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Alternative Epigraphic Interpretations of the Maya Snake Emblem Glyph

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Alternative Epigraphic Interpretations of the Maya Snake Emblem Glyph ALTERNATIVE EPIGRAPHIC INTERPRETATIONS OF THE MAYA SNAKE EMBLEM GLYPH by CHRISTOPHER T. SAVAGE B.S. University of Central Florida, 1994 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies in the Office of the Vice Provost at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Fall Term 2007 ABSTRACT This thesis seeks to demonstrate that the Maya snake emblem glyph is associated with religious specialists, instead of geographic locations, as emblem glyphs are typically understood to be. The inscriptions and the media on which the snake emblem glyph occurs will be analyzed to determine the role or function of the “Lord of the Snake.” Temporal and spatial data has also been collected to aid in understanding the enigmatic glyph. The snake emblem glyph has recently been identified as originating from a broad area containing the sites of El Perú and La Corona in Guatemala, and Dzibanche, Mexico, a departure from the longstanding choice of Calakmul, Mexico. Unprovenanced snake emblem glyph texts have been cataloged under a “Site Q” designation („Q‟ for the Spanish word Que, meaning “which”) by Peter Mathews. Site Q is thus not securely identified geographically, which confounds efforts to designate a particular site as the snake emblem glyph site. Other problems with the snake emblem glyph, such as its geographically wide dispersal, hint that it is not a title of a particular city or region. Yet another problem is “a proper fit” between the individuals listed on unprovenanced material and individuals named at sites associated with the snake emblem glyph. It is argued that the interpretation of the snake emblem glyph differs from how emblem glyphs are presently understood. Rather than representing a physical location, the snake emblem glyph represents a mythological place or “state,” containing members who legitimize their lineage (association) through ritual events such as communication with supernaturals via the vision serpent. The specialists perform rituals, scatterings, are ballplayers, and witness events. They are rarely associated with accession, which by current interpretation is implicitly tied to emblem glyphs. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................ v LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................................... viii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................................ ix CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION AND HISTORY ................................................................. 1 CHAPTER TWO: CORPUS ANALYSIS .................................................................................... 14 Figure 6 analysis ........................................................................................................................ 18 Figure 7 analysis ........................................................................................................................ 18 Figure 8 analysis ........................................................................................................................ 20 Figure 9 analysis ........................................................................................................................ 21 Figure 10 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 22 Figure 11 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 23 Figures 12-23 analysis ............................................................................................................... 25 Figure 24 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 27 Figure 25 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 28 Figure 26 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 30 Figure 27 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 30 Figure 28 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 32 Figures 29 and 30 analysis ........................................................................................................ 33 Figure 29 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 33 Figure 30 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 34 Figures 31-37 analysis ............................................................................................................... 36 Figure 38 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 37 Figure 39 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 38 Figure 40 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 39 Figure 41 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 40 Figure 42 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 41 Figure 43 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 42 Figure 44 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 42 iii Figure 45 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 43 Figure 46 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 43 Figure 47 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 44 Figure 48 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 46 Figure 49 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 48 Figure 50 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 48 Figure 51 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 49 Figure 52 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 49 Figure 53 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 49 Figure 54 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 50 Figure 55 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 52 Figure 56 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 52 Figure 57 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 53 Figure 58 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 55 Figure 59 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 57 Figure 60 analysis ...................................................................................................................... 57 CHAPTER THREE: DISCUSSION ............................................................................................. 58 CHAPTER FOUR: CONCLUSION ............................................................................................. 73 APPENDIX A: GLYPHIC ELEMENTS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS .......................... 79 APPENDIX B: CORPUS OF INSCRIPTIONS ........................................................................... 82 APPENDIX C: SCANNED COPYRIGHT PERMISSION LETTERS ..................................... 118 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................... 134 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Xaman Glyph ................................................................................................................ 80 Figure 2. Snake main sign (after Jones and Satterthwaite 1982). ................................................ 80 Figure 3. Mo glyph. ...................................................................................................................... 80 Figure 4. Muyal glyph. ................................................................................................................
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