Abstract
Heinrich Berlin’s identification of Emblem Glyphs in 1958 has rightly been hailed as one of the major breakthroughs in the decipherment of ancient Maya writing. Although their exact function and meaning was unclear at the time, these are now recognized to serve as exalted regal titles that incorporate toponyms, or place names. However, what interests me here is not so much the geo-political importance of Emblem Glyphs, but the toponyms that are used to form these. Many of the toponyms that are the basis of Emblem Glyphs can now be read and can be matched up with corresponding places. In pairing off the Emblem Glyphs with their earthly referents, one is left with a peculiar group of toponyms that are clearly otherworldly. It is these supernatural Emblem Glyphs that I would like to discuss here and the role they played in legitimizing the monarchs that bore these, as titles that hark back to great antiquity in deep mythic time. The importance of these place names stems from the pivotal mythological events that are said to have transpired there, which sheds light not only on the origin of these titles, but also on the permanence and legacy of emic conceptions of deep-time.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Contributions in New World Archaeology |
| Volume | 3 |
| Pages (from-to) | 91-126 |
| Number of pages | 36 |
| ISSN | 2080-8216 |
| Publication status | Published - 2012 |
| Event | Cracow Maya Conference - Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland Duration: 21 Feb 2013 → 24 Feb 2013 Conference number: 3 |
Conference
| Conference | Cracow Maya Conference |
|---|---|
| Number | 3 |
| Location | Jagiellonian University |
| Country/Territory | Poland |
| City | Krakow |
| Period | 21/02/2013 → 24/02/2013 |