Re-Creating Primordial Time: Foundation Rituals and Mythology in the Postclassic Maya Codices

9. World Renewal Ceremonies in the Madrid Codex

385 9 World Renewal Ceremonies in the Madrid Codex Thirty almanacs in the Madrid Codex begin on the day 4 Ahaw in the tzolk’in calendar. The 4 Ahaw almanacs depict a number of different activities (see Table 9.1), many of which functioned as ceremonies of renewal. Several can be demonstrated to be rituals associated with renewing the world, having a function similar to ceremonies documented in Santiago Atitlán in connection with Holy Week (Christenson 2001) and by Landa in his Relación (see Chapter 3). Our discussion begins with M. 19b (Figure 9.1), which has a number of elements that tie it to creation mythology and to rituals replicating primordial time. It begins on the day 4 Ahaw and depicts five deities participating in a bloodletting ritual involving a rope (see http://www.hieroglyphic research.org/Documentation/UPClink246.html). They include Itzamna (center); God A’, a deity associated with nighttime and darkness (upper left); God M (lower left), who is named in the text as one of the Pawahtuns; the death god Kimil (lower right); and Chaak (upper right).1 Itzamna and Chaak are painted blue, whereas God A’ (Ah Kam) and Kimil are wholly or partially red, and God M wears black body paint.2 The five deities are arranged around a structure that rests on a stone base; its upper part is painted blue, whereas the lintel is painted red and the walls/supports are blue and red.3 A rope is pictured winding through the architecture , and it may be seen to support the sun (represented by a k’in glyph) in the section passing by God A’. A turtle rests on top of the structure; its carapace contains a yax glyph and what may be drops of blood. The yax glyph on the turtle’s carapace names it as yax kok ‘first turtle’. Madrid 19b can be understood by reference to (1) an act of creation associated with the start of the bak’tun on 13.0.0.0.0 4 Ahaw 8 Kumk’u (August 11, 3114 B.C.), (2) central Mexican mythology identified with the birth of the sun, 246 DOI: 10.5876/9781607322214.c09 World Renewal Ceremonies in the Madrid Codex 386 Table 9.1. 4 Ahaw almanacs in the Madrid Codex Almanac Activity/Theme Associated figure M. 14a Renewing structures/blue paint Itzamna M. 15a Renewing structures/blue paint Nal M. 16a ok nah ceremony Itzamna M. 19b Turtle manifested, temple; bloodletting ritual Itzamna and turtle M. 20b–21b Deities supporting lintels?/blue paint Nik? M. 22d–23d Deities painting/blue paint Itzamna M. 23c Blue/painted structures Itzamna M. 38a Deer trapping hunter M. 40a Deer hunting hunter M. 46c (4 Ok or 4 Ahaw) Deer trapping M. 50a Drilling fire God M M. 50c Deer dance God Y M. 60b Setting up Itzamna trees/blue-painted forked sticks Chaak M. 60b–61b Carrying blue-painted K’uh Nal M. 62b Fibers growing from earth Itzamna M. 63a Bathing ritual Itzamna M. 63b Deities seated in houses K’uh M. 72b, fr. 2 turtle M. 79a (4 Ok or 4 Ahaw) captive-taking God Z, captive M. 79c Weaving Chak Chel M. 80b–81b Holding stone objects Itzamna M. 83b Deities emerging from yax glyphs (yih ‘to sprout’) K’uh/Itzamna M. 85c (4 Ok or 4 Ahaw) Deity in house w/torch and flint blade Kisin M. 87b–88b Deities with bloodletters Itzamna M. 92c–93c Bathing ritual Ix Kab/Nik? M. 96a (4 Ok or 4 Ahaw) Presentation of offerings to K’uh Pawahtun M. 100d Blessing K’uh Itzamna M. 102c Warping thread Sak Ix Kab M. 102d Weaving Ix Kab Chel M. 111c’ Burning incense Itzamna and (3) ceremonies associated with the initiation of the new year on days named Muluk in the tzolk’in calendar. As previously discussed, several important ritual acts occurred on 13.0.0.0.0 4 Ahaw 8 Kumk’u (see Chapter 3), including the manifestation of an image of a turtle and the Figure 9.1. Bloodletting ritual in temple courtyard on M. 19b associated with the date 4 Ahaw. After Anders (1967). World Renewal Ceremonies in the Madrid Codex 388 planting of three stones to form a cosmic hearth; according to Quirigua Stela C, the last of these stones was placed by the creator deity Itzamna to form a triadic arrangement within which a...