A Fragment Of The Grolier Codex

Clifford C. Richey

November 2014

It would be helpful to refer to:academia.edu/Universal-Prehistoric-Depicted-Sign-Language

when reading this paper. It explains the use of Form, Imagery, Gesture Signs, Stance, allusion, andposition as used in composing glyphs.

There is some debate whether the Grolier Codex is genuine or a possible fake. This paper approaches this issue by looking the structure of the composition to determine if the Codex was based on the general rules of depicted sign language.

There are two Figures in this composition. The Setting is one of a Kneeling Captive and a Large Figurewith the Face (his appearance) of a Skull (the dead) grasping the Captive's Hair1 as the sign for a chieftain or lord. His appearance, the lord, of the dead.2 The Lord of the Dead, his Stance, is one of, departing the west. This is evidenced by the Lord's Legs and Feet pointing towards the Left (the east), In gesture signing the Left hand or side signified the east while the Right side indicated the west. The west represented, the setting Sun, darkness, and death.

Over the Lord's Head is an (yellow) Oval sign that represents, the unseen, turning-place, and, positionally, within it, the (green, actually black in the original) Horizontal Rectangles horizontal-places signs, in the blackness, the darkness. Numerically, these signs indicate the Number Ten. This refers to, the Nine levels of the underworld plus the surface of the middle world. Resting on the top ofthese signs is a Knot indicating, the tie that binds. What is bound together are the (green) places signs that positionally, Left and Right which in gesture signing represents the east and west. The place signs are also positionally, above and below each other possibly indicating levels.

After interpreting the above signs it is difficult to know where to continue. The Large Form of the Knife to the Right of the Lord seems like a good place to start. The Large Knife, the great ray of the Sun.

1 Academia.edu, The Chieftain: The Depicted Sign2 Academia,edu, Mictlantecuhtli: The Lord of the Place of the Dead

Illustration 1: The Lord of the Dead

The metaphor of the Knife representing a great ray of the Sun was based on the behavioral-essence of the rays of the Sun baking the earth and causing cracks (cuts) to appear on its Face. In terms of the Imagery the Knife appears as a Large Eye, the great eye of the Sun –Venus. The Eye was positioned vertically and as on the side. The Double Line on the Right side indicates, unseen, in the west. The Rightward Stance of the Pupil means, waiting or awaiting. The Pupil (might be two dark-places signs or a Double Lined unseen sign) of the Eye has a “Shepherd's Crook” sign meaning, taken downwards, positionally, on the side. The (brown) sign stemming from the Left, eastern, side of the Eye is in the Form of a Foot indicating a walk or a journey. The Stance of the Foot is upwards. The Three (green) Vertical Rectangles are a kind of shorthand for the many, vertical-places. The Compound Form continues as an Upside down “Shepherd's Crook” meaning, taken upwards, and alludes to the Hair of the Lord (a growth, a development). The Crook may also have the overall Form of a Horned Serpent indicating, a chief, or a main, stream, (of water). The area of the Horns is in the Form of a Fly that indicates, the little flier. This may be in contrast to the great flier, the Sun. The Head of the Fly is a (dark) Circle indicating, the one, his location, in the darkness, and the (green) vertical-place signs allude to the Eye in the east and the west. The (green) Wings of the Fly an allusion to its Hands, the Hand of the Sun, the steward of the Sun are Horizontal Rectangles or horizontal-places, or levels, positionally, on the side, of the earth.

Below the Crook is a (tan) Large Severed Finger, attached to the Eye –Venus (with the Pupil indicating, a dark-place) pointing a direction, the great one, here, on the side (light-green) of a Breast of the Female-earth, a hill, sign. The Breast sign is based on an overhead view of a Breast. The Crook terminates at three small signs, a (white) Circle, the one his location, the (white) Triangular Female-earth sign, and a (white) Vertical Rectangle, a vertical-place.

Next we will look at the Form that is alongside the Open Mouth, the open, water-source. This is a DualForm that is not uncommon in ancient compositions. In one direction, the Form is that of a (green) Serpent, a stream of water. In the other direction th Form is one of a Snail or Slug, the one that moves

Illustration 2: The Great Ray of the Sun

slowly.

The Serpent's Stance is one of, heading downwards. The Slug's Stance is one of, heading upwards. Slowly, the stream, moving downwards and upwards. The Form can be broken down into more signs as seen below.

The (yellow) “Shepherd's Crook” sign alludes to the Eye(s) Venus, of the Slug, Left and Right or in theeast and west. The Eye of the Sun, Venus, The (brown) Foot, taken down, on a journey, the (blue) Circle, the one, his location, the (tan) Severed Finger pointing a direction, here, positionally, on the side, of the (red) Triangle that indicates, the female-earth. The Dual Serpent/Slug Form is positioned asbetween or, at the center, the “V” shaped sign for, an opening, Mouth, a water source such as a springor pool of water. The Teeth, the ones that grind or cut up, are horizontal-place signs. The places are, surrounded by blackness or darkness. On the other side of the Dual Form is the (light-green) sign for aBreast of the Female-earth (as viewed from above) or a hill.

Npw we come to a section of the composition that ties many of the signs together. Central to this section is the Large (yellow) star Form, the great star, an ancient appellation for, Venus.

Illustration 4: Dual Form:Serpent

Illustration 3: Dual Form: Snail

Illustration 5: The Compound FormBroken Down

Venus, positionally, at the center. The center refers to the center of the earth or at least the center of the Mayan culture among others. This was a cosmological center and there could be many such centers much as we speak today of a city center. Venus is at the Mouth, a water source, with Pupil contained inthe Curved sign for, held as in a bowl, a reference to the spring or pool of water on a hillside. The star also touches the Hair Grasping gesture sign for a Chieftain or Lord. The Hand, the steward of the Sun,touches the (green) Three vertical-place signs that mean the many vertical-places. Then the (light-green) Square that means, a house, in the sense of his lineage, the house of the Lord.

The star also connects to the Knife at the Nose of the Face (his appearance) that normally alludes to the Nostrils or the dual holes (actually, in this case of the profile Face of a Skull there is only one cavityor hole. Thus the Knife Form, the ray of the Sun, a warrior, and the Imagery of the Eye, the Eye of the Sun –Venus, at the hole on the side (of the earth).

The above goes a long way in explaining the finding burials with skulls having flint Knives stuck in their Nasal cavities and also in their Mouths. The Large Black Pupils of the Skull (Illustration 7) indicate, the great one, in the darkness. The Skull in Illustration 7 is Aztec. Stylistically this codex appears to have much in common with Aztec compositions.3 There many instances of such skull and knife combinations from the Aztec culture but they are difficult to find in the Mayan culture. This makes us wonder about the source of this codex.

3 Mictlantecuhtli: The Lord of the Place of the Dead. Academia,edu

Illustration 6: Venus at the Center.

Illustration 7: Skullwith Knives in Nasal

Cavity and Mouth

The star also connects to the Imagery of the Hand, a steward of the Sun, a kind of Sun-priest. Below the Mouth is the Figure's Neck which alludes to the Throat representing a connecting tunnel between the Stomach as, a container, and the Mouth as, a source of water.

In Illustration 9 we note that there is a generally “U” shaped connection between the Left (east) and theRight (west) of the composition. In Illustration 8 we will use the (tan) Neck of the Figure as a focal point we can see that it represents the Nose of a Face ( his appearance). The Face Form is a Large Triangle indicating, as a great female-earth-spirit. The Nose alludes to the Nostrils as dual holes, one in the east and one in the west. The yellow) Three Lined (a hidden pathway) “U” shape indicates, a turning. positionally, below. The hidden pathway connects to the Three (green) Vertical Rectangles meaning, many, vertical-places, in the east and west. The Imagery of an Eye, Venus, on the east and west side of the hidden pathway. The Eyes are composed of (white) “u” shaped, turning, signs and have (black), positionally, within, the horizontal-places signs with their Pupils indicating, the places of darkness. The (white) Circle alludes to the Mouth, the water source, positionally, below. The Mouthalso has the (white) turning sign but the, within, a vertical, dark-place. The place sign is positioned, vertically.

We have stated that a Knife represents, a ray of the Sun, The much Larger Axe, as a cutting instrument, represents the Sun itself. We see the (blue Head of the Axe, and its green Handle) Form of a Large Axe,the great Sun, We see tht the Axe has a face made up of an Eye and a (pink) Mouth. His Face, his appearance, positioned at and alluding to the Stomach, the container, of the Figure.

Illustration 9: Venus at the Center. Illustration 8: The ConnectionBetween East and West

Illustration 10: The Great Axe

The Handle of the Axe is composed of vertical and horizontal place signs. The association that was made with the Handle of the Axe is not known. It may have had something to do with a Hand. The Handle is positioned between the two (red) Triangles meaning, between the sides of the Female-earth,her center. The (blue) Blade of the Axe has an Eye in its upper left corner. The meaning is, the Eye of the Sun, --Venus.

Beginning at the (pink) Mouth, a water source, of the (blue) Axe we see the (white) Circle, the one, his location, positionally, above, turning, at the dark, vertical-place. The (blue} Circle, the one, his location, positionally, at the center, and the (white) Circle, the one, his, location, positionally, below, turning, in a dark, horizontal-place. This is followed by what looks to be a Three, the many, Fingered Hand, the stewards of the Sun, positionally, on the side. In the background paper on Depicted Sign Language we have seen how the ancient composers even used space to create Form. To the left of the above signs we see Space used to create a Profile Face, his appearance, that appears to have two Mouths, the water sources, positioned, above and below. These Mouths place the Circles, within, the water source, above and below. Further, the Cord made up of numerous waiting-place signs alludes to the Profile's Hair, his growth, his development.

The Figure's Belt is Double Lined meaning, hidden, and there are Four (green) places signs that have dark centers, indicating, the four directions, or everywhere. Attached to the Belt is the Form of a Large Serpent, a great stream of water, The Serpent's Stance is one of, heading upwards. The midsection of the Serpent is composed of place signs while the (pink)Tail is Feathered, parts of a Bird

Illustration 11: The Great Axe

Illustration 12: The Figure'sLegs

a sign indicating, flight. Thus, particles in flight. The Feathers are grouped as Three, the many, and Two that Form the sign for, the two together, or untied as one. Since these Feathers in flight are part of the Serpent the message is, the particles of water in flight. This section is a depicted variation or paraphrasing of the Aztec Quetzalcoatl or the Mayan Kukulcan, the Feathered Serpent. There are several smaller (white) signs around the Serpent that cannot be clearly seen and are not translated.

The (light-green) Upper Legs of the Figure are, vertical-places signs. They are positioned as, above and below each other. The places are separated at the Knee, an allusion, to the Knee Joints whose behavioral essence is, the ones that open and close. The Three, the many, signs at the Knees mean, theones, the locations, the horizontal-places. Within the (light-green) vertical-places is a Vertical Wavy Line, the pathway, of mysterious-power, that terminates, with a (black) Circle. The one, his locatin, inthe darkness.

The Lower Legs have the same meaning, the vertical-places, within them, the mysterious power, the one, his location. At the Ankles that allude to the Joints, the ones, that open and close are the (green) signs for, the places, east and west. And positionally, at the center, the one, his location. The Feet positioned, below, mean, the journey. The Stance of the Feet are, heading, eastward.

Illustration 13: The Figure'sLegs

The Stance of the Captive is Kneeling indicating, the one in the process of arising, the one who will arise. This meaning is born out by the Imagery of the Hand, the steward of the Sun's Hair, his growth,his development, depicted in the Form of a (blue) the sign for, arising, from, the Straight Line of the Top of the Head indicating, the surface. His Neck alluding to the Throat, the connecting tunnel, is wrapped or tied to a Cord that is in the Form of the sign for, taken-upwards. It is the Cord around the Neck that is the sign for, the captive.

The Captive's Head, His Face, his appearance, The Imagery is of a Standing Bird, arising in flight, alludes to the Eye, the Eye of the Sun, --Venus.

The (yellow) Three Lined sign, a hidden-pathway, has the Form of Two Severed Fingers, the two, together, pointing a direction, here. The center (blue-green) pathway sign arises to the (pink) Mouth, awater-source. The (pink) Mouth is in the Form of the “U” shaped, turning, sign. The Upper and LowerLips have (green) Rectangular, places, signs positionally, above and below.

The (light-blue) Form, a “Shepherd's Crook” meaning, taken upwards, from, the surface, (the flat

Illustration 14:The Captive

Illustration 15: ProfileComposition

Straight Line of the base of the Nose. The Nose alludes to the Nostrils, the dual holes.

The (light-blue) Line curves, arises, to the Eyebrow (the Hair, his growth, development). The (red) Square, the house, the lineage, alludes to the Eye, the Eye of the Sun, --Venus. The Line continues on to Form the Curved Top of the Head, the arc or bow of the sky.

The (white) areas of the Figure are either damaged or unrecognized, There appears to be a (tan) Hand over th Belt area. The Hand is in contact with a (light-green) Form that may be a Fish, the one that swims, the swimmer. The two (light-blue) signs are Severed Figures pointing a direction, here, and their Form indicates, ascending and descending, positionally, above and below, The (tan) Leg/Foot means a long journey, positionally, on the side (the Stance of the Foot).

The Nine (visible) (black) Oval signs (see Illustration 15) on the left of the panel indicate, turning-places, and the Wavy Lines Forming the “X” sign means, the mysterious power, of transformation, positionally, at the center of the Female-earth's four directions. The (black) Bar and Dot Numbers associated with these signs may relate to time periods that Venus is in the darkness. Possibly the Nine levels of the underworld, if that is indeed the total number of the turning-places signs. The Numeral signs are also positioned, as, on the side, and may represent a count of periods that Venus cannot be observed.

A strange aspect of the Grolier Codex is that the style of the Form and Imagery seen Aztecan the Number system is Mayan. This may have been caused by borrowing between cultures or the creation of

Illustration 17:Number Signs

Illustration 16: ProfileComposition

a hybrid culture. In any event, the understanding of the organizational structure of depicted sign language is quite apparent in this fragment.