Page:Mexican Archæology.djvu/277

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THE MAYA: RELIGION
221

the latter deities. Like the Mexican Tlaloc, the Chac were supposed to carry axes, the weapon of the thunder-god, and were closely associated with the snake which throughout America is the symbol of rain. They have been identified, I think beyond doubt, with the figure, called by Schellhas "God B," of the manuscripts, a god who appears constantly on the monuments throughout the Maya region (Fig. 46, e). Like Tlaloc he is shown with a long nose and tusks, the former of which on the buildings of Yucatan develops into a regular trunk. Seler identifies Ah Bolon Tzacab with the "God K" of Schellhas, a god with a foliated nose, who is closely associated with Chac, and appears nearly as often on the monuments (Fig. 46, b). God K however bears a striking resemblance to the Zapotec funerary figures with their peculiar elongated mouth-masks, and also to the Mexican Eecatl, a form of Quetzalcoatl. I think therefore that he is more likely a god of wind; a deity who would necessarily be closely connected with the rain and thunder-gods. But though he may be the Maya parallel of Quetzalcoatl in the form of Eecatl, I do not think that he is to be identified with Kukulkan. This statement may not seem to follow from what I have said before, but I hope to make it clear later. Among the Quiché we have Kanel (or Xkanel), Xcacau, and Xtoh as gods of fertility, and among the Kakchiquel, Kanel also. It is further to be noted that another name of Hobnil is Kanal Bacab. Hunting- and fishing-  gods existed among the Yucatec, but nothing is known of them save their names; the hunting-deities were Akanum, Zuhuyzip, and Tabai, the fishing, Ahcitz, Ahkak Nexoi, Ahpua and Amalcum. As gods of the arts we have Itzamna, the supposed inventor of letters, Ixchebelyax, goddess of embroidery and painting, a Maya counterpart of Xochiquetzal, Ixazalvoh, goddess of weaving, Pizlimtec and Xochbitum, gods of singing (like Xochipilli and Macuilxochitl), and Htubhtum a