Mexico, Aztec, Spanish and Republican Part 9

"This would appear to be purely mythological, but the fact that all these imaginary antediluvian periods consist of a certain number of cycles, shows that this fable was invented subsequent to the time when the Mexicans had attained a knowledge of cycles, years and of the approximate _length_ of the solar year. It seems, therefore, probable that the mythological representation is in some way connected with celestial phenomena, and it is accordingly, found that the days designated in the parallelograms A and C, as 4 Ocelotl, and 4 Quiahuitl, correspond respectively, (on the a.s.sumption that the first year of the cycle corresponds with the 31st of December,) with the 13th of May and 17th of July, old style, or 22d of May and 26th of July, new style. And these two days 22d of May and 26th of July, are those, according to Gama, of the transit of the sun by the zenith of the city of Mexico, which, by the observations of Humboldt, lies in 19 25' and 57" north lat.i.tude and in 101 25' 20" west longitude from Paris. The two other days 4 Ehecatl, and 4 Atl, do not correspond either in the first year of the cycle or in the year 13 Acatl, with any station of the sun or any other celestial phenomena.

"There are three other hieroglyphics contained within the interior circ.u.mference or representation of the sun, which indicate the dates of some celebrated feasts of the Aztecs. The three following indications or hieroglyphics are found immediately below the figure of the sun. The first of these, designated by the letter H, is placed between the parallelograms C and D, and consists of two squares of five oblongs each, indicating the Aztec numeral 10. The symbol of the day is not annexed, but the whole of the central figure is itself the sign Olin Tonatiah, and the hieroglyphic of the day Olin, as delineated on the stone among the other emblems of the days, is on a small scale and abbreviated form of that central and princ.i.p.al figure of the stone. The day designated here, is consequently, 10 Olin. Below this, and on each side respectively of the great vertical ray of the sun, are found the hieroglyphics of the days 1 Quiahuitl, and 2 Ozomatli. Of the last mentioned days,--10 Olin corresponds in the first year of the cycle, with the 22d day of September, new style;--1 Quiahuitl with the 28th of March, and 2 Ozomatli with the 28th of June, as will be seen by the table at the end of this description of the calendar.

"We find, therefore, delineated on this stone all the dates of the princ.i.p.al positions of the sun, and it thus appears that the Aztecs had ascertained with considerable precision the respective days of the two pa.s.sages of the sun by the zenith of Mexico, of the two equinoxes, and of the summer and winter solstices. They had therefore six different means of ascertaining and verifying the length of the solar year by counting the number of days elapsed till the sun returned to each of these six points,--the two solstices, the two equinoxes, and the two pa.s.sages by the zenith."[18]

MEXICAN ALMANAC,

ACCORDING TO GAMA.

Column Headings: A: Names of the months.

B: t.i.titl.

C: Itzcalli.

D: Xiloma.n.a.liztli.

E: Tlacaxipehnaliztli.

F: Tozoztontli.

G: Hueytozoztli.

H: Toxcall.

I: Etzalqualiztli.

J: Tecuilhuitontli.

K: Heuytecuilhuitl.

L: Miccailhuitonili.

M: Heuymiccailhuitl.

N: Ochpaniztli.

O: Pachtli.

P: Heuypachtli.

Q: Quecholli.

R: Panquetzaliztli.

S: Atenioztli.

T: The five Nemontemi.

===================================================================== A B C D E F G H -------------------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ Months. 1st 2d 3d 4th 5th 6th 7th Day of the Julian year, N. S.,} Jan. Jan. Feb. Mar. Mar. Apr. May on which each month begins. } 9 29 18 10 30 19 9 1 Sea Animal c.i.p.actli 1 a 8 c 2 e 9 g 3 i 10 b 4 d 2 Wind Ehecatl 2 b 9 d 3 f 10 h 4 a 11 c 5 e 3 House Calli 3 c 10 e 4 g 11 i 5 b 12 d 6 f 4 Small Lizard Cuetzpalin 4 d 11 f 5 h 12 a 6 c 13 e 7 g 5 Serpent Cohuatl 5 e 12 g 6 i 13 b 7 d 1 f 8 h 6 Death Miquiztli 6 f 13 h 7 a 1 c 8 e 2 g 9 i 7 Deer Mazatl 7 g 1 i 8 b 2 d 9 f 3 h 10 a 8 Rabbit Tochtli 8 h 2 a 9 c 3 e 10 g 4 i 11 b 9 Water Atl 9 i 3 b 10 d 4 f 11 h 5 a 12 c 10 Dog Itzcuintli 10 a 4 c 11 e 5 g 12 i 6 b 13 d 11 Ape Ozomatli 11 b 5 d 2 f 6 h 13 a 7 c 1 e 12 Twisted Gra.s.s Malinalli 12 c 6 e 13 g 7 i 1 b 8 d 2 f 13 Reed Acatl 13 d 7 f 1 h 8 a 2 c 9 e 3 g 14 Tiger Ocelotl 1 e 8 g 2 i 9 b 3 d 10 f 4 h 15 Eagle Quauhtli 2 f 9 h 3 a 10 c 4 e 11 g 5 i 16 Bird (Aura) Cozcaquauhtli 3 g 10 i 4 b 11 d 5 f 12 h 6 a 17 Motion of Sun Ollin 4 h 11 a 5 c 12 e 6 g 13 i 7 b 18 Pedestal} Tecpatl 5 i 12 b 6 d 13 f 7 h 1 a 8 c Silex } 19 Rain Quiahuitl 6 a 13 c 7 e 1 g 8 i 2 b 9 d 20 Flower Xochitl 7 b 1 d 8 f 2 h 9 a 3 c 10 e -------------------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ Day of the year corresponding } 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 with last day of each month. } Day of the Julian year, N. S.,} Jan. Feb. Mar. Mar. Apr. May May on which each month ends. } 28 17 9 29 18 8 28 =====================================================================

MEXICAN ALMANAC, (Table Continued)

ACCORDING TO GAMA.

Column Headings: A: Names of the months.

B: t.i.titl.

C: Itzcalli.

D: Xiloma.n.a.liztli.

E: Tlacaxipehnaliztli.

F: Tozoztontli.

G: Hueytozoztli.

H: Toxcall.

I: Etzalqualiztli.

J: Tecuilhuitontli.

K: Heuytecuilhuitl.

L: Miccailhuitonili.

M: Heuymiccailhuitl.

N: Ochpaniztli.

O: Pachtli.

P: Heuypachtli.

Q: Quecholli.

R: Panquetzaliztli.

S: Atenioztli.

T: The five Nemontemi.

===================================================================== A I J K L M N O -------------------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ Months. 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th Day of the Julian year, N. S.,} May June July July Aug. Sept Sept on which each month begins. } 29 18 8 28 17 6 26 1 Sea Animal c.i.p.actli 11 f 5 h 12 a 6 c 13 e 7 g 1 i 2 Wind Ehecatl 12 g 6 i 13 b 7 d 1 f 8 h 2 a 3 House Calli 13 h 7 a 1 c 8 e 2 g 9 i 3 b 4 Small Lizard Cuetzpalin 1 i 8 b 2 d 9 f 3 h 10 a 4 c 5 Serpent Cohuatl 2 a 9 c 3 e 10 g 4 i 11 b 5 d 6 Death Miquiztli 3 b 10 d 4 f 11 h 5 a 12 c 6 e 7 Deer Mazatl 4 c 11 e 5 g 12 i 6 b 13 d 7 f 8 Rabbit Tochtli 5 d 12 f 6 h 13 a 7 c 1 e 8 g 9 Water Atl 6 e 13 g 7 i 1 b 8 d 2 f 9 h 10 Dog Itzcuintli 7 f 1 h 8 a 2 c 9 e 3 g 10 i 11 Ape Ozomatli 8 g 2 i 9 b 3 d 10 f 4 h 11 a 12 Twisted Gra.s.s Malinalli 9 h 3 a 10 c 4 e 11 g 5 i 12 b 13 Reed Acatl 10 i 4 b 11 d 5 f 12 h 6 a 13 c 14 Tiger Ocelotl 11 a 5 c 12 e 6 g 13 i 7 b 1 d 15 Eagle Quauhtli 12 b 6 d 13 f 7 h 1 a 8 c 2 e 16 Bird (Aura) Cozcaquauhtli 13 c 7 e 1 g 8 i 2 b 9 d 3 f 17 Motion of Sun Ollin 1 d 8 f 2 h 9 a 3 c 10 e 4 g 18 Pedestal} Tecpatl 2 e 9 g 3 i 10 b 4 d 11 f 5 h Silex } 19 Rain Quiahuitl 3 f 10 h 4 a 11 c 5 e 12 g 6 i 20 Flower Xochitl 4 g 11 i 5 b 12 d 6 f 13 h 7 a -------------------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ Day of the year corresponding } 160 180 200 220 240 260 280 with last day of each month. } Day of the Julian year, N. S.,} June July July Aug. Sept Sept Oct. on which each month ends. } 17 7 27 16 5 25 15 =====================================================================

MEXICAN ALMANAC, (Table Continued)

ACCORDING TO GAMA.

Column Headings: A: Names of the months.

B: t.i.titl.

C: Itzcalli.

D: Xiloma.n.a.liztli.

E: Tlacaxipehnaliztli.

F: Tozoztontli.

G: Hueytozoztli.

H: Toxcall.

I: Etzalqualiztli.

J: Tecuilhuitontli.

K: Heuytecuilhuitl.

L: Miccailhuitonili.

M: Heuymiccailhuitl.

N: Ochpaniztli.

O: Pachtli.

P: Heuypachtli.

Q: Quecholli.

R: Panquetzaliztli.

S: Atenioztli.

T: The five Nemontemi.

============================================================ A P Q R S T -------------------------------+----+----+----+----+---- Months. 15th 16th 17th 18th Day of the Julian year, N. S.,} Oct. Nov. Nov. Dec. Jan. on which each month begins. } 16 5 25 15 4 1 Sea Animal c.i.p.actli 8 b 2 d 9 f 3 h 10 2 Wind Ehecatl 9 c 3 e 10 g 4 i 11 3 House Calli 10 d 4 f 11 h 5 a 12 4 Small Lizard Cuetzpalin 11 e 5 g 12 i 6 b 13 5 Serpent Cohuatl 12 f 6 h 13 a 7 c 6 Death Miquiztli 13 g 7 i 1 b 8 d 7 Deer Mazatl 1 h 8 a 2 c 9 e 8 Rabbit Tochtli 2 i 9 b 3 d 10 f 9 Water Atl 3 a 10 c 4 e 11 g 10 Dog Itzcuintli 4 b 11 d 5 f 12 h 11 Ape Ozomatli 5 c 12 e 6 g 13 i 12 Twisted Gra.s.s Malinalli 6 d 13 f 7 h 1 a 13 Reed Acatl 7 e 1 g 8 i 2 b 14 Tiger Ocelotl 8 f 2 h 9 a 3 c 15 Eagle Quauhtli 9 g 3 i 10 b 4 d 16 Bird (Aura) Cozcaquauhtli 10 h 4 a 11 c 5 e 17 Motion of Sun Ollin 11 i 5 b 12 d 6 f 18 Pedestal} Tecpatl 12 a 6 c 13 e 7 g Silex } 19 Rain Quiahuitl 13 b 7 d 1 f 8 h 20 Flower Xochitl 1 c 8 e 2 g 9 i -------------------------------+----+----+----+----+---- Day of the year corresponding } 300 320 340 360 365 with last day of each month. } Day of the Julian year, N. S.,} Nov. Nov. Dec. Jan. Jan. on which each month ends. } 4 24 14 3 8 ============================================================

In this perpetual almanac, each day in the year is designated by three characteristics derived from the combination of three series, viz.: That of the 20 days of the month, each of which has a distinct name and hieroglyphic, from c.i.p.actli to Xochitl; and as these names are the same and in the same order in every month, the column in which they are set down answers for every month. The series of 13 days, designed by its proper numeral from 1 to 13.

And the series of the 9 night companions, designated in this Table by the letters a, b, ... h, i, viz.:

a. {Xiuhteuctli.

{Tletl.

b. Tecpatl.

c. Xochitl.

d. Cinteotl.

e. Miquiztli.

f. Atl.

g. Tlazolteotl.

h. Tepeyolotli.

i. Quiahuitl.