[Aztlan] More on New World Crocs

[Elaine Schele]

Regarding Dave's statement that there are "multiple species of
crocodiles in the Americas, and some of them are likely represented in
the art and epigraphy of the Aztecs and Maya.", I suggest this
delightful piece written by Harri Kettunen and Bon V. Davis II (see
link below the abstract).

SNAKES, CENTIPEDES, SNAKEPEDES, AND CENTISERPENTS: CONFLATION OF
LIMINAL SPECIES IN MAYA ICONOGRAPHY AND ETHNOZOOLOGY

Abstract
"Since the identification of centipedes in the Maya hieroglyphic
corpus and iconography in 1994 by Nikolai Grube and Werner Nahm (Grube
& Nahm 1994: 702), epigraphers and iconographers alike have debated
whether the serpentine creatures in Maya iconography depict
imaginative snakes or centipedes. In this paper we argue that most
serpentine creatures with unrealistically depicted heads are neither
snakes nor centipedes, but a conflation of both, and even have
characteristics of other animals, such as sharks and crocodiles. Thus
these creatures should more aptly be designated as zoomorphs,
monsters, centiserpents, or dragons. In the present article the topic
will be examined using iconographic, epigraphic, zoological, and
ethozoological data."

http://www.wayeb.org/notes/wayeb_notes0009.pdf

Elaine
http://gispalenque.blogspot.com/
http://volunteermayameetings.blogspot.com/