The Starry Deer Crocodile

Image Credit: NPS/Chris Wonderly.

Seen in the Classic Period as well as the Postclassic Period, the Starry Deer Crocodile (or Starry Deer Alligator) is one of the wealth of "composite" beings that the ancient Maya included in their art and writings. Identified by Spinden in 1913 and given its current name by David Stuart, there are now various theories out there on it, including that it was a symbol or an aspect of another being, the Cosmic Monster.

Appearance                                                                    

The Starry Deer Crocodile has deer hooves for feet, eyes that have crossed bands (a sign for Venus) in them, a deer's ear, and eye-lids that have lines on them -- there are also times the Maya added an antler coming out of its forehead. It has water scrolls on its joints and has a shell under its ear. As for its body and head, they're like a crocodile or caiman's. You might see it drawn with a head on each end, though the ancient Maya didn't do that much.

A notable feature about the being's middle section is that one way the Maya liked to draw it was as a “sky-band” – in both ways, they put symbols connected to the sky on it.

The ancient Maya also liked to put one of several things on the Starry Deer Crocodile’s back. One of these things was the Principal Bird Deity (or PBD), which they would put on top of the Starry Deer Crocodile’s tail or make it part of the Starry Deer Crocodile’s back.

The other of these things was a symbol called the “Quadripartite Badge”. The Maya put it on the top of other end of the Starry Deer Crocodile. (This takes us back to the times the ancient Maya drew it with two heads. The Ashgate Research Companion to Monsters and the Monstrous's description of this symbol includes a skull as part of it. A description in a dissertation by Penny Janice Steinbach says the skull was something put under the Quadripartite Badge.)

Relation to the Sky

It may be that this being is an aspect of the being that archaeologists call the Cosmic Serpent or the Celestial Crocodile -- or was a different version of that other being. 

Within the view of the Starry Deer Crocodile being an aspect, it might be that it was the Milky Way at night, the Milky Way with clouds, or the Underworld's sky at night. You might also see it suggested that it was a symbol of the Underworld's night sky, and this also made it a symbol of the earth...this is because the Underworld's sky would be our ground, in the ancient Maya view. (One caveat though: it must be said, I've had difficulty separating when an author was talking about the Starry Deer Crocodile as an aspect and talking about it as a symbol.)

This being might also be part of a theory about a possible creation myth. In this myth, the Starry Deer Crocodile was not only connected with destruction (via flood) but also with creation. This possible myth might not have just been a myth among the Maya either – it could have, with some differences, been a myth throughout Mesoamerica. 

This being was also a symbol. It is understood that when it was drawn with sky-related symbols for its body, the Starry Deer Crocodile was a way the ancient Maya drew the sky.

Calendar Functions
The Starry Deer Crocodile had two calendar functions, one in the Tzolk'in or sacred calendar and one in the Haab or solar calendar. With the Tzolk'in, the Maya used its head as another way of writing "Lamat", the eighth day of the Tzolk'in. With the Haab', it was the patron of Yaxk'in, the tenth month of the Haab.

Function for Royalty
Rulers seemed to like to use images of the Starry Deer Crocodile in connection to taking the throne. To them, the image of the Starry Deer Crocodile was a symbol of power and of taking the throne.

Consideration: Zoomorph P at Quirigua

Some examples of where you can find the Starry Deer Crocodile -- either in writing or drawn -- include Stela 9 at Lamanai, Temple 22 at Copan, a codex-syle plate called the "Cosmic Plate", and Stela 1 at Yaxchilan.

One side of zoomorph P at Quirigua -- the photo was 
taken by Alfred Maudslay. From the NYPL Digital Commons.

You can also spot this being at Quirigua. As for where exactly, I've come across a bit of snag. Several works I've come across don't say that a carving at the site -- zoomorph P (the Great Turtle or Monument 16) -- has the Starry Deer Crocodile on it. In fact, The Ashgate Research Companion to Monsters and the Monstrous says another zoomorph at the site -- zoomorph O -- is the only thing you can find the Starry Deer Crocodile on there. However, Art and Myth of the Ancient Maya says zoomorph P does show the being.

References

PLOS One: "Jaguar and Puma Captivity and Trade Among the Maya: Stable Isotope Data from Copan, Honduras"; Nawa Sugiyama , William L. Fash, Christine A. M. France; September 12, 2018

Google Books: "Art and Myth of the Ancient Maya"; Oswaldo Chinchilla Mazariegos; 2017

Mesoweb: "The PARI Journal" Volume 15, No. 3; "In the Realm of the Witz': Animate Rivers and Rulership among the Classic Maya";Jeremy D. Coltman; Winter 2015

Google Books: "Cosmology, Calendars, and Horizon-Based Astronomy in Ancient Mesoamerica"; Anne S. Dowd, Susan Milbrath; 2015

The University of Texas at Austin: Texas Scholar Works: University of Texas Libraries: "Sacrificing the Jaguar Baby : understanding a classic Maya myth on codex-style pottery"; Penny Steinbach; May 2015 (Click on the PDF icon for it to download.)

Google Books: "Maya Imagery, Architectuer, and Activity: Space and Spatial Analysis in Art History"; Maline D. Werness-Rude, Kaylee R. Spencer (editors); 2015

Google Books: "The Ashgate Research Companion to Monsters and the Monstrous"; Asa Simon Mittman, Peter J. Dendle; 2013

Google Books: "Re-Creating Primordial Time: Foundation Rituals and Mythology in the Postclassic Maya Codices"; Gabrielle Vail, Christine Hernandez; 2013

Maya Exploration Center: "Astronomy in the Tortuguero Inscriptions"; John Major Jenkins; 2010

Google Books: "Palenque: Recent Investigations at the Classic Maya Center"; Damien B. Marken (editor); 2007

Google Books: "The Ancient Maya" sixth edition; Robert J. Sharer, Loa P. Traxler; 2006

Mesoweb: "A Cosmological Throne at Palenque"; David Stuart; 2003

Google Books: "Mesoamerica's Ancient Cities" revised edition; William M. Ferguson, Richard E.W. Adams; 2001

The Free Dictionary: Striation

Image Credit:
Flickr: Arches National Park: "Milky Way from Garden of Eden Viewpoint"; Chris Wonderly; 10 September 2015

NYPL Digital Commons: The Great Turtle. Quiriguá, Guatemala

The Jester God

A piece of stone ("jadeite/omphacite, iron ore") worked to look like the Jester
God's bird form. It dates to the 600s AD to 700s AD and comes from either
Mexico or Guatemala.  Image from the Metropolitan Museum of
Art, and cropped by Glas Ysgrifen -- me.

"The Jester God" is a nickname created by the well-known Maya expert Linda Schele in the '70s for a figure in ancient Maya art whose headdress looks like a jester's hat. From a symbol worn as a jewel to a supernatural being of various things – to both of these possibilities -- there are all kinds of views on what the ancient Maya thought of the Jester God. This article will touch on the three forms as well as some of the views on it.

Forms

This image shows a jade pendant from Guatemala or Mexico
that dates to 200 AD to 600 AD. The top of the man's head has
 what the image's description calls a "beaded tassel" which it
says relates to the Jester God. From the Yale University
Art Gallery.

The Jester God is known for being drawn in three ways, known as forms. These forms are the fish or piscine form, the bird or avian form, and the maize or anthropomorphic form. The ancient Maya didn't always keep these forms separate when they drew them -- there was a practice of mixing the forms in different ways. (However, not everyone thinks these are three forms of the same being. Instead, some think these are three beings that are separate from each other.)

Anthropomorphic Form

Though spoken of as one, the maize/anthropomorphic form is actually two forms. The book Maya Imagery, Architecture, and Activity describes the one as like a corn kernel made a bit human. It also says other is a whole ear of corn that has been made somewhat human -- and unlike the other version, it has a more "human" looking face.

The Name of Paper also says there are two types of the anthropomorphic form. However, it says that the plant is a flower blossom – maybe a corn blossom – and that it doesn’t always have a human face. (It also says that when the Maya did draw it as a face, it was from the side.)

Fish Form

This form looks like a shark that's blooming. It has spiral pupils, which the ancient Maya drew for creatures connected to the underworld. Its forehead has two separate sections. This form has large nostrils and a snout that either goes upwards or is straight out. The Maya also drew it with "face fins" --  though you may see them called gills -- which you'll find either on the form's chin or not far from its cheek. Another notable feature was its teeth, which like its nose the Maya had two ways of drawing: one was to draw just one triangle-shaped tooth and the other was to draw serrated teeth. As for its tail, the Maya (when they drew it just as itself, without adding in other forms) drew it so that it was over the form's head.

The Name of Paper, which as mentioned above says the forms are separate beings, calls the fish form the Xoc Adornment.

Bird Form

This form tends to have square-ish eyes and square-ish pupils. Its nose is a “beak-snout” that has big nostrils. Like the fish form, the bird form's teeth too are also a notable feature and could be several shapes: one of the shape's the bird forms could be was similar to fangs. The Maya also would draw a mirror on this form’s forehead that fits she shape of the forehead. There's a theory that this form was, in its unique way, a fig tree. The Name of Paper describes this form as the "true" form of the Jester God.

Function

Different people have different ideas about what the Jester God was to the ancient Maya. You may see sources say that it was a living version of the world tree -- which also meant it was connected to the idea of "center," rulers, jade, and corn. You may also find descriptions that say it was the essence of paper items used for rituals -- that it was a living version of these things.

A view within the idea that the Jester God was a symbol (you may see it described as a symbol that was animate -- held life) of rulership says that Maya rulers wore images of the Jester God's bird form as a jewel on their heads in various ways, including on headbands -- and a ruler could wear more than one Jester God. 

There's also an outlook within the idea of the Jester God being connected to rulers that says paper headbands -- called sak hu’un, white paper -- with the Jester God's bird form on it were part of a ruler becoming a ruler officially. One theory I saw said sak hu'un were used for when a ruler got their ruler's name, and another said that they were used to make a ruler divine.

In the view that the Jester God was worn as a jewel by rulers, you will also find it said that it was very common to carve Jester God jewels out of green-colored stones they valued, such as jade. On a related note, the Maya would draw a Jester God jewel (using any one of the three forms) as part of the ancient Maya glyph for ruler, ajaw. They drew the jewel on the forehead of the face that also made up part of the glyph. (However, The Name of Paper questions the accuracy of saying Jester God jewels are the bird form and instead thinks they look more like the fish form -- which it calls the Xoc Adornment.)

This clay figurine's left cheek has a symbol on it
that its description says is connected to the Jester God.
It dates to between 600 AD and 900 AD and comes from
Mexico. From the Yale University Art Gallery.

The Maya had a practice where they would label items they'd drawn with glyphs. This included when they drew something that was paper: there are times when the ancient Maya drew the Jester God's bird form as part of items that are made of paper, such as codices. (And perhaps may be why it was drawn on the paper headbands of rulers.)

Speaking of paper, the ancient Maya also used the bird form in their glyphic writing. The bird form's head was used as a "head variant" glyph or as the main part of a head variant glyph – I have seen both descriptions. Either way, the ancient Mayan word this particular head variant glyph is huun or hu’n, depending on the conclusion of the person reconstructing the pronunciation -- I will be using huun.) Huun means a world of related things, including "paper,” “fig tree” (amate,) "book," and "headband."

Consideration: The Principal Bird Deity

Drawings of the Jester God made in the Classic Period have the same face as a supernatural being archaeologists call the Principal Bird Deity. In fact, it looks like these two a connection -- one idea is that the Jester God’s bird form came from the Principal Bird Deity.

Another Consideration: "Ux Yop Huun"

In various places, archaeologists have found a phrase: "ux yop huun." (You may see this phrase written as "ux yop hu'n.") One translation of the phrase is "Three Leaf Paper." The head of the Jester God's bird form  either is or is the "main part" of a head variant glyph for the huun part of the phrase. There's a theory that this might be the bird form's name -- depending on the source, you may read that it may have been or actually was the name for all three forms.

Ux yop huun may also be a name for a Juun Ajaw, whose name means One Lord. Juun Ajaw is one of the Hero Twins (also known as the Headband Twins.) If you have read or read about the Popol Vuh will have heard of that book's version of Juun Ajaw: Hunahpu/Jun Aj Puuh/Jun Ajpu. Jun Ajaw is known for shooting a giant bird with his blowgun. The Maya also liked to draw him with a paper headband.

References:

University of Calgary: "A Study of Dress and Identity in the Late Classic Maya Court"; Cara Grace Tremain;August 2017 (This will download when clicked.)

Google Books: "The Origins of Maya States"; Loa P.Traxler, Robert J. Sharer (editors); 2016

Mesoweb: "The PARI Journal"Volume 15, No. 4: "Once and Future Kings: Classic Maya GeopoliticsandMythic History on the Initial Series from Uaxactun"; Nicholas P.Carter; Spring 2015

Leiden University: "Personhood in MayaArt: A Theorhetical Perspective"; Laura Ann Osorio; March 3, 2015

Google Books: "Maya Imagery, Architecture, an Activity:Space and Spatial Analysis in Art History"; Maline D. Werness-Rude, Kaylee R. Spencer (editors); 2015

The University of Texas at Austin: Texas Scholar Works:University of Texas Libraries: "Sacrificing the Jaguar Baby :understanding a classic Maya myth on codex-style pottery"; PennySteinbach; May 2015 (Click on the PDF icon for it to download.)

Mesoweb: Maya Archaeology Articles: Maya Archaeology 2: "The Name of Paper: The Mythology of Crowning and Royal Nomenclature on Palenque's Palace Tablet"; David Stuart; 2012

Google Books: "Maya Calendar Origins: Monuments, Mythistory, and the Materialization of Time"; Prudence M. Rice; 2007

The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Deity Face Pendant

Yale University Art Gallery: Warrior with Facial Decoration

Yale University Art Gallery: Pendant in the Shape of a Standing Ruler or Lord

Image Credit:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Deity Face Pendant

Yale University Art Gallery: Pendant in the Shape of a Standing Ruler or Lord

Yale University Art Gallery: Warrior with Facial Decoration

The Principal Bird Deity

This is a censer stand from Guatemala 250 AD to 450 AD.
The face on it is the Principle Bird Deity's. From LACMA.

You can find it on the sarcophagus lid of Pakal, in the San Bartolo murals (on the West Wall) and other places. The Principal (or Principle) Bird Deity (or just the PBD) was a major god for a time in the ancient Maya civilization. Its heyday was the Preclassic Period and the Early Classic part of the Classic Period. The Maya connected this being with valuable things -- like jade -- as well as other things.

Features

Artists in the Classic Period tended to draw the Principal Bird Deity's face like this: its eyes (and its pupils) were square-shaped. Its face also has a "beak-snout." (Another description I came across says that the being has an upper lip that's long.) It was also popular to draw it with a beard that had jewels in it. (The Classic Period way of drawing this being's face is the same as the way that Classic Period Maya drew the face of a being called Ux Yop Huun -- also known as the Jester God. The ancient Maya saw a connection between these two beings, but archaeologists don't quite know what it was yet.)

Part of an image in the Met's

collection. The artifact dates 

to the 400s AD or to between 

350 AD and 550 AD. It has a two-

headed snake in its mouth. The 
two sources I found don't agree: only
one says it is the Principal Bird Deity.

As for its wings, sometimes the Maya drew things into them. One of these things was either snakes heads (from the side) or snake figures -- these are two separate descriptions, each from a different source. It may sound unusual to put snakes on wings, but the word for snake and sky are the same in Mayan writing, so it's possible that the snakes could actually represent the sky, in a way. Speaking of snakes, artists also liked to draw it having a snake in its mouth.

There are a number of important features that are related to its forehead and the top of its head. Its forehead has a mirror, and it may also have what's called an "ak'bal medallion." On top of its head, it may also have a shell ornament that's been carved -- it may have this and the medallion or just have either one. There are times where it wears a "ak'bal flower headdress," a headdress that Itzamná is commonly drawn wearing. 

There's a theory that this bird's appearance may have been based off of a real species of bird called the laughing falcon or guaco (Herpetotheres cachinnans.)

What It Was God Of

This jade figure (dated to the 200s AD to
500s AD) comes from Honduras is either of: 
a person impersonating the PBD, or a 
humanized version of the god. From the 
Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The ancient Maya thought of the Principal Bird Deity as connected with the valuable things that the earth had to offer -- two examples are quetzal feathers and either maize or maize fields (I've seen both mentioned.) 

However, the strongest connection the ancient Maya made with the Principal Bird Deity was jade: they thought it was a living version of the mineral. (Another valuable thing the ancient Maya connected with this being was water, including rain -- this was because the ancient Maya's connections with jade included water.)

Rulers

Another association this god had was with rulers. By connecting themselves with the god, rulers were connecting themselves with control of valuable items -- as well as control of the economy.

Detail from a rectangular, ceramic
box that comes from Guatemala
and dates to between 450 AD and
550 AD. From LACMA.

The Principal Bird Deity was one of the gods that rulers would impersonate with the intention of being possessed. The point was to talk with the Principal Bird Deity, to get it to do things for the people. (Speaking of rulers and the Principal Bird Deity, artifacts depicting this deity were popular as grave goods for rulers.) 

Rulers are also shown wearing a headdress made of the Principal Bird Deity. This headdress was worn as part of them taking the throne -- and was a tradition that lasted from the Preclassic Period to the Early Classic.

And, on a related note, from what's been seen of ancient Maya art, rulers liked to include quetzal feathers in their headdresses. Used this way, it's possible the feathers were meant to be a symbol of the Principal Bird Deity.

The Sun
The ancient Maya in the Preclassic Period tended to connect the Principal Bird Deity with the sun more so than the ancient Maya in the periods that came after. (There's also a view that says this only may been what happened.) 


Itzamná 
The ancient Maya thought the Principal Bird Deity was a form of Itzamná. (No one knows for sure if the connection between the Principal Bird Deity and Itzamná started in the Classic Period. There's an idea that wonders if the belief that it was a form of Itzamná replaced the belief that it was connected with the sun. ) 

Archaeologists have found evidence that there were times where the Principal Bird Deity delivered messages for Itzamná. The name for the Principal Bird Deity as a messenger could be Muut Itzamnaaj. This phrase means "Itzamnaaj Bird."

There are some artifacts that say the Principal Bird Deity's name is Itzam Yej. This name is seen as evidence that connects the Principal Bird Deity with Itzamná. 

There's a possibility that Itzamná (god D) is actually a mix of yet another god, Pauahtun (god N,) and the Principal Bird Deity.

Creation Story
Another myth about the Principal Bird Deity has him being punished, and that his punishment was part of what happened before the creation of people. The Tablet of the Cross (at the site of Palenque) has a version of this creation myth. The tablet says that Hun Ajaw, one of the Hero Twins, was the one who punished the Principal Bird Deity -- who was self-centered enough to think it was bright enough to be a sun. After it was punished it used the World Tree to get to the sky. After all this, the real sun was able to rise.

If you've read about the Popol Vuh, then you probably are reminded of Seven Macaw (Wuqub Kaqix or Vucub Caquix.) Sometimes you may come across descriptions of the Principal Bird Deity that say this god is Seven Macaw. However, there is also a view that these beings were not the same, on account of how much of time that had passed.

Consideration
The name Principal Bird Deity is also a term used for other bird beings. Not a lot is known about these beings.


References:
Google Books: "Art and Myth of the Ancient Maya"; Oswaldo Chinchilla Mazariegos"; 2017

Google Books: "The Origins of Maya States"; Loa P. Traxler, Robert J. Sharer (editors); 2016

Hampshire College: “Birds and Environmental Change in the Maya Area”; Peter Stuart; May 2015
(Automatically downloads  to your computer)

Google Books: "Maya Imagery, Architecture, and Activity: Space and Spatial Analysis in Art History"; Maline D. Werness-Rude, Kaylee R. Spencer (editors); 2015

LaGrange College: "Donning the Mask: Mayan Belief, Christianity and the Power of Syncretism"; Blakeley Coull; 2014

Leiden University: Leiden Repository "The Maya Ceramic Book of Creation: The Trials of the Popol Vuh Hero Twins Displayed on Classic Maya Polychrome Painted Pottery"; Laura Beukers; June 17, 2013

Mesoweb: Maya Archaeology Articles: "The Name of Paper: The Mythology of Crowning and Royal Nomenclature on Palenque’s Palace Tablet"; David Stuart; 2012

Google Books: "Spirit Possession and Exorcism: History, Psychology, and Neurobiology" volume 1 "Mental States and the Phenomenon of Possession"; Patrick McNamara; 2011

UC Riverside Electronic Theses and Dissertations: "A Study of Classic Maya Rulership"; Mark Alan Wright; January 1, 2011

MAYA VASE: "At the Court of Itzam Nah Yax Kokaj Mut: Preliminary Iconographic and Epigraphic Analysis of a Late Classic Vessel"; Erik Boot; October 30, 2008 

Google Books: "Ritual & Power in Stone: The Performance of Rulership in Mesoamerican Izapan Style Art"; Julia Guernsey; 2006

Google Books: "The Ancient Maya: New Perspectives"; Heather McKillop; 2004

Metropolitan Museum of Art: Deity Figure

Metropolitan Museum of Art: Deity Face Pendant

Mesoweb: Lords of Creation: Supernatural Patrons

Image Credits:
LACMA: Censer Stand Depicting Principal Bird Deity

Metropolitan Museum of Art: Double Chambered Vessel

Metropolitan Museum of Art: Deity Figure

LACMA: Carved Box with Deities