The Madrid Codex

Maya Glyphs
By
Clifford C. Richey

September 2009
 Illustration 1: Madrid Codex --Mayan

It is the colored areas of this page that are under discussion in this paper. The Figure on the right has a
Head that is in the rough shape of a Skull (death or the dead one). He holds a Bag held by the Strap
(Double Lined, unseen) (gold color} and the Bag is also Double Lined (unseen). Within the Bag is an
Image of a Black Vessel (in the darkness of the container, the earth). Next we move to the Imagery
that makes up the Figure. We see a Hand, the steward of the Sun The turning sign (gold) above the
Hand is Double Lined (the Hand, the steward, turning-unseen). This turning sign (upside down “U”
shape continues on to be the ankle of a Foot (his, the steward's unseen-journey). The Stance of the Foot
is downward into the Bag, the Vessel, the container. We see the Arm with Dots making a path of
moisture toward the Bracelet on the Wrist. The Bracelet (green) was created out of two vertical place
signs. There are Bells or Rattles made from the turning and place signs (blue). The Thumb was
composed from two (“U” shaped) turning signs that end with a tiny location and earth-female signs
(red). There are Five Fingers but the center finger is a compounded location-male-spirit sign. The other
Fingers may compose gateway signs. Instead of Fingernails there are the signs for, location-place. The
location-place-of-the male-spirit-gateways --the location-earth-female

His Face, His Appearance

in
Death
Holds
The Bag, The Container

The Hand, The Steward

His Journey
Down
 into
The Darkness
of the
Vessel, The Container
(the earth)

The Arm, The Hand

The Warrior, The Steward

On the Moist Pathway

His
Turning-Places
Above and Below
The Vertical Places
The Turnings
Location
Earth-female
The Location-Place
of the
Male-Spirit

We see Hand (skin tone) imagery all over the Death Figure and other parts of the Codex page. These
Hands are not attached to human figures but rather other imagery and signs. For example, at the back of
the Skull there is a stylized Serpent image (blue) to which Two Hands (skin tone) are attached. This
imagery is composed from (lower Serpent) an ascending sign and two place signs, then another
ascending sign with a gateway sign at it top. Because Serpent imagery is the Associative Imagery for a
stream it reads: The male-spirit-gateway (the Hand is composed of a male-spirit sign with the Fingers
making the sign for a doorway or gateway). This followed by a vertical-place sign and a house or
domain sign. The steward, on the ascending stream on the side (of the earth). The steward held (closed
hand -gesture for held) on the ascending to the gateway at the surface. Note that the ascending sign
ends over the gateway sign.

The white spare around the Eye and the blue Serpent imagery appears to have been composed out of
compounded Forms which makes it very difficult to read. One has to know the Forms well and be able
to complete them within one's mind's. The Forms appear top be one of a Tumi knife, place sign, and a
Bird facing left with its leg downward. In front of the Bird's head there appears to be the Head of a
Crocodile with its Mouth wide open. We won't translate this section because we are not sure of the
imagery.

The Mouth of the Skull is the sign for a spring and the Teeth within are male-spirit signs and place
signs. This is no different than other Mouth imagery we have seen in previous papers.

Next we look at the Skull's Eye (gray). The Eyebrow and Eye are composed of signs that mean,
covered-unseen, turning-place. Above the Eyebrow is the curved sign for, ascending-upward -and-
over. The Eye (of the Sun -Venus) ascends upward and over the land.

Above the Skull Figure that by its Stance (sitting) is waiting for something, some event is a Large
Bowl (blue with white sides) shaped object whose sides are Double Lined. A bowl-like place-unseen.
Below is the Rectangular place sign with its sides doubled lined meaning an unseen place which in
Mayan was called Xibalba literally having the same meaning. Within this place are Foot signs, some
are connected and upside-down. In other words the sign reflect the concept of a journey above and
below as well as on the side. We have seen these signs before in the The Moundville Serpent Disk
paper.

Illustration 2:
Original
The upper Form (forms colored brown) is difficult to determine. It appears to be an ARM and Hand
holding a Knife. The warrior the steward, the one who holds the knife. The Form can be broken into
another three signs. The Vessel (green outline), the Foot (red), and a Turning sign (blue). The Journey
on the side of the container (the earth), the turning-below (stance of sign) it.

Illustration 3: Form
Breakdown

The Arm, The Hand

The Warrior, The Steward
The Great One
Who Holds The knife

The Cave, The Womb

(of Earth-Female)
His Location
The Location
The Journey
On The
Side
 Illustration 4:
Color Coded
Breakdown

One can also breakdown the signs into a Vessel, the container (Illustration 4 , green outline). A Leg
and Foot (red), the long journey. Also a turning sign beneath the vessel (blue), The long journey
turning-below the container, the earth.
The Long Journey
Turning-Below
The Container, The earth.

Illustration 5: Form Illustration 6: Imagery

Illustration 5 Is in The Form is that of a Large Phallus meaning, the great man. The next level shows us
the Image of a Person sitting with his Head down. The One who is waiting. The Body is a Large Hand
(blue outline), the great steward of the Sun. There is a small Slanted Line at the Finger tip with a
Curved dark-side sign around it. On the dark-side, waiting. The is a Leg and Foot (red outline) next to
the Hand, His long journey. The Head is a large Eye (green), The Eye of the Sun –Venus. The Eye is
made up for the signs for hair (black, the eyelash). The white area is,effectively, a double line meaning
unseen, and the Dark Circle is the sign for location-dark or unseen
 The Great Man
The One Who Is Waiting
The Great Hand, The Great Steward
( of the Sun}
On The Dark-Side, A
Awaiting
His Long Journey
The Eye of the Sun –Venus.
Unseen
Turning
in
the Dark-Location

Illustration 7: Numbers
The Four Black Dots above these signs mean the number four and may indicate nights of waiting.
It seems that there is a pattern to these numbers. The First number is a red one and beneath it (black)
the number four. The red number “1” may indicate, 1 day while the black number 4 may mean, 4
nights. The numbers over the next figure may then refer to 5 days and 4 nights. This is followed (red) 9
days and 4 nights. Finally we have (red) 14 days and 4 nights. The numbers appear to be related to the
figures as they are located in the same columns. The Days and Nights appear to have been counted
separately.

All the figures are in the Stance for waiting. The second figure may be that of a Dog (as depictions of
Mayan dogs all seem to be spotted). If a Dog it represent the Association for a prophecy.

The next figure is unknown. The only color on the figure is within its large red Lips which is the
Mouth, a spring and the “U” shaped sign for turning. It has a Triangular Tooth for earth-female on the
bottom of the Jaw while the upper Teeth appear to be composed of the Square for a domain and the
curved male-spirit sign. The three Teeth together form the sign for a female-spirit. Thus this turning at
the Mouth, the spring or other water-source is primarily related to the female-water-spirit. The turning
probably relates to the spirit turning male at this location. Here we see the Hand, the steward connected
to the stylized Serpent(blue), the stream with the ascending sign on its Head. Above the Serpent's Head
are 12 levels-places sign in the form of the sky-arc. The Serpent can be further broken down into the
signs for here, (a Finger pointing downward)to a Circular location sign. Next to the location are the
two, (places) signs and the Hand (skin tone) imagery. Within the Hand, the steward is the sign for on
the side. The Hand itself is in the From of a side sign. Here it must be remembered that the red color
with in the Lips of the Mouth (at the edge of the spring) is the sign for the rising Sun and re-birth.

The final figure is of a Bird but it is in the Stance of sitting or waiting. Awaiting-flight. The foot
(yellow) is a Bird's Hand so it is the Hand, the steward of the Sun who is awaiting flight. The Bird is
quite Large relative to the other figures so the meaning would be, the great flight. If we are correct
about the numbers then this wait for the great flight to the sky totals 13 days plus another 4 nights. We
will leave it to the astrophysicists to determine if these numbers actually have anything to do with the
cycles of Venus.
Below the Bird (flight) Imagery is the Circle (location/ great one)Imagery of a Face (flesh tone)
meaning, his appearance. The Eyelashes are closed suggesting sleeping or resting. The Nose is the sign
for taken-upward-on-the side and, following the black curved line, leads us up to a tiny (white) arc-of
the sky sign under the Hand of the Bird. The sky sign may have been made deliberately small to
indicate distant. The Teeth are places signs. Below (lavender) is a compound Form that seems to be a
Hand (left) and a Bird (right) the under-side of the Hand has small earth-female signs that also serve as
a gateway sign. The steward at the gateway to his flight to the sky.

Illustration 8: The Great

Flight-He Appears

The Form of this glyph is not understood. We can do a bit better with the rest of the glyph. The
Imagery (blue) is the Head of an Eagle (the Daytime Sun). The Upward Curved Line (white) is the
sign for ascension and it leads up to the signs for the domain- places-in-the sky-arc (curvature of the
top of the head). About midway on the ascension sign is a small on-the-side-place sign. The Eagle's
Eye, the eye of the Sun is created from location-bowl signs. The Mouth is a curved Finger pointing
toward (here) the Face Imagery to the left of the Eagle's head. The Nose of the Face Imagery (He
Appears) is within the Mouth (the spring) Imagery. The Face is composed from the Oval sign meaning
all or everything. Within are the signs for taken down a place on the side, the Arm, the Hand and
perhaps, location-place-above and below.
 Illustration 10: Initial Form Illustration 9: Imagery

It is hard to know how one should look at the Initial Form. Sometimes it appears that one follows the
complete form without allowing for indentations while at other times it seems that just the bare outline
should be followed. We will need a great deal more experience with the glyphs to see if we can
determine these rules. Here we have just followed the bare outline of the glyph and not the shape of
the sign that the hand is making. We can pick up this sign at the imagery level and if it is context then
maybe we have made the correct choice. In Illustration 9 we see that there are three Forms, the male-
spirit, the location, and the Foot, the journey (Stance) up the side. The Location of the male -spirit, his
journey up the side (of the earth).

In Illustration 10 we see the Imagery of the Hand, the steward, making the sign for, a hole (as viewed
horizontally) on the surface, there is a compound sign (blue) of a Bird's Head (flight) composed of the
female (earth) sign, a hole in the earth sign, and a place below sign. The Fingers are the sign for
gateway and the tip of the index Finger is a male-spirit sign. There appear to be more signs such as a
small pace sign at the base of the Thumb while the Thumb is a Finger pointing to the The actual
gesture sign made the hand is the sign for little or small. Whether this is the sign intended or it
supersedes by the hole sign is not known. The round sign below, the location and/or the one has a
center location on the surface sign with four gateways signs on each side (the four directions –
everywhere). Here at the center, the gateways everywhere. The ascending (black upper line) from the
surface-side, the seven levels. The 7 levels may indicate the levels the Hand , the steward has attained
at this point in the series of glyphs.
 Illustration 12: Illustration 11:
The Mouse Head The Two Together
Form

This Form may identify the gesture sign for, the little one, mentioned above. If that sign and the hole
sign were both intended then this Form which appears to be the Head of a Mouse. The signs could also
be that of Breasts, the hills of the earth-female. The lower form would then be a Large Hand located on
the side of the Breasts, the hillsides. Perhaps all these metaphors were intended. The little one and the
little hole in the earth may have been a comparison between the small Venus and the Great Sun.

Next we have the signs for locations and two “ones” (blue). The Imagery appears to be that of Heads.
The left Head is in the Form of an Eagle's Head while the Right Head appears to be that of a Mouse.
The Left Head has tiny signs that appear to indicate a journey, ascending-place-surface). The Head on
the Right, the journey of the male spirit, the crossing through. Below the Left Bird's Head is the sign
for the ten places, levels (this would be the 9 levels of the underworld plus the earth's surface. The sign
below is in the Form of a Large the great male-spirit (black outline). The brown signs are for, place of
a long turning walk (a Leg stemming from a place sign turning at the knee and the Foot pointing
downward. Above the Foot is the earth-female sign. On the side of the earth-female. Next are the signs
(green) for location-journey. Then the Head of an Eagle like Bird with a location sign next to it. The
Flight of the Sun. The red earth-female signs point above and below. Above and below the Earth. The
Dotted (black) Circles (10) probably mark the number of nights that the two (The Mouse and the Eagle,
Venus and the Sun) ascend together. The Dotted Circles are in the Form of the ascension sign. This
sign is only on the Left –the East.

The Great Mouse

The Great Venus

His Ascension
In The East
The Ten Nights

The Breasts, The Hills

(of the earth)
The Great Hand,
The Great Steward
on the
Hillsides
of
His Ascension

The Two Together

(Stance)
The Eagle, The Mouse
The Sun and Venus
The Journey
to the
Ascending Place
on the
Surface

The Journey
of the
Male-Spirit
the
Crossing Through
(the earth's surface)

The Ten Places,

Levels

The Great Male-Spirit

Place
of a
Long Turning Journey
On The Side
of the
Earth-Female
The Location
of the
Journey

The Flight of the Eagle,

The Flight of the Sun.
Above and Below
the
Earth-Female

The Ten Nights

of
Their Ascension
In the
East