Maya glyphs codex

Maya codices are pre-Columbian books that record hieroglyphic writing, astronomy, and rituals of that civilization.

About this subject

Maya codices are manuscripts made from fig bark (amate) or maguey paper, folded like a screen and written with fine brushes. They contain Maya glyphs, a logosyllabic writing system combining logograms (symbols representing words) and syllabograms. Surviving codices include the Dresden Codex, the Paris Codex, and the Madrid Codex, dating from the Postclassic period (900-1521 AD). The Dresden Codex is the most complete, notable for its astronomical tables, such as those for Venus and lunar eclipses.

Most codices were burned by Spanish conquistadors and Catholic missionaries in the 16th century, who viewed them as pagan works. Only four authentic copies survived, along with fragments. These documents are primary sources for understanding Maya religion, history, and science. The decipherment of glyphs, initiated in the 20th century by epigraphers like Yuri Knórosov and Linda Schele, revealed that the texts deal with rituals, ruler genealogies, and calendrical cycles.

Maya glyphs represent sounds and ideas, often arranged in rectangular blocks within double columns, read in pairs from left to right and top to bottom. Many glyphs include logograms with phonetic values, such as the glyph 'balam' for jaguar. The system's complexity reflects Maya intellectual sophistication, with records enabling precise reconstruction of historical events down to the day and month. Ongoing study of these codices expands knowledge of Mesoamerican thought.

Curiosity: the Grolier Codex, discovered in the 1960s, was initially deemed authentic, but recent analyses suggest it may be a modern forgery. The authenticity of Maya codices remains a topic of intense academic debate.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Maya codices have survived to the present day?

Only four authentic Maya codices are known: the Dresden Codex, the Paris Codex, the Madrid Codex, and the Grolier Codex (the latter is still controversial).

What do Maya glyphs represent?

Maya glyphs are a logosyllabic system: some symbols represent whole words (logograms) and others represent syllables (syllabograms), allowing recording of both ideas and sounds.

Why were Maya codices destroyed?

After the Spanish conquest, Catholic missionaries like Diego de Landa ordered the burning of the codices, considering them idolatrous and contrary to Christian faith. Only a few were saved by European collectors.