1893.] 



267 



[Brinton. 



None of the above solutions can be deemed satisfactory. The 

 fact remains, that among all these peoples the first day of the 

 20-day series was well known and recognized as such ; and yet, 

 except among the Zapotecs, it was not used as a Dominical day 

 or a year-bearer. The Nahuas were well aware of this curious 

 discrepancy, and had their own explanation of it, which, of 

 course, is either purely mythical, or so esoteric that its interpre- 

 tation escapes us. They said that the 5-day periods and the 

 years did originally begin with day 1 and number 1 (ce Cipactli), 

 and that this continued from the time of the invention of the 

 Calendar down to the close of the fourth age of the world, a 

 period of 2028 years ; but as the fifth or present age began on 

 the 8th day of the series and number 1 (ce Tochtli)^ this was 

 then chosen in place of the former. * This 8th day was there- 

 fore placed on the south of the " wheel," and as the count was 

 from right to left, it necessarih^ brought the 13th day, Acatl, to 

 the east, and therefore the true series of Dominical days in the 

 Aztec Calendar would run thus : 8 : 13 : 18 : 3. 



Making this correction in this and the other Calendars, we ob- 

 tain the following as the true sequence of the year-bearers in 

 them, the numbers showing the position of the days in the 20- 

 day series. 



Here again the Tzental is in accord with the Nahuatl, which 

 diminishes the probability of it being a mere coincidence. 



§ 5. The T-day Period, 



The Tzentals appear to have developed the number 7 as an 

 arithmetical element in their astronomical system. They had 

 in their Calendars 7 days painted with black figures, the first be- 



* See the discussion of the Nahuatl myths on the subject, by Paso y Troucoso, in the 

 Anales del Museo Nacinnal de Mexico, Tom. ii, p. ?.5i et ser/.. and Orozco y Berra. Hisloria 

 Antigua de Mexico, Tom. i, p. 17. According to Ixtlilxochitl, the Tezcucans did not begin 

 with lochtli, but with Tecpatl, the latter being the date of the destruction of ToUan. This 

 would give still another series : 18 : 3 : 8 : 13. 



