Maya writing

The Mayas had neither alphabet, nor syllabic writing, but the majority of their words were monosyllabic. They employed a phonetic writing which one can regard as a form improved of Rébus in the direction where the image became, during the time, so stylized which it ceases being recognizable.

An example of the " rebus maya"

The head of fish, “xoc”, was difficult to carve and easy to confuse with another animal, as the Maya substituted him they the ideogram symbol of water, in the idea as water being the element of fish, it would point out the word “xoc”. The symbol of water was a grain of jade, because water and jade had like common points to be invaluable and of green color, to final jade equalizes water equalizes fish (“xoc”).

A complex writing

Each Glyphe has two completely distinct forms. A form representative and a form symbolic system or ideographic, often very stylized. The majority of the glyphes are combinations where a principal element receives various Affixe S which can be adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, etc

The deciphering of the Maya writing remains thus extremely complex. Currently one manages to decipher the direction from approximately 80% of the glyphes, but the pronunciation remains mysterious. This writing seems to have had a purpose quasi-exclusivement religious. The Maya glyphic writing was retranscribed on a simple a broad of score of centimetres and long sheet of paper several meters. The manuscript was folded up in accordion, each fold determining a “page” broad of approximately 15 centimetres and written on the two sides. This paper was made vegetable fibers. Three only of these books (or “Codex”) were preserved: the Codex dresdensis, the Codex madridensis and the Codex parisiensis.

See too

External bonds

Introduction to Hiéroglyphes Mayas. Handbook of workshop. Kettunen & Helmke 2006 (pdf)

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