The Mixtec "Pinocchio"

Where did the Mixtec image of "pinocchio" come from? In the Nuttall, it is part of the decoration on the breast of a star "goddess." But let us take away the term "goddess." This scene is not very "godlike." The "pinocchio" entity is in the middle of a three person dialogue in a star building. Ten Lizard, (a male entity) Four Crocodile and Four Flint (two female entities) are having a discusssion. The male has two reeds (or atls) in the floor at his feet. All have either earplugs or a crown of star forms.

The "pinocchio" figure is part of the middle entity's name glyph found on the roof. But, as a name, it wears three star pendants, but no long, upturned nose. The glyph changes into a long-nosed star creature when set on the huipil of the middle figure. She also has a "star emerging from a star" crown or headband. The second female wears an eagle with long feathers that, because the name glyph above her contains a clear scroll effect, probably indicates "fire."

So we have Ten Lizard as the main figure, and the two females, all three of which are discussing their role in the heavens. The eagle headdress with the "fire" feathers is sitting on a jaguar pelt cushion, a clear indication of a night time [star] event, either that has already occurred or is about to occur.

Since our well-known Cygnus contellation was thought to have had a "nova" explosion at some unknown time, the eagle personage might be Cygnus as the nova that was beginning to flare up and bercome visible to the naked eye.

It seems that the female entity with the red bangs (who I was informed was Three Flint, but actually has many different glyphic names) then proceeds to discuss the conversation of the star building with every other sky entity including that one with the image of the Venus "starwars" symbols, here called One Tlaloc.

"Red bangs" had already defined a chain of stars from a blazing central star in the iconography just before the major discussion. Apparently, this lady is a star-keeper because on the next page at the top right hand corner, she is also holding the hummingbird (Huitzilopochtli) upside down. The "pinocchio" face on her huipil loses one star pendant and a free floating full-faced version with five star pendants now has "died." This is indicated by the closed eyes.

The female in the middle of the temple discussion is the mystery, but apparently she is no other than the "red banged" entity herself. Why is her name one type of glyph and why did it change into the long-nosed glyph on her huipil? Why did she lose her "red bangs" with the "star-within-a-star" headband?

If we look into the language through Blaffer's eyes, we come up with Chic (Yucatec word means "buffon, laugh, coati") a coati is a semi arboreal racoon like animal with a long tail and a long nose with an upturned proboscis. Called kotom or chic (Blaffer, p. 51, p. 77)

The Mayan Dictionaries give a variety of different meanings, most of which are associated with red flowers.

Since "buffon" and "laugh" are included in the above description, and I discovered that Mübeccel, as a title of a lady at Piedras Negras, very similar to the Yucatec mabuccel that in Turkish means "honorable" or "Respected," the Turkish version is below, also associated with Flowers.
Turkish: çiçek - flower

One can guess, that the "red" of the flower may be referring to the lady's missing "bangs." However, "laugh" and "buffon" may just be another way of saying that the stars bounced around the sky for a while, and she, being in charge, was probably being questioned by Ten Lizard as to "why." Had she brought "Four Flint" aka "Flaming Eagle Head" with her to justify her actions? At this point, we cannot tell.

One thing is fairly certain, though. The names of Ten Lizard, Four Crocodile, and Four Flint are probably calendar dates of some sort, not proper names. Calendar dates within a year or within a century? If they were proper names, then "Red Bangs" would bear the "name" Three Flint all throughout the codice. She does not. Here her name is specifically the "long-upturned nose" Chic, and she has a great variety of different names throughout the codex.

As if to indicate a "calendar based" name, The bearded "long-upturned nose" also shows up in the Féjérváry-Mayer Codex twice as a calendar entity, much like our Easter Bunny, but with a stone on his back instead of a basket. The calendar components under his feet read "rain," full moon and a skull. (p.36)

In the second frame, he is undecided which of the four roads to take to his sky destination, that may be the "flaming flower" or the "Tlaloc" direction. (p. 37)

Acccidently, while searching for a deer glyph I turned up a vase image that not only shows the "long up-turned nose", but also the Hummingibird (Huitzilopochtli), a possible red flower and a fan to create fire on the hearth. The rattle in his hand would also be an indications of a raucous sound that a meteorite might make if it entered our atmosphere. The fire stones around his ankles, agree with the fire fan imagery.

A Corpus Christi dance in Suchitepezquez, Guatemala, moved from the Springtime to July, is called the Dance of the Tun. The "dance maestro carries a wooden deer head, symbolizing a sacrificed deer. . . at the beginning of a disorderly dance. . . ." (Milbrath, p. 17). Was this when the stars danced in the sky?


Kerr vase #K1549

Is this the meaning of the dance of the "buffons" illustrated on the vase with the "pinocchio-nosed" individual? Is that what the discussion in the star temple was all about with "Red Bangs" of the "long-nosed" star that died when Huitzilopochtli, the Hummingbird of the South as a ball of feathers (fire), landed in the bosom of his mother, Coatlique?


Kerr Vase #K8656

A second vase in Justin Kerr's library of photographs, caught my eye. It also has the hummingbird image as part of the long-nose iconography, together with sky bands with star glpyhs.

Should we be thinking more about astronomy and less about "gods" in the skies?

(2004) Chol Vocabulary. Unpublished copy.
(2004). Féjérváry-Mayer Codex. FAMSI on the Web.
(1978) Mochó Dictionary Unpublished copy.
(1978) Yucatec Dictionary Unpublished copy.
Blaffer, S. (1972). The Black-Man of Zinacantan. Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press.
Hony (1967). A Turkish-English Dictionary. (Second ed.). London: Oxford at the Clarendon Press.
Knorozou, |. V. (1963) Writing Indian Maya Picbmennoctb Indeiqev Mah]
(Nzdatelbctvo Akademnn Nayk CCCR. ed.).
Mockva/Moscow:: Uzdatelbstvo Akademia Hayk, CCCP.
Milbrath, S. (1999) Star Gods of the Maya: Astronomy in Art, Folklore, and Calendars. Austin, Texas: Austin, Texas University of Texas at Austin.
Nutttall, Z. (1975) The Codex Nuttall A Picture Manuscript from Ancient Mexico. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.