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    Marcus Calendarios

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    Joyce Marcus

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    Joyce Marcus MESOAMERICAN WRITING SYSTEMS Propaganda, Myth, and History in Four Ancient Civilizations Princeton University Press Princeton, New Jersey Thisis role of hispan Maya Pares eight: namin royal divine writin anew which basic « ameri elite r posit tory, riages that v actua prehi create prope politi conte belier sense Joy polo; anf Mick facket retstinctagr= er NV “96 All Rights Reserved ‘brary of Congress Cataloging. inPublcation Data Marcus, oye mp tanmercan wring sytem: ropganda, cryin fourancen coats Joyce Marcus, * “ ‘ Pom Includes bibliographical ref ces and index. ISBNO-e-O8i7Eg andi 1, Indians of Mesico—Weting, 2. Mayor Woiting. 3 Indians of Meno Names. 4. Maya--Names 5 Iniansof Mexico—Politis and government" Nays Poles and goverment. 7. Ehnohiony Mexico. 8. Ethnahistry-—Cental America. 1 Title F128 3.WS4M37" 1992 s70.0V072--420 2.5091 ce This book has been composed in Linotron Aldus Princeton University Press books are printed on acid-free paper and meet the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources Printed in the United States of America 987654321 4*NOT ONE CALENDAR, BUT MANY in an earlier chapter we noted that one of Mesoamerican writing's earliest roles was 0 sen eal or mythical persons, places, and events ina ealendrc framework. In this chap- reve Yook in detail at some of the calendars used for that framework Tach of the four ethnic groups we consider—Aztec, Mixtec, Zapotec, and Maya— had ewo principal calendars. Their details are known from sixtenth-century dicionavies nd documents as well as prehispanie codices. One was a secular calendar of 365 days, imposed of 18 months of 20 days (18 x20 = 360) plus 5 additional days, which roughly ipproximates our year. The other was a sacred calendar or “divinatory almanac” of 260 xiv, composed of 13 numerical coefficients and 20 day signs (13 x20 = 260). These two “lendars could be combined to form a 52-year cycle analogous to our century: that was ie length of time it took for the two calendars, running concurrently, to come back to ie ienvcal day and month positions on which they had simultaneously begun The fact that many widely separated groups from northern Mexico to Honduras, all peaking differen languages, had similar ealendrc structures suggests that the calendars ‘ete of great antiquity. Both calendars go back toat leat 400 a. inthe Valley of Oaxaca 400 = 1,600), For 402 blankets, they weed 2 fingers (™ 2) anda feather (= 400), 98 Chapter 4 inva review of these the reader is noe interested ina re soe hey 1eeton led "Nohuatl Calendars th g the reconstructing can skip ahead to the AMERICAN CALENDARS SOURCES FOR RECONSTRUCTING MESOAM! Sources for the Nahuatl Calendars 33 available ina variety of sources, including prehispa Heke cae dt a oes and pevatle soca: caeady acs we fe ee themselves or by Indians trained by Spaniards to write in Nahi! using Latin characters ‘he important prehispanicdivinatory books that provides vsluble cen dara the Caner Barbonega a ear of primary data on both the 260robably painted in a.p, 566 and 1589, xcocan noble writing in | (1880); Serna (1900); | 1951); the Calendario 901-1902, 1902-1903, ez Moreno (1961); and cteenth-century doe » Yanhuitlén (ime Moreno and Mateos Higuera 1940); the Ma aro (Smith 1973); and Codex Sein ne Nai famous manuserts painted in pre-Conquess Bodley, Selden, Becker I, Becker I and Sanches Solis) Volumes IV and V of the Relaciones Geowri gt eter en nd ed Hy Ta hn tnlosHistéricos (1927-1928) have been wan Drea ita Ee slendars Jiménez Moreno and Mateos Higuess (sage ‘ snd Dahlgren de Jordén (1954) used the Lieane Joo) Used the Codex Sierra (Leén 1933), by Caso (1949, 1951, 1955, 1956, 19656) also deals wnt 1 Mi The mos import sneethcentury sores ih Me Legun mintcs by Fray Antonio de los Reyes and Vacabulen tenga mitecaby fay Francisco de Alvarado—were both published in 1995, and they ompaly and essential data on the Mixtec calendar (see Alvord 1159311963, a8 Koen de Xochitepec (Caso 1958) ii 0) hea style aa Nuttall, Vienna, Colombino, lendar. Inguage— Arte en 56; Spores 1967). Sources for the Zapotec Calendars Important sixteenth-century sources include two works—a dictionary and gram- trar—by Fray Juan de Cérdova (1576a, 1578). The ather key sixteenth-century source Xs the Relaciones Geogrificas (Paso y Troncoso 1905, vol. IV) For the ewe, Classic era \s turn to studies of the carved stone monuments from archacologieal sites n the Valley of Oaxaca, particularly the texts at Monte Albin (Caso 1928, 1947, 1965a, Mercea 1976, 1276 1980, 1983d, 1983k). Other important studies include those of Seler (1904 1908, 1902-1923), Leigh (1966), Paddock (1966b), and Caso (1967) Sources for the Maya Calendars ‘The literature on Maya calendars is so vast that we cannot doit justice here, but a fes: sources can be featured. First and foremost is Bishop Diego de Landa’s Historia de lac covesde Yucatan, written around 1566 (see Tozzer 1941). Landa gives a good description ofthe calendar, along with some of the associated ceremonies, Significantly, his description Wwe illustrated with drawings of the hieroglyphs for the 20 days and 18 months of the 365-day calendar (see Figs. 4.5 and 4.6). Three indigenous precolombian codices—the Dresden, Paris, and Madrid (Tro- Covvesianus)—have been basic tools in understanding the use and structure of Maya cal- 9 Not One Calendar, but Many cess Caban Etznab Cauac 4.5.Sixteenth-century Yucatec Maya drawings of the 20 days. (Redrawn from Lands (156607 19415138) * " Ahau jn Tozer Yaxkin WE) to1 Not One Calendar, but Many 46 Sinteenth-century Yucatec Maya deasings of the 18 Maya months. (Redrawn from Landa 11366] in Tozzer 1941:151-166.) 102 Chapter 4 endars (Forstemann 1880, 1902; Thompson 1972). Ernst Férstemann’s early calendric work enabled others (such as Goodman, see below) to understand Classic period inscrip- tions carved on stone ‘Other essential sources include the books of Chilam Balam, Colonial manuscripts ‘written in Yucatec Maya using Latin characters. The most important of these books—the versions from Chumayel, Mani, and Tizimin—include chronicles of indigenous Maya myth and history set within the framework of the Maya calendar, as well as prophecies for individual years and 20-year periods, or katunob (see Martinez. Hernandez 1927; Roys 1922, 1933, 1949, 1967; Barrera Vasquez 1943, 1949; Gates 1931a; Edmonson 1982, 1986). ‘One of the first epigraphers to utilize Classic inscriptions of the period a.v. 250-900 to reconstruct the Maya calendars was J. Thompson Goodman. His work entitled The ‘Archaic Maya Inscriptions appeared as an appendix in Alfred P. Maudslay’s Biologia Cen trali-Americana, published in 1897. While J. Erie S. Thompson (1950:30) has discovered some details which demonstrate that Goodman made free use of Férstemann’s earlier work, most scholars have credited Farstemann with calendric contributions derived {rom codices (particularly the Dresden Codex), while crediting Goodman with calendric discov- eries made from studying Classic period stone monuments Goodman was the first to advocate a correlation of the Maya and Julian calendars that involved the adding of 584,283 days to a Maya date to reach the equivalent Julian date. Goodman's 1905 correlation has stood the test of time—it endures today as one of the most popular correlations, and with some modifications by Martinez and Thompson it is now called the Goodman-Martinez-Thompson (or GMT) correlation (Thompson 1950:303-305). Other important works include those by Bowditch (1901, 1910), Spinden (1913, 1924), Gates (1931b, 1931c), Long (1919, 1923a, 1923b, 1925, 1931), Teeple (1925a, 1925b, 1926, 1928, 1930), Beyer (1931, 1936a, 1936b, 1937), Ludendorff (1931, 1933, 1934, 1938, 1940, 1942), Satterthwaite (1965), Lounsbury (1978), and Edmonson (1988). Last but not least come two of the most indefatigable and brilliant contributors to our knowledge of the Maya calendars—Sylvanus G. Morley and J. Eric $. Thompson, whose books have endured as classics on this topic (see particularly Morley 1915, 1920, 1937-1938, 1946; Thompson 1950). Let us now turn to the actual working and use of the calendars by the Aztec, Mixtec, Zapotec, and Maya. NAHUATL CALENDARS The Nahuatl calendar of 365 days was referred to as xiuit! or xihuit! (a word meaning. “year,” but also “comet,” “blue-green stone,” and “>plant”). The sacred round of 260 wos called ¢U TUIMT days ie). Tonal is derives coutresting analogy to t int from their word f ders 1983:37). Se stated above, most pers were apparently sig actions of “the N 31. Because it was ¢ Wis calendar is the best ki this py some, the Mesoa ‘The degree of variatic issiill a matter for debate is Snamong calendars, ev. at Tlatelolco. Other sche Nicholson 1978a) acknow great as Kirchhoff had in fhe documents can be cal that some of the calendri ‘iyell-known penchant of to conform to various p Kirchhoff himself often « stance of such calendrie ¢ ani recon no 15 The 260-Day Calen The Mexica tonalpo the set of numbers from {conetimes called a num covllicients and 20 day 1 In Table 4.1, day ns vy) the numbers on the by > Checatl, then by 3 day ylendar (i.e, 13 X¢ nex! 60-day cycle begs cause the tonal} card with ita great d lew of an upper worl the \rtec believed (see oe elow) t« femann’ ) to understand Classic SY Stleng rg lendig of Chilam Bata Sen s. e The most jmportant of these bent, chronicles it ‘OOks— f the Maya calendar, of iMdigenous yi Hunob (see Martinez Hernaagce PPh. 43, 1949; Gates 1931, ™, Colonial ssic inscriptions of the ompson Goodman. 25 sndix in Alfred P. Nieto ened Eric S. Thompson (1950:30) hea 8! Cen- ian made free use of Forever tis Overed 1 with calendric contributions don acter e crediting Goodman with calendine 4 > monuments. discov. lation of the Maya and Julian cilenda ya: date t0-vencli dhe equivalent juher Sh ht oti eaten st gy err difications by Martinez and Thompson t's pson (or GMT) correlation (Thompson Petiod a. y Bowditch (1901, 1910), Spinden (1913, a, 1923b, 1925, 1931), Teeple (1925a, 1925b, "1937), Ludendorff (1931, 1933, 1934, 1938, , (1978), and Edmonson (1988). | indefatigable and brilliant contributors Manus G. Morley and J. Eric $. Thomps topic (see particularly Morley 1915, 1920, ec, Mists, dluse of the calendars by the A nin or xihuitl (@ word ied itl ced to as xiit] oF nN we and plane”) days was called the tonalpohualli, from tonal ("sun,” “heat” “day”) and pohuallt ("eount"). Tonal is derived from the Nahuatl term fona or “life force.” Tonal provides cresting analogy to the Zapotec, whose term for the 260-day calendar, piye is also from their word for “life force.” pee (Marcus 1978:174; Marcus, Flannery, and Spores 1983:37). ‘As stated above, most scholars have emphasized only one of many Nahuatl calendars; there were apparently significant variations among Basin of Mexico communities, Most reconstructions of “the Nahuatl calendar” refer to the Tenochca or Mexica calendar of ND. 1521, Becauise i was employed atthe Aztec capital atthe time of the Spanish conquest, this calendar is the best known and has come to be considered the Nahuatl calendar (and even, by some, the Mesoamerican calendar) “Thee degree of variation among Nahuatl calendars at the time of the Spanish conquest is still a matter for debate. Kirchhoff (1950, 1954/1955:259) argued for significant vari ation among calendars, even between those employed by the “sister cities” of Tenochritlin and Tlatelalgo, Other scholars (e.g, Jiménez Moreno 1961, Caso 1967, C. N. Davies 1973, Nicholson 1978a) acknowledge some variation but think that the differences were nor as great as Kirchhoff had indicated; they suggest a “wait and see” approach until more of {he documents can be carefully restudied. Significantly, Nicholson (1978a:291) believes that some of the calendric differences among Nahuatl communities might be due to the ‘well-known penchant of the native annalists to rearrange their community's past events te conform to various politcal advocatory positions and religious preconceptions (and Kirchhoff himself often clearly recognized this tendency).”” We will return to the signif icance of such calendric differences at the end of this chapter. The 260-Day Calendar “The Mexica tonalpohuali of Tenochtitlin was composed of 20 distinct day names and the set of numbers from 1 to 13. Each day was represented by a day name with a number {sometimes called a numerical coefficient) attached tot. This combination of 13 numerical (rofiiciente and 20 day names resulted in 260 differently designated days (Figs. 4.7 and 48), In Table 4.1, day names are given in the column on the left; they are to be combined with the numbers on the right as we proceed down the columns. Thus 1 Cipactlis followed By 2 Ehecat, then by 3 Calli, then by 4 Cuetzpallin and soon, The last day ofthe 260- iby calendar (e., 13 Xochitl isto be found on the lst line ofthe final column. Then the next 260-ay cycle begins with 1 Cipaetli again, Bocuse the tonalpohialli was a sacred calendar, used for many ritual purposes, it carried with ita great deal of cosmological baggage. Specifically, it was associated with 1 Tevel ofan upper world (or "heaven”) and 9 levels ofa lower word (or “hell” in which the Aztec believed (see Figs. 4.9, 4-10). Not One Cale 104 ~ S @ 2S s Cipactli (Crocodile) Ehecatl (Wind) © a5 8 & , Y Calli (House) Cuetzpallin (Lizard) Coat! (Serpent) Miquiztli (Death) Mazatl (Deer) Tochtli (Rabbit) 4.7-The frst 10 Aztec day names. Two different Seateten et re Seago fy aes ele the night is from the Tonalaratl Aubin, (Redrawn AQ from Caso 1967: fig. 1A.) Atl (Water) Itzcuintli (Dog) & & Ozomatli (Monkey) o Acatl (Reed) ae at Cuauhtli (Eagle) % Ollin (Movement) oS GP Quiahuitl (Rain) og) c @& Malinalli (Grass) Ocelot! (Jaguar) & 78 Cozcacuauhtli (Vulture) 0 6 Tecpatl (Flint Knife) a ¢ Xochitl (Flower) 105 Not One Calendar, but Many 4.8.The last 10 Aztec day names. Sources as in Figure 4.7. (Redrawn from Caso 1967: fig, 1-B.) 106 Chapter 4 Table 41 The Tonalpohuall of Tenochs Day Ni Cipacth (Crocodile 1 8 heat! (Wind) 209 Call (House) 3 10 Cuetzpalin (Lizard) au Contl (expen) 5 2 ‘Maqui (Death) 61 Mazat (Dees) 701 rl (Rabb) 8 2 Al (Water) 93 IWzewinth (Dog) wo 4 Ozomatl (Monkey) us Malina (Geass) R 6 ‘Act (Reed) Bo? Ocelot Jaguar) 1 8 Gaauhil (Tagle) 29 Gorcacuauhtl (Vulture) 320 Olin (Motion) aon Tecpatl (Hi 5 2 Quiahuit (Rain) 6B Xochit! (Flower) 701 Table 4.2 _Lords of the Days and Their Winged Companions Lord of the Day Xiuhtocuhti (Gre lord) ‘Tlaltecubli (earth lord) Chalchiutlieue (water goddess) Tonatiah (sun deity) Tiazolteot (gouiess of love) Mictlantecubtl (underworld lord) Centeotl (maize deity) Tlaloc (rain deny) Quetzalcoatl (feathered serpent) Tezcatlipoca (smoking mirror) Chalmecatecubti (lord of sacrifice) Tlahuizealpantecubsli (lord of dawn) Citlainicue (celestial goddess) Winged Companion Blue hummingbird Green hummingbird Turtle Dove Qual Eagle Sereech owl Butterfly Falcon Turkey Horned ow Macaw (7) Quetzal Parrot (?) 4,9.The Aztec levels of heaven, 13 in all, beginning atthe boxcom with “earth” shown as an agricultural il. tthe highest level we sce the divine couple Tonatccubi and “Tonacacihuat,(Redrawn from the Codex Vaticanus A; see Nicholson 1971: fig. 7.) 107 Not One Calendar, but Many baa OO? 4.10-The Aztec levels ofthe underworld were 9 in all, including “earth.” Since ‘carth” was already shown in Figuce 4.9, we see here only the 8 levels ‘blow it. (Redrawn from the Codex Vatianus A; see Nicholson 1971: fig, 7.) 108 Chapter 4 4.1L Among the Aree, ech day ofthe tual Calendar wes aszocinted with a “patron. Here we ‘ee the first 10. On the left i each case isthe day ‘ign, and onthe right i the patron. "Lord of the Day. (Redraw fom Caso 1967: fg. 108.) 109 Not One Calendar, but Many 4.12. Here we see the last 10 days ofthe Aztec Fitual calendar. On the right in each case isthe day sign, and on the left is the patron "Lord of the Day.” (Redrawn from Caso 1967" fig, 10.) Xochitl be no Chapter 4 “able 4.3 Paton of the Day Sigs ofthe Tonapohnall levels of heaven, each of the days ofthe ton- Becuse of clash with te 9 or tg ll, 412) and each of te all was associated with “Lord ofthe [ 4) and ch of th cea he Day hada "winged companion’ fying in shay Tne 198 Se es ee represented by 9 “Lords of the fr the 9 lol ot Oi cane vapenare beings given ix Tal 4.2 as Lands of ae ae einer ehe Night were () Xiuhtecul (vd of fie), (2) leah or Tespatl Trea otto @) Pcdresa ard of princes, or the vor), (4) Centcol (mate peace erases (underworld lord), (6) Chalchiutlicue (water goddess), (7) Tla. pian goddess), (8) Tepeyolohtl (“heart of the mountain” or jaguar) and (9) Talo (enon wo the lords ofthe day and right, each of the 20 day names ofthe peal had a “pacon” or “protector,” as shown in Table 4 riod ofthe fonelpohuall that began with a day whose numerical coeficiert was “Ad toown puro swell Unfortu we have le the hoe by the Aztec for these T3-day units, and are therefore forced to refer to them by the Spanish erm trecena. Theis patrons are given in Table 4.4 Toble 4 The Trecenas ofthe Tonalpohualli and Their Patrons Mall (Twisted Grass evcsuauhltre) Patron Beginning Date of Tecena Patrons): “onscecbvh 1 Capac Tonacatecohth and Tonacocihand Qeetalconl 1 Ocelot Quetraleoat Tepoyooht 1 Maat! ‘Tepeyolohth and Queteakoat Hichucsoyet 1 Xoehth Huchuecoyor and lanes Chaleisicue Laat Chalchutiue and Tlerolreod Teste 1 Miguizt ‘Tonativh and Thamataineal The 1 Quah Tlaloc and Chicomecoal Mayaheel 1 Malia Xishecll 1 Coat Mayahuel and Noch Mualsccub ‘Tlohuizealpantecuhit Uecp Tonatich and Shutmcuhth acpi 1 Oram Patent and Ease febne ie Lacan bedaclehg lah or Temata {olin trun ang Teccathpcn Tate {eee Xipe-Toec and Qua Spence Lai lop and Taunt pi 1 Coracuauh elo and 4 Oi xh Ua Galdiuron late o Tec {heat Chae and Ce Aca hanno era 1 Cont vgs nd Tere Roctnguetzal ‘LTochth Tread 1 le and Muineceb le The Importance of the Tonalpohuall {Every day of the 260-day calendar had an associated “fate”: lucky, unlucky, or neu- tral Since every day name, day number, combination of day number and day name, and position within a 13-day period was associated witha different fate, it was the task ofthe Aiviners oF fonalpoulique to ascertain which would hold sway, especially if some of the fates were at odds with others (Molina [1571] 1944:150r). The sorting out of one’s fortune required consultations with those specialists, to determine whether an event planned for a particular day should actually take place at that time, or if a new day should be selected. One case in which the diviner played a critical role was that of a child born on an unlucky day. Often the tonalpowhui would recommend thatthe child be named after a luckier day within the same trecena or 13-day period. This was an important decision made on behall ofthe child by the onalpouhqui and his parents, because the fate associated with one’s calendric name and designated birthday was believed to affect the rest of one's lite {In addition to the naming of one’s child, many other events of social and political amportance were scheduled on the basis of the fonalpohualli. Merchants awaited lucky days for thesr expeditions’ departure and return, marriages and other ceremonies were hheld on days of gov fortune, To all who sought him, the tonalpouhqut offered help and advice in selevtin, the appropiate days for particular rituals, he eased the wary through all eiuial rites of passage The fonalywwall and those who manipulated it reinforced the Aztec notion of pre- destination This notion both justified the Aztec system of socal ranking and partly ab- solved the ruler of any mistakes. Predestination meant that those who had power privilege. and rights were preordained to have them: those who lacked those nights were ‘not to complain, because they were predestined tolack them. Since the fatesin the calendar determined when it was a good day 10 go to war or carry out some other activity. the calendar and its fonlpow also took the decision making out ofthe hands of the ruler effectively protectins him from blame. Ifthe battle was lost, the explanation was thatthe fates had deternnesi it, st was predestined But those who interpreted the (ates of the 2-day calendar could clearly manipulate the outcome. Since the various fates of a par> tucular day or erecena were frequently at odds—some favorable, some not—the fonal- powhqur had the opportunity to determine the exact day on which an event would take place by deciliny, which fate took priority. With such a decision making structure and & bee in predestinoti. there was built-in protection for those who made incorrect de- canons When corte: decisions were made, credit oF praise might be given to human, individuals, but more often than not the supernatural entities were applauded for helping, man m Not One Calendar, but Many ne The Good, the Bad. and the Neutral The associated fates of the calendric numbers are given by Sahaggin (Books 4 and 5, see Diblhle and Anderson 1957) as follows: 1 = variable, 2 = neutral, 3 = good, 4 = bad 5 = bad 6 = hl 7 = goo, 8 = bad 9 = bad, 10 = goo, 1 = good, 12 = goad, and 13 = good, Another source (Duran 1880, 2:259) provides us with the fates associated with the day names: Cipacth (good), Ehecatl (bad), Calli (good), Cuetzpallin (yood), Coat bod), Miguizth (bad), Mazat! (good), Tochtli (neutral), Atl (bad), ttzcuinth (good), Ozo- rath (neutral), Malinall (had), Acatl (neutral), Ocelot! (neutral), Cuaubtl (neutral), Coz- sacuauhtli (goos!), Ollin (neutral), Texpatl (bad), Quiahuitl (bad), and Nochitl (neutral) There is some disagreement as to whether the day number, the day name, or the combination of the two played the biggest role in determining the fate of a particular day Sahagin assigns the largest role to the number, while Duran places it on the day name (Caso 1967-28-29), Sull another source (Serna 1900) places most of the weight on the day sign, but clearly indicates that the number also had an impact on a particular day's fortune, Each trecena also had its associated luck, as seen in the Codex Borbonicus (Paso ¥y Tronncoso 1898:21f8), Apparently, the fate of each trecena was determined by the day con which it began, as follows: 1 Cipacth (good), 1 Ocelot! (bad), 1 Mazatl (neutral), 1 Xochit! (bad or neutral), 1 Acat (bad), T Miquizth (neutral), 1 Quiahuit (bad), 1 Malinally (tad), 1 Coatl (good), 1 Tecpatl (good), 1 Ozomatli (good), 1 Cuetzpallin (good), 1 Olin (neutral), 1 Iezcuinth (good), 1 Calli (bad), 1 Cozcacuaubtli (good), 1 Atl (bad), 1 Ehecatl (bod), 1 Cuauhti (bad), and 1 Tocheli (good) (Caso 1967). As for the fates associated with the 9 Lords of the Night, it was as follows: Niuhte- ccuhtl (good), let or Tecpatl (bad), Pilezintecuhtli (good), Centeotl (neutral), Mictlante- cuhtli(bad), Chalchiutlicue (neutral), Tlazolteot! (bad), Tepeyolohtli (good), and Tlaloc (neutral) The 365-Day Calendar The Nahuatl riuitl, or year of 365 days, consisted of 18 “‘months’’ of 20 days (18 x 20 = 360) plus 5 additional days. These 18 “months” (me=tlipohualli or “count of the moons or months”) and 5 extra days (nemontemi) are known from the work of Paso y Troncoso (1898) and Seler (1902-1923), and can be matched with their equivalents in the Spanish year a.p. 1521 As we will see below, one of the significant differences among ethnic groups was the ‘month in which each began the year. For example, the Tlaxcalans began their year in the ‘month Atemoztli> people in Teotitlin and Tecciztlin began theirs in the month Tlacaxi- pehualiztli; those in Meztitlin in the month Panquetzaliztli; and those in Texcoco in the ‘month Cuahuitlehua (which corresponds to the Mexica month of Atleahualo) Toot Heys ay To Teale esl He's Tas Sowwll oxy Teatlee Tepealh Queche Bae temo Tian ‘New ‘Also kn Alo ki xiwhin this po end of 108 da advane dividec the en cveffic Toble 4S The Eighteen Mest (-Monthe”) Meat Dates in te Your A.D. 1521 bale January 24-Febnunry 12 Atlus? Februaty 13-March 4 ‘Tlacanpchosht March 3-March 24 Toraztont ‘March 25-April 13 Hueytororth Apnl 1a-May 3 Tora May May 23 Eraeaslia May 2i-June 12 Teculhatontl Tne 13-jaly2 Hacyeeciit] July 3Jaly 22 ‘Tiaeachimaee” July 23-Agont 11 Xocothuets? Ags 2- August 31 Ochpaniale September 1-Stprember 20 Teotlco. September 21-Craber 10 ‘Tepeiuith Otter V-Oxtober 30. Quechalt October Si-November 19 Pangaea November 20-Decerer 9 Arent December 10-December 29 Tat December 30-anaaty 18 “Nemontemi” (5 exeradays) Janay T9-fanay 23 ko now 2 al. Xv (Mert) o Kahl "A knowns Cahasiches om Teen) nah fsa he women eet. “ie Tals eh month wor known ar Coal “Gahran te Popol (Mest). Tepopodhh Tessin nd Te postal "Ber nies ze Ncabtont (Teaco) Madhu (Mert), Mi cana (Tiss and Nexcnace Tc. ‘Riolzown a Haein [Teaco or Hoey lachyona (Mest) ensue Tu (Teeny, Pakh Mera, Tete (Te {0}, Tele nll, snd ets Teli ‘Ao lcen as Hucypocht Tero) and aban The 52-Year Cycle Rather than a century of 100 years as we have, the Aztec had a period called a xiuhmolpill, equivalent to 52 of our years. The two ealendars that we have seen up t0 this point—the 260-day tonalpohwalli and the 365-day xiuitl —ran concurrently. At the end of the year of 365 days, ane whole 260-day tonalpohualli had been completed, plus 105 days of the next, The day name had advanced 5 positions, while the day number had advanced 1 position (i.e., 105 days divided by 20 day names, leaving 5; and 105 days divided by 13 numbers, leaving 1). Ifthe day name advances 5 postions every year, at the end of 4 years we return to the same day name, but it carries a different numerical coefficient which is 4 numbers higher. Sinee only 4 of the day names could coincide with, m3 Not One Calendar, but Many wete m Thee Good. the fad, and the Neutral The asmncated fare of the calendric numbers are given by Sahagin (Books 4 and 5; ce Dabble and Anderson 1957) as follows 1 = varuble, 2 = neutral, 3 = good, 4 = had = bad. 6 = had? = gored 8 = bad.9 = bad. 10 = good, 11 = good, 12 = jood. and 13 = ond Another source (Duran 1880, 2 259) provides us wath the fates assocated woth the day names Cipartl (good) Checat! (bad), Calli (good), Cuetzpallin (good), Coat (oad), Maquistl (bad), Mazat! (good), Tochth (neutral), Atl (bad), Itzcuintl (good), Oro- ath (nevtral) Malina (bad), Acatl (neutral), Ocelot! (neutral), Cuauht (neutral), Coz- ‘cacuaul (good), Olin (neutral), Tecpat (bad). Quiahuitl (bad), and Kochi] (neutral) There t» some disagreement as vo whether the day number, the day name, or the ‘combustion of the two played the biggest role in determining the fate of « particular day Sahagun assigns the largest role wo the number, while Durin places it on the day name (Caso 1907 28-29) Sull another source (Serna 1900) places most of the weight on the day saga, but clearly indicates that the number also had an impact on a particular day's torrune Lach trecena also had its associated luck, as seen in the Codex Borbonicus (Paso ¥ Troncoso 1898 2111), Apparently. the fate of each trecena was determined by the day (on wtuch wt began. os follows: 1 Cipacts (good), 1 Ocelot! (bad), 1 Mazatl (neutral), 1 Xochtl (had or neutral), 1 Acatl (bad), 1 Miguizth (neutral), 1 Quiahuitl (bad), 1 Molinalli (bed), 1 Coatl (good), 1 Tecpat! (good), 1 Ozomath (good), 1 Cuetzpallin (good), 1 Ollin (neutral), 1 ftcuinth (good), 1 Call (bad), 1 Cozcacuauhth (good), 1 Atl (bad), Ehecat bad). 1 Cuauhtl (bad), and 1 Tochth (good) (Caso 1967). ‘As for the fates associated with the 9 Lords of the Night, it was as follows: Xiuhte- ccubeh (good). Lztli or Tecpat! (bad), Piltzintecuhtli (good), Centeotl (neutral), Mictlante- ccubth (bad), Chalchiutlicue (neutral), Tlazolteot! (bad), Tepeyolohtli (good), and Tlaloe neutral ‘The 365-Day Calendar ‘The Nahuatl xivitl, or year of 365 days, consisted of 18 “months” of 20 days (18 x 20 = 360) plus 5 additional days. These 18 “months” (meztlipohualli or “count of the ‘moons ot months") and 5 extra days (nemontemi) are known from the work of Paso y Troncoso (1898) and Seler (1902-1923), and can be matched with their equivalents in the Spanish year n.0. 1521 ‘As we will se below, one of the significant differences among ethnic groups was the ‘month in which each began the year. For example, the Tlaxcalans began their year in the ‘month Atemozth, people in Teoutlin and Tecciztlin began theirs in the month Tlacaxs- ppehualiztl, those in Meztitlin in the month Panguetzaliztli; and those in Texcoco in the ‘month Cuahuitlehua (which corresponds to the Mexica month of Atlcahualo) thagan (Books cutral, 3 = gt and s 1 = good, (0d: 4 = vith the fates a son tetzpallin “ed cee ae ‘wauhtli (rea and Xochitl the day nay ate of a artic es it on the day of the weight’, pa t OM a particular dene rdex Borbonicus (p etermined by the? 1 Mazatl (neuer waitl (bad), 1 Malingit pallin (good), 1 Gin 1 Atl (bad), 1 Eheca lar day. s as follows: Xiuhte. (neutral), Mictlante. i (good), and Tlaloc hs” of 20 days (18 x alli or “count of the the work of Paso y ir equivalents in the nic groups was the n their year in the ‘the month Tlacaxi- se in Texcoco in the cahualo). ‘able 4.5 _The Eighteen Mest ("Months") in ‘Dates in the Year A.D. 1521 Mee ‘eal January 24-February 12 ‘teal? February 13-March snipe March 5-Mareh 24 onsen March 25-Apri 13 Hcytonazt April-May 3 Tose! ‘May 4-May 23 Exaleualizt May 25-June 12 ‘Teculhtond Iupe 33-fuly 2 Hueytccuihuitl July S-Jaly 22 Tloxochimacor July 23-Augase 12 Xocoilhueta ‘August 12-Augest 31 Ochiai September I-September 20 Teatleot September 21-October 10 Tepesnaih October 11-Ocrober 30, Qucchall crober 31-Novernber 19 Pangactabiatl Nowember 20-December 9 remot December 10-December 29 Tul December 30-Janwary 18, Nemontemi” (5 extra days) January I9-January 23, i, Nochitca (Mert), of Noch (Texas), and “Also known a ‘Ako ose as Caahutlbua (in Tesco) Xiloman ‘huhu “Bera of the women” (Teale), {Tx hr mah wet ncn Ca, “Orher names are Popocha (Mee). Te (Feown), and Tee povecba, = "the nares ae Micalhitnl (Texcoes), Michi (Mestln), Mie- ‘pluie: (Thxeal) and Nexans (Tatlk). ‘Also known as Hueymicalhuil (Texcoo) or Heyicaticin ‘Avo known se Hucchporlih (Mesias) or Tenabuaiat Fein), "Ao Kone as Paton (Texcoo), Pah (ern), Teteoeo (Fe eco), Teleco (Maelo) and Exot Teac). ‘Alt nwa as Hueypac(Texcoo) and Paha ‘The 52-Year Cycle Rather than a century of 100 years as we have, the Aztec had a period called a xiulmolpilli, equivalent to 52 of our years. The two calendars that we have seen up to this point—the 260-day tontalpohualti and the 365-day xiuit! —ran concurrently. At the end of the year of 365 days, one whole 260-day fonalpohualli had been completed, plus 105 days of the next. The day name had advanced 5 positions, while the day number had advanced 1 position (ie., 105 days divided by 20 day names, leaving 5; and 105 days divided by 13 numbers, leaving 1). If the day name advances 5 positions every year, at the end of 4 years we return to the same day name, but it carries a different numerical coefficient which is 4 numbers higher. Since only 4 of the day names could coincide with m3 Not One Calendar, but Many cor the last day of the year), and since m os eage the ist day ofthe year (erg. the first day of Oe combine with those day names, it follows Chapter 4 any month positor Moor only 13 different numbers that could

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