A Mayan Frog Glyph

Clifford C. Richey January 2013

Illustration 1: Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siyaj_K %27ak%27

It might be helpful to read: http://www.scribd.com/doc/85335148/Native-American -Written-Sign-Language when reading this paper as it explains the use of Form, Imagery, Gesture signs, Stance, allusion and position as used in composing glyphs.

The earth-female, her body, Her pregnancy. The great one, unborn, The warrior, the steward of the Sun, Moving, arising on the hillside, The One Who Leaps Upwards. His appearance, silent. The water source, Its flow in the upper world. The earth-female, between her sides. The vertical-places, of the under world, The horizontal-places, Bind together the east and west, The location, the one, In the center. The stewards of the Sun Awaiting the flight of the water particles, Downwards and upwards, on the sides, In the east and west. The Stream, her appearance, arising from the nine levels, Arising in the east from the underworld, The long walk under the water, down and up, the sides, Of the earth-female, Her, the stream's, appearance, on the side of the cave, The Eye (Venus), Turning, unseen. The Eye, Venus, awakening, In the east. The cave, the womb Of the earth-female, within it, the star. The Eye, in the west, at rest, The two turning in the upper world, The unseen doorway, the exit, From the underworld. The house, the center, Between the sides of the earth-female.

Mayan glyphs, as opposed to the more expansive illustrations often accompanying the glyphs do not appear to have a Total Form. This may because the glyphs all seem to Form a rough rectangle although Form sections can be seen.

Illustration 2: Form Sections Form sections: The combined sections of the Body of the earth-female is one of Breasts and an enlarged Stomach perhaps indicating, pregnancy. There is an Arm to the reader's left (the warrior sign) and Hand (a Hand of the Sun, a steward of the Sun, a Sun-priest). This Form has the Undulating sign for movement or moving and the Stance of the Arm is in the shape of the sign for, arising. The Arm, the warrior arises to the positional, side of the Breast, the hill. The warrior, the steward of the Sun, moving, arising, on the hillside. Considering the subject of this glyph was one of re-birth the concept of the pregnancy of the earth female fits in quite well.

Illustration 3: The Frog, The One who leaps upwards Imagery: The Total Imagery is that of a Frog's (the one that leaps upwards) Head (his Face, his appearance) with a Serpent to the Left. The position of the Frog's Mouth (a water source) as a separate Form appears to be that of a Large Egg indicating (relative size), the great one, unborn. At the level of Imagery the Arm/Hand becomes a Serpent (a stream). Positionally, its (orange) Eye, The Eye (of the Sun), Venus is enclosed by a Double lined (yellow) U shaped sign for turning, unseen and its Stance is, on the side. The Head or Face of the Serpent (blue-green) represents, her appearance. The Serpent's lower jaw was created from the Saw-toothed sign for, water. The Body of the Serpent was composed of nine (yellow) Circles. The Circles indicate the locations, the ones. The Circles were presented in a serial manner one above the other showing that they also indicated, levels. The nine levels of the Mayan underworld. There are two (tan) Legs/Feet between the Circles and The Mouth. These indicate the long walks (their

Stance heading, upward and downward positional, on the side. The Circles, and the Leg/Feet all stem from the (red) Triangular sign representing, the earth-female.

Illustration 4: Color Coded From the (blue, green, red) Frog's Mouth, the water source, The Stance appears to be one of the Mouth being bound or gagged, probably indicating, silent. The (blue) its flow in Upper Half (the upper world). The (red) Triangles (the earth-female) positional between her sides. The (green) Vertical Rectangles (the vertical-places) in the Lower Half (the under world). The (white) Horizontal-Rectangles, (the horizontal-places) Left and Right (east and west). Bind together (Stance, a Tie or Knot), Of course the two Halves signs combined created the Form of a Circle that represented, the location, the one and positionally, the middle between the two side places or in other words, the center. The (yellow) (Stance) Sitting Birds or Hands (?) (awaiting flight, and/or sun-priests) positional on the sides (the two light green Vertical Halves). Turning, the U shaped Form of the Legs and Feet. (Dual Imagery) the Halves (the sides) are also in the Form of Two Water Drops (the particles of water). Stance, Heading upwards and downwards in the east and west (Left and Right).

Illustration 5: Color Coded Continued

The (orange) Eye of the Sun (Venus), awakens (Stance of the open eye), left (in the east), The (light green) Cave (the cave/womb of the earth-female), Positional within it, the star (the Pupil), The Closed Eye, (Venus) at rest (Stance), positional, in the west, The Breast, the hill, The Eye of the Sun, (Venus) the two turning (yellow, U shapes) in the (white) Upper Half (the upper world),The doorway, the exit from the Under Half (the underworld) (blue), unseen (Double Lined), the house (white, Square) positional between, the sides of the (red) earth-female.

The Serpent (blue green Head) (the stream) from the nine (Circles) locations, the levels positional (in a vertical series). arising in the east (on the left) (Form of the Circles) from (connected to the Under Half sign of the Frogs lower Mouth) the Under Half, (the underworld). Her, the Serpent's, Face, her appearance, positional, on the side ( light green) of the Curved cave sign. The Jaw of the Serpent was composed of the Saw-toothed water sign. Positionally, below or under it are two (tan) Legs and Feet (the long walks ) down and up the sides. The (orange) Eye, positional, Venus, turning, (the yellow U shaped sign which is Double Lined indicating, unseen).

Issues: The illustration of this glyph is a drawing or copy of the original glyph, not a photograph. Therefore we cannot be sure that it is an accurate representation of the original glyph. This is most problematical in the area of the Knot in the center of the Frog's mouth. The (tan) Forms on either side of the Water-drops appear to be Hands (steward's of the Sun, sun-priests) but are a bit ambiguous and may also be in the Form of Sitting birds (awaiting-flight), They might be Dual Imagery representing both meanings. A similar issue arises with the Water-drops as they also could be perceived as Half-circle signs indicating, on the sides. In this translation the possibility of Dual Imagery seemed strong so both interpretations were used. There are many ways in which this glyph could have been paraphrased. It might have been more poetic to include the Form and Imagery in the translation but at the risk of adding some confusion. It was opted to make a straightforward translation with the Form, Imagery, Gesture signs along with Stance and Position delineated separately below. At this time it is unlikely that all of the rules that went into composing these subtle glyphs are known. Our translation can only be considered a rough approximation of their meaning and the beauty contained in the signs. This glyph was translated as an English speaker would understand the signs. Its message would probably be richer in the language of the original composer.