1893.] ^V)9 [Brinton. 



Dr. Forstemann brings evidence to show that the Mayas at 

 one time arranged the days of the solar year in 4 groups of 7 

 weeks each, each week being the native one of 13 da3rs (4 X 13 

 X 7 = 364), and that each of these groups of T was assigned to 

 a particular cardinal point.* 



§ 6. The Yague Solar Year. 



Whatever might have been its origin or earlier uses, this 

 period of 260 days was no longer at the time of the Conquest 

 the received civil time measure, but was confined to divinatorj-, 

 astrological and sacred purposes. It served to fix the festivals 

 and fasts of religion, and to foretell the fate of individuals and 

 nations. 



No doubt these nations, like the northern hunting tribes, had 

 in early times a rude and inaccurate method of noting the solar 

 year, either by seasons, or lunations, or by the regular recur- 

 rence of natural phenomena. An effort was made to adjust to 

 this the computation by vigesimal day periods, 18 of which 

 gave 360 days. This still required 5 days every year and 1 more 

 every 4 years to render the count accurate. The 5 days were 

 noted, and annually allowed for as " useless," or uncounted days ; 

 but the 1 every 4 years, which we intercalate in our leap year, 

 was probably not recognized in most tribes, and several careful 

 authors think not anj^where. The assertions in reference to 

 this by early authorities are obscure and unsatisfactory. 



In spite of the fact that these 20-day periods in no wise cor- 

 responded to the lunar months nor were derived from them, they 

 seem to have been very generally called by terms connected 

 with the word for moon, which indicates that at some time the}'' 

 superseded a more ancient system of reckoning the solar year 

 by a series of lunations. 



This will be seen from the following examples : 



The Cakchiquels, according to Yarea, had two expressions for 

 "month," the one, iq^ evidently allied to ^^, moon ; the other, 

 atit^ the literal meaning of which is " old woman " (muger 



* Globvs, No. 2, 1892. The Nahuatl legend of the "Seven Caves, Chicomoztoc," whence 

 issued tlieir ancestors, and the repeated u.se of the number seven in the Popol Vuh, are 

 other Indications of the general sacredness of this number among the tribes under dis- 

 cussion. I have already quoted Mr. Gushing in reference to its meaning in the mythical 

 rites of the Zufiis. 



