Mexican archæology : $b an introduction to the archæology of the Mexican and Mayan civilizations of pre-Spanish AmericaJoyce, Thomas Athol
History
Mexican archæology : $b an introduction to the archæology of the Mexican and Mayan civilizations of pre-Spanish America
Joyce, Thomas Athol
Mayas -- Antiquities; Mexico -- Antiquities
12. _Malinalli._ Grass, sometimes shown as a jaw-bone with grass
hair, unlucky; associated with Patecatl.
13. _Acatl._ A reed, implying emptiness; associated with
Itztlacoliuhqui.
14. _Ocelotl._ An ocelot (sometimes the ear only is shown);
success in war and love, but suggesting a death by sacrifice (the
typical death of a warrior). Associated with Tlazolteotl.
15. _Quauhtli._ An eagle, implying courage in war; associated with
Xipe.
16. _Cozcaquauhtli._ A vulture, signifying old age; associated
with Itzpapalotl.
17. _Olin._ A sign emblematical of movement (used also to signify
an earthquake). Variable in fortune, and associated with Nanauatzin.
18. _Tecpatl._ A stone knife, the emblem of drought and sterility,
associated with Tezcatlipoca.
19. _Quiauitl._ The head of Tlaloc, emblem of rain; an unlucky
sign.
20. _Xochitl._ A flower, implying good craftsmanship; associated
with Xochiquetzal.
These signs ran consecutively in the order given above, one being
assigned to each day, and the series was repeated _ad infinitum_.
Conjointly with them were repeated the numerals 1 to 13; e.g. 1.
cipactli, 2. eecatl, 3. calli, and so on to 13. acatl, which was
followed by 1. ocelotl, 2. quauhtli, and so forth. There being no
common factor to the numbers 13 and 20, a period of 13 × 20 days, or
260, would elapse before the sign 1. cipactli would recur. This period
of 260 days constituted the ritual and divinatory calendar, known
as the _tonalamatl_. The tonalamatl was subdivided in various
ways; in some manuscripts each of the twenty thirteen-day periods,
or “weeks,” is shown separately, together with the figure of a god
who was especially associated with the first day, but whose influence
was supposed to extend over the whole “week.” The deities presiding
over the successive “weeks” of the tonalamatl are given in one MS.
(Vaticanus A) as follows, the date preceding the name of each being
that of the first day of each “week.”
1. cipactli, Tonacatecutli.
1. ocelotl, Quetzalcoatl.
1. mazatl, Tepeyollotl.
1. xochitl, Ueuecoyotl.
1. acatl, Chalchiuhtlicue.
1. miquiztli, Tonatiuh.
1. quiauitl, Tlaloc.
1. malinalli, Mayauel.
1. coatl, Tlauizcalpantecutli.
1. tecpatl, Tonatiuh.
1. ozomatli, Patecatl.
1. quetzpalin, Itztlacoliuhqui.
1. olin, Tlazolteotl.
1. itzcuintli, Xipe.
1. calli, Itzpapalotl.
1. cozcaquauhtli, Xolotl.
1. atl, Chalchiuhtlicue.
1. eecatl, Chantico.
1. quauhtli, Xochiquetzal.
1. tochtli, Itztli.
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