Astronomy and rites: the magical world view of the Maya in mysterious hieroglyphs and pictograms
Codex Peresianus
Middle America

Codex Peresianus
Middle America
The design of these Mayan hieroglyphics is clear despite the deteriorated condition of the original manuscript
The written culture of the Maya comes to life through these symbolic characters and pictograms
They are rooted in the Mayans' magical religious worldview with strong astronomical and ritual connections
Codex Peresianus
Short Description
The Codex Peresianus is among the most important surviving documents of ancient Mayan culture. Although the condition of the original manuscript has deteriorated greatly, the design of its hieroglyphics are so precise that they are deemed invaluable in spite of their damaged state. This manuscript provides valuable insight into the written culture and worldview of the Maya, and ranks among the most important pre-Spanish sources from Central America.
Codex Persianus
From the three preserved Mayan manuscripts, the Codex Peresianus (the name being derived from a note on a piece of paper that has since been lost), is of the poorest quality. Around the borders the lime overlay is peeled off, so that a detailed analysis is only possible of the picture and figures remaining in the center of the page. However, despite its poor condition of preservation, this codex ranks among the most important pre-Spanish sources from Central America due to the extremely precise design of the hieroglyphics and fascinating content found within. On the 22 pages (11 leaves) of the remaining fragments, the characteristic written culture of the Maya comes to life through the combination of symbol characters and symbol pictograms which are rooted in the magical religious world view of the Mayans and contain strong astronomical and ritual connections. Due to the poor degree of preservation, the original manuscript in Paris is inaccessible to view with the exception of only 2 pages and therefore the cost of expenditure in the making of the facsimile is more than worthwhile and has made the entire work accessible for all to view as well as study.
Codicology
- Size / Format
- 22 pages / 25.0 x 12.5 cm
- Origin
- Middle America
- Epochs
- Style
1 available facsimile edition(s) of „Codex Peresianus“
Codex Peresianus
- Publisher
- Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt (ADEVA) – Graz, 1968
- Binding
- Encased in box with leather spine.
- Commentary
-
1 volume by F. Anders
- More Information
- Reproduction of the entire original document as detailed as possible (scope, format, colors). The binding may not correspond to the original or current document binding.
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