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Show that they were "title pages" expressing the themes of four other sister codices to Laud, which are now unknown. It is probably significant that the uncanny nature of many of the sequences in Codex Laud would link them with the region of sunset. Only by the day count is it possible to deduce the nature of the missing material. Folio 2, as we have stated elsewhere, is probably the dedicatory page of the codex and is complete in itself. The god Tlaloc, Lord of all Sources of Water, is shown surrounded by all twenty day signs. They do not form any particular spatial order whether arranged as single days or as the initial days of thirteen-day sequences. In all probability they should be read as part of a poem linking each sign in turn with the portion of the divine figure adjacent to it. One could probably read one little section of it as: His precious voice is like the roar of the Ocelot of the sunrise, like the lightning which lifts up to his teo-Calli in the house of clouds. In such a poetic way the deity of Water is linked with time. Folios 3 to 8 seem to represent some kind of procession through life, commencing at Fol. 8 lower register, continuing to the column of symbols at the left of Fol. 3, then rising to the top of Fol. 3 right and proceeding to the top right corner of Fol. 8. Folios 9 to 16 are occupied by a beautiful series of pictures of eight deities. The series begins on Fol. 16. The time count consists of the day signs in the lower line spaced out by the circles in the upper part of each picture which represent a continued count of days. It will be seen that each pair of pages covers thirteen days on each of the five initial days, and that the beneficient member of the pair of deities rules over a named day + 7 days and the maleficient power presides over a named day + 4 days. The next series covers Folios 24 to 17. It is divided into two horizontal rows of figures separated by lists of days. This series begins with the day Malinalli in the lower right corner of p. 24, proceeds by the way of Cipactli, first of the day-signs on the lower right of Folio 20 to Tochtli on the lower left corner of Folio 17. The count then moves to Atl on the centre left of Folio 17 and proceeds from left to right by way of Cipactli, centre right of folio 22 to Miquiztli, centre right of Folio 24. |
