Studies in Maya Hieroglyphics

The purpose of this study is to describe and document parentage statements and paired stelae found on Maya monuments or portable objects. The existence of parentage statements, within the Maya text, has been known since the late 1970s. This study analyses parentage statements found on 225 monuments and 70 portable objects bringing the total to 295 different monuments with parentage statements. Each parentage statement is identified and transcribed phonetically. The usage of each parentage statement and its variants are then mapped through time. Also introduced in this study is the death of a parent glyph commonly known as the Winged Capped Ajaw Death Phrase. An analysis of its usage demonstrates that it refers to the death of a parent. Paired stelae were analyzed as another possible form of parentage statements. This study tests three hypotheses on why parentage statements were used. They included ancestor worship, political legitimacy, and heir designation. The weaknesses and strengths of each hypothesis are demonstrated through case studies. Lastly, the appendices include source material for each site and monument researched as part of this study.