The Temples of the Sun, Cross and Foliated Cross were all dedicated on 20 July 690 A.D. (or 21 or 23; going by Peter Matthews’ Julian date list). This was not long before the completion of the thirteenth k’atun on 15 March 692. Two other dates may be important when it comes to interpreting the iconography of the tablets in these temples: the two figures flanking the crosses and the sun-shield with two crossed spears are now known to represent K’inich Kan Bahlam as a child being designated heir to the throne on 14 June 641 A.D. and as a king being inaugurated on 7 January 684. In 7 January 692, the anniversary of the earlier 684 date, in the year of the period ending, K’inich underwent another ritual which Matthews’ refers to as ‘Sanct. Dedication’
[NOTE: For my treatment of the gods of Palenque, please see
Temple of the Sun
The crossed spears of the Temple of the Sun, which was sacred to GIII/sun, may be the easiest to interpret. If we go with dates in the 7th century A.D. and bring up the Spring and Fall Equinoxes, we immediately see that the celestial equator and the ecliptic intersect at the center of the sky, forming on both occasions a perfect “crossed spears” pattern. Of course, this occurs only at exactly 12 noon with the sun present at the intersection point of the equator and the ecliptic. The sun cannot be shown in this context as a bird atop a tree, because on neither of the equinoxes is it on/within the Milky Way.
The two figures holding up the spears and shield on a serpent bar are standing on the cab or earth band, which is here symbolic of the horizon. The serpent bar bearer on the left has been identified (see, for example, Justin and Barbara Kerr’s _The Way of God L: The Princeton Vase Revisited_) with God L, wearing his Muwaan bird headdress and his chevron cloak. The muwaan bird was Bird 2 of the Maya Zodiac (see Susan Milbrath’s _Star Gods of the Maya_) and this sign has been identified with Gemini. The other bearer of the serpent bar – on the right – is God N as turtle, here Orion.
When viewed as if the sun at equinox point is at the “top” of the image, and Gemini and Orion are “standing” on the eastern horizon, the ecliptic (one of the spears) goes straight through Gemini, while the celestial equator (the other spear) goes right through Orion. On the Spring Equinox at around noon, Gemini is on the left and Orion is on the right. On the Fall Equinox around 10:30 a.m., Orion is on the left and Gemini is on the right. Thus the only match to the Temple of the Sun configuration is the Spring Equinox.
As Gemini and Orion are on the earth band, they have just appeared above the eastern horizon. The horizontal serpent bar here represents the sky they appear to be holding up, and this serpent bar/sky is the platform upon which stand the ecliptic and celestial equator spears. It is unlikely the serpent bar here stands for the Milky Way, as that stands vertically, not horizontally, in relationship to Gemini and Orion.
The katun ending on March 15, 692, fell a couple of days short of the Spring Equinox on the 18th , and as the whole Cross Group was aimed at a celebration of the ka’tun ending, and as no other Spring Equinox dates are supplied on the temple texts, I would argue that it is the March 15, 692 date close to the Spring Equinox that is depicted on the Temple of the Sun’s tablet. Here is how that looks on my CyberSky program for 10:50 a.m.:
Temple of the Cross
The 14 June 641 date for the initiation rites of the heir apparent K’inich Kan Bahlam comes close to the summer solstice date for this year on the 19th. On 14 June 641, Mercury is technically in Taurus, but is actually closer to Orion, and is almost upon the intersection point of the galactic equator and the ecliptic in the heart of the Milky Way. Venus, the Sun are in Gemini, also within the Milky Way. The Moon (just past New Moon) is just outside the Milky Way in Gemini.
When the Sun is at transit (11:54), the order of the planets from east to west is Moon, Sun, Venus and Mercury. The Principal Bird Deity is facing to the right, and our human figures flank the Cross.
A fire dedication took place on 15 June 692, and this may have been chosen because of the earlier 14 June date. At this later time, Mercury was in Orion near the intersection of the galactic equator and the ecliptic, while the sun was in Gemini (transit time exactly the same, i.e. 11:54) in the Milky Way and Venus was in Taurus just on the outer edge of the Milky Way.
Now, we may compare this image with what appeared in the sky at noon on this day. Obviously, the planets would not have been visible, although their positions relative to the Sun would have been predictable.
The Principal Bird Deity, of course, in facing right is indicating the direction in which the planets are moving. I would surmise, therefore, that the bird represents the planet Venus, here at the top of the Milky Way 'tree'. The flanking human figures (K'inich Kan B'alam II on the right) here symbolize the Sun and Mercury. The arms of the tree and the 'centipede' arching over them, and hanging down from them, represent the celestial equator and trhe ecliptic, respectively.
A fire dedication took place on 15 June 692, and this may have been chosen because of the earlier 14 June date. At this later time, Mercury was in Orion near the intersection of the galactic equator and the ecliptic, while the sun was in Gemini (transit time exactly the same, i.e. 11:54) in the Milky Way and Venus was in Taurus just on the outer edge of the Milky Way.
In this case, the order of the three planets within the Milky Way has changed. Whereas on the earlier date we had Venus flanked by the Sun and Mercury, on the later date we have Mercury being flanked by Venus and the Sun.
Temple of the Foliated Cross
K’inich Kan Bahlam as a child stands on a shell that is described as the ‘precious shell of Matwiil’. We have seen that Matwil, the watery “Place of Cormorants” (see above), was the Scorpius-Sagittarius head of the Milky Way. The Foliated Cross itself sits atop a base which reads “precious pool or sea”. The adult king stands on a Witz Mountain.
On 7 January 684, Venus is in Ophiuchus in the Milky Way. Mercury and the Sun are outside of the Milky Wat, with Mercury being between Venus and the Sun.
On the same day in 692, Venus resides in almost exactly the same place in Ophiuchus. But Saturn is very near the galactic center in the Milky Way, with Mars to the west of Venus and Jupiter betwen Saturn and the Sun. Both Mars and Jupiter are outside of the Milky Way.
Note that the Temple scene shows the Principal Bird Deity facing left this time. This is because the planets are travelling from east to west.
As there is only one panel and two dates, it is difficult to figure out what exactly is being depicted on the former. We can say that on the earlier date, we have Venus-Mercury-Sun west to east, while for the latter date we have Venus-Sun-Mercury west to east. This is discounting Saturn and Jupiter for the latter date, and these two planets were important, being asscoiated with God K/K'awil.
If the child king is standing on Matwil, then he must be in Matwil, i.e. the Milky Way. The adult king is west of him, but not in Matwil. Allowing for the Principal Bird Deity planet between them, then, we are probably looking at the adult king as Mars, the bird as Venus and the child king as Saturn.
As there is only one panel and two dates, it is difficult to figure out what exactly is being depicted on the former. We can say that on the earlier date, we have Venus-Mercury-Sun west to east, while for the latter date we have Venus-Sun-Mercury west to east. This is discounting Saturn and Jupiter for the latter date, and these two planets were important, being asscoiated with God K/K'awil.
If the child king is standing on Matwil, then he must be in Matwil, i.e. the Milky Way. The adult king is west of him, but not in Matwil. Allowing for the Principal Bird Deity planet between them, then, we are probably looking at the adult king as Mars, the bird as Venus and the child king as Saturn.
On the day of the death of the great Pacal (August 28, 683 A.D.), the king was portrayed as falling into (or rising out of, in apotheosis?) Xibalba. The imagery employed involves once again a cross, a Principal Bird Deity, etc.
Firstly, our Principal Bird Deity here is facing left, we we know we are looking at the sky with east to our right and west to our left.
On this day, when Venus rises at 8:53 a.m., Mars is in the Milky Wat in Gemini. When Venus sets at 8:32 p.m., the Sagittarius end of the Milky Way is in the sky, but no planets are within it. One of only two times a Principal Bird Deity is present (note that the ecliptic and celestial equator are reversed in position) is when Venus is rising. Thus Pacal is not being shown falling into the Underworld, but rather rising from it, perhaps as Venus.
However, the Milky Way tree/cross appears utterly straight in the sky only when the Sun rises. At this time, Mars also resides within the Milky Way. For this reason, I would opt for Pacal being identified with a king whose eartly existence has ended, but whose divine life as the Sun has begun on this particular day.
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