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
History
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
Thomas, Cyrus
Calendar -- Mexico; Maya calendar
Although the Mexican equivalents of these names may be inferred from
what has already been given, I will insert the Mexican and English names
of the twenty days here, opposite each other.
TABLE XVI.
_Mex._ _Eng._ _Mex._ _Eng._
Cipactli (Dragon). Ozomatli (Monkey).
Ehecatl (Wind). Malinalli (Grass).
Calli (House). Acatl (Cane).
Cuetzpalin (Lizard). Ocelotl (Tiger).
Coatl (Snake). Quauhtli (Eagle).
Miquiztli (Death). Cozcaquauhtli (Vulture).
Mazatl (Deer). Ollin (Movement).
Tochtli (Rabbit). Tecpatl (Flint).
Atl (Water). Quiahuitl (Rain).
Itzcuintli (Dog). Xochitl (Flower).
Examining the looped line, Plate III, we notice at each of the outer and
inner bends one of the day symbols. (In the plate of the Cortesian Codex
there are two.) We therefore take for granted that this is the _first_
day of the week, or indication of _thirteen days_, hence we should
commence with Cipactli (or Dragon). This we find at the upper right hand
corner of the inner square or right base of the large red loop. Judging
from the direction of the birds' heads and other facts heretofore noted,
we presume the direction in which we are to move is around toward the
left. Counting the day symbol as one, and each of the twelve dots up the
red line as one day, we come to the symbol in the upper right-hand
corner of the loop as the first day of the next week. This we find is
Ocelotl (Tiger), just as we find it to be in the calendar table and list
of days. Moving along the upper red line to the corner at the left we
find the next character is Mazatl (or Deer), agreeing exactly with the
calendar and list. Moving down the left red line to the inner corner we
come to the symbol for Xochitl (or Flower), also agreeing with the
calendar and list. Proceeding from thence up the white line we reach
next the symbol for the day Acatl (Cane) in the red circle surrounded by
a yellow line. Here we see a marked distinction between this and the
other day symbols we have named, a distinction which applies only to the
four at the corners--the four year symbols--_Acatl_, _Tecpatl_, _Calli_,
and _Tochtli_.
In order that the reader may compare the names in this looped line with
the calendar, I present here a scheme of it similar to that given of
the plate from the Cortesian Codex. The explanation given of the other
will enable him to make the comparison without further aid.
[Illustration: FIG. 6.--Scheme of Plate 44, Fejervary Codex.]
The numbers in the little circles at the corners and loops replace the
days of the original as follows: 1, Cipactli; 2, Ocelotl; 3, Mazatl; 4,
Xochitl; 5, Acatl; 6, Miquiztli; 7, Quiahuitl; 8, Malinalli; 9, Coatl;
10, Tecpatl; 14, Ozomatli; 12, Cuetzpalin; 13, Ollin; 14, Itzcuintli;
15, Calli; 16, Cozcaquauhtli; 17, Atl; 18, Echecatl;[TN-12] 19, Quauhtli;
20, Tochtli.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account