What does Dresden Codex say?

What does Dresden Codex say?

The codex depicts hieroglyphs and numerals and figures, and contains ritual and divination calendars, calculations of the phases of Venus, eclipses of the sun and moon, instructions relating to new-year ceremonies, and descriptions of the locations of the Rain God, which culminate in a full-page miniature showing a …

What is the significance of the Dresden Codex?

“The Dresden Codex contains astronomical tables of outstanding accuracy. Contained in the codex are almanacs, astronomical and astrological tables, and religious references. The specific god references have to do with a 260 day ritual count divided up in several ways.

Who found the Dresden Codex?

The codex was acquired by the Saxon State Library, Dresden, Saxony, and was published by Edward King, Viscount Kingsborough, in Antiquities of Mexico (1830–48). King erroneously attributed the codex to the Aztecs. The first scientific edition of the codex was made by E. Förstemann (Leipzig, 1880).

Why did the Spanish destroy Mayan books?

In references to the books, Landa said: We found a large number of books in these characters and, as they contained nothing in which were not to be seen as superstition and lies of the devil, we burned them all, which they (the Maya) regretted to an amazing degree, and which caused them much affliction.

Who was the owner of the Dresden Codex?

We first learn of the Dresden Codex when we hear that Johann Christian Götze, Director of the Royal Library at Dresden, obtained the codex from the private owner in Vienna in 1739. In 1744, Götze gave it to the Royal Library, where it still resides. (The library’s current name is the Sächsische Landesbibliothek).

How tall are the pages of the Dresden Codex?

The pages are made of Amate, 8 inches (20 cm) high, and can be folded accordion-style; when unfolded the codex is 12 feet (3.7 m) long. It is written in Mayan hieroglyphs and refers to an original text of some three or four hundred years earlier, describing local history and astronomical tables .

What kind of tables are in the Dresden Codex?

The Dresden Codex contains accurate astronomical tables, which are recognized by students of the codex for its detailed Venus tables and lunar tables. The lunar series has intervals correlating with eclipses, while the Venus tables correlate with the movements of the planet Venus.

What was the system of assigning letters in the Dresden Codex?

The Schellhas system of assigning letters for the gods represented by certain glyphs as a noncommittal system was adopted by later researchers of Maya codices. The Dresden Codex contains accurate astronomical tables, which are recognized by students of the codex for its detailed Venus tables and lunar tables.