of Mutul and by the 28 lords.” 18. CERAMICS The texts on ceramic vessels range from simple clauses and name-tagging to dynastic lists of kings, and lengthy verbal clauses. A common feature in the texts of ceramic vessels is the so-called Primary Standard Sequence (PSS) – usually written along the rim of the vessel, but sometimes written vertically or diagonally in columns along the body of vessels. 30/154
Kettunen & Helmke 2011 Structure and Content of Texts The PSS is actually a complex and highly formulaic name-tag usually starting with a so-called focus marker glyph (a.k.a. the initial sign). The function of this type of glyph is to indicate where a text begins as the beginning and end of the texts usually meet at the same point (since most vessels are circular). Other typical glyphic collocations present in the PSS include reference to the manner in which the pot was dedicated (i.e. the introductory section), the contents of the vessel (e.g. kakaw (cocoa), or ul (atole, maize gruel), the type of the vessel (i.e. the vessel type section), and its owner or the artist who painted or carved the text/iconography into it. Vessel types include for example uk’ib, “drinking cup”, jaay, “bowl”, lak, “plate”, and jawa[n]te’, “tripod plate”. 37 As ceramics constitute one of the largest groups of media on which hieroglyphs were recorded, they will receive special attention in the present volume. In the following pages one will find information relating to intricacies of texts on ceramic vessels. Reconstructing Ancient Maya Vessel Typology Following earlier research, vessels exhibiting more than one text can be said to have a ‘primary’ text which is placed both in a prominent position on a vessel such as along the rim or vertically in wide bands, as well as being written with large glyphs. In contrast are ‘secondary’ texts that are typically shorter, of smaller font, and typically serve as small captions to iconographic scenes. Both of these types of texts can be either well-preserved or eroded a point of distinction recorded as it potentially may affect the accuracy of glyphic identifications. In addition, texts may range between fully viable and pseudoglyphic (which apparently served to give the impression of writing, and were apparently produced by illiterate artisans). Surface Treatment Of those texts that do record the surface treatment by far the largest group is formed by texts referring to the surface treatment as being painted, based on the root noun tz’ib 38 for “painting” or “writing” and the verb derived from this root. In its simplest form, painted vessels bear the caption tz’ib or utz’ihb, while at the opposite extreme it may be rendered as utz’ibnajal or utz’ibaalnajal. Interestingly, it is also with this term, but in the form of utz’ihba and introducing a nominal segment, that artists working under royal patronage signed their works (Reents-Budet 1994; MacLeod 1990). To gain a better understanding of these terms and their derivations these are analysed morphologically below: u tz’i bi na ja utz’i[h]bnajal 39 u-tz’ihb-n-aj-al-Ø 3SE-write/paint-PAS-THM-NOM-3SA “the writing/painting of” While both utz’ibnajal and utz’ibaalnajal share the same root as well as the same compound suffix, the latter is derived from a noun with and abstractivizing suffix, which alters the meaning of the root from “writing/ painting” to something yet more broad such as “drawing/decoration.” 37 For further information on texts on ceramics, consult e.g. Reents-Budet 1994. 38 It should be pointed out that in Maya languages the distinction between ‘painting’ and ‘writing’ is not made, as the primary means of recording the written word is by means of a paintbrush. However, it should be cautioned that based on modern Maya cognates, the term, tz’ib specifically refers to the painting of designs or decorations, and is often offset from other verbs, as for example those used to refer to the painting of houses (Terry Kaufman, personal communication 2003). 39 These analyses are based in large part on the research of Alfonso Lacadena, who has been kind enough to share this information with us in correspondence. 31/154
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