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Notes on Certain Maya and Mexican Manuscripts: Third Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1881-82, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1884, pages 3-66Thomas, Cyrus

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Notes on Certain Maya and Mexican Manuscripts: Third Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1881-82, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1884, pages 3-66

Name: Notes on Certain Maya and Mexican Manuscripts: Third Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1881-82, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1884, pages 3-66
Author: Thomas, Cyrus

Thomas, Cyrus

Calendar -- Mexico; Maya calendar

1. Lizard.     Snake.      Death.      Deer.       Rabbit.
  2. Grass.      Cane.       Tiger.      Eagle.      Vulture.
  3. Flower.     Dragon.     Wind.       House.      Lizard.
  4. Rabbit.     Water.      Dog.        Monkey.     Grass.
  5. Vulture.    Movement.   Flint.      Rain.       Flower.

  1. Water.      Dog.        Monkey.     Grass.      Cane.
  2. Movement.   Flint.      Rain.       Flower.     Dragon.
  3. Snake.      Death.      Deer.       Rabbit.     Water.
  4. Cane.       Tiger.      Eagle.      Vulture.    Movement.
  5. Dragon.     Wind.       House.      Lizard.     Snake.

  1. Tiger.[13]  Eagle.      Vulture.    Movement.   Flint.
  2. Wind.       House.      Lizard.     Snake.      Death.
  3. Dog.        Monkey.     Grass.      Cane.       Tiger.
  4. Flint.      Rain.       Flower.     Dragon.     Wind.
  5. Death.      Deer.       Rabbit.     Water.      Dog.

  1. Rain.       Flower.
  2. Deer.       Rabbit.
  3. Eagle.      Vulture.
  4. House.      Lizard.
  5. Monkey.     Grass.

If we examine the columns of this list, we see that each one contains
the days of some one of the four columns of the arrangement heretofore
given; not always in precisely the same order, but the same days.

Without stopping to attempt a further explanation of this calendar or
_Tonalamatl_, which is not within the scope of our present purpose, I
merely remark that it is evidently a representation of the Mexican
"cycle of two hundred and sixty days," or thirteen months, the common
multiple of 4, 5, 13, and 20, and hence a cycle, at the completion of
which the day, numeral, &c. (except the month), will be the same as at
the beginning.


FOOTNOTES:

[1] Published in 1882, as a memoir of the Societe d'Ethnographie of
Paris.

[2] Rosny says by mistake "Planche VII-VIII."

[3] A study of the Manuscript Troano.

[4] As the reduction of the cut prevents the insertion of the names of
the days, letters have been substituted for them in the quadrilateral or
inner ring as follows:

_In the top line._--Ymix, _a_; Chicchan, _b_; Muluc, _c_; Been, _d_, and
Caban, _e_.

_In the left column._--Cimi, _f_; Ik, _g_; Oc, _h_; Ix, _i_, and Ezanab,
_j_.

_In the bottom line._--Akbal, _k_; Manik, _l_; Chuen, _m_; Men, _n_, and
Cauac, _o_.

_In the right column._--Kan, _p_; Lamat, _q_; Eb, _r_; Ahau, _s_, and
Cib, _t_.

[5] Study of the Manuscript Troano, p. 11.

[6] It is worthy of note that the numerals on the plate apply only to
the years 1 Cauac, 1 Kan, 1 Muluc, and 1 Ix, the first years of an
Indication or week of years.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Notes on Certain Maya and Mexican Manuscripts: Third Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1881-82, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1884, pages 3-66

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