The Mayan Dresden Codex
The Dresden Codex is one of the oldest and most complete pre-Columbian Maya manuscripts known. This 78-page book, written over 1000 years ago, will take you on an unparalleled journey through Mayan culture and religion.
This codex, written in a combination of hieroglyphics and drawings, is believed to have been created around the 11th century and was used to record the astronomical and religious knowledge of the Maya. It includes information on lunar and solar cycles, astrology and the ceremony of human sacrifice.
In addition, the codex also contains information on mythology and the creation of the universe according to Maya culture, as well as details on agriculture, fishing and other aspects of daily life.
This book has been the subject of great interest by historians and archaeologists, as it provides a fascinating window into the culture of the Maya and their complex belief system. Because of its antiquity and its historical and cultural value, the Dresden Codex is considered an invaluable piece of humanity’s heritage.
It is one of the four Maya codices preserved in the world. It is said to be the most complete and curious.
Why is it called the Dresden Codex?
It is named after the place where it is located, in the library of the German city of Dresden, but this manuscript was written by the Maya before the Spanish colonization of America, apparently in the eleventh or twelfth century. It is also believed that at least part of the manuscript is a copy of an older one, since two different types of signs from different periods are used.
How was it done?
It was made from crushed ficus bark and covered with a lime paste. It was written by up to six different scribes. Of the 78 pages, 39 leaves are written on both sides and its length exceeds 3 and a half meters, originally folded in the shape of an accordion. Each leaf measures 20.5 cm. high and 10.0 cm. wide. The pages are framed by red lines. Numbers, hieroglyphs and figures are depicted in the Codex. Thanks to this spectacular manuscript it has been possible to decipher some of the symbols of the Mayan writing. So far, 250 of the 350 symbols have been decoded. Its astronomical tables are of great precision and it is famous for its lunar series and its Venus table. It also contains almanacs and ritual timetables. The images are of great quality, painted with fine brushes and colors extracted from vegetables.
History. The Codex in time.
About its transit through the centuries, it is said that the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortes sent it to Charles I, among other treasures. The King took it to Vienna, where he had one of his residences. It is known to have been given in 1739 by a person who owned it in his private collection to Johann Christian Goetze, director of the Royal Library of Saxony in Dresden at the time, who donated it to the Library.
Unfortunately, the Codex was partially damaged in World War II. The damage was caused by the water used to extinguish the fires produced in the bombing of the city of Dresden, seeping into the metal box where it was kept, but fortunately it was not destroyed. It is currently the only Codex Maya on public display, in the Treasure Chamber (with armored steel walls and a steel door with gold embossing) in the State Library of Dresden (Germany).
Chapters of the Codex.
The Codex consists of 10 chapters: 1-Introduction (presentation of the 20 most important gods, sacrifices, etc.); 2-Almanacs of the gods, diseases, cures, etc.; 3-Table of Venus; 4-Table of solar and lunar eclipses; 5-Table of multiplying by the number 78 (the reason for making it with this number is unknown); 6-Table of K’atun (period of 20 years with which the times of droughts and earthquakes were calculated); 7-Serpent numbers and pillars of the universe (the same words are used as in the inscriptions of the classic period in the Mayan cities of Palenque and Tikal; 8-The great flood (representation of a disaster); 9-Ceremonies of the beginning of the new year and 10-Almanaque for agriculture.
