JIAVA 



THUiMAS 



] THE MONTHS AND DAYS. 19 



Where there are no numbers attached to the months, the twentieth 

 or last day is to be understood, as, for example, in the last line above 

 mentioned, where the month " Oumlui" is given without any number, 

 20 Cumhii is to be understood. We have prefixed the numeral in 

 brackets, thus indicating" its absence in the original. 



As we shall have occasion to refer to it repeatedly, I introduce the 

 compound calendar (table 3) adopted in my i)revious works to avoid 

 the necessity of writing out the long series of days of the years referred 

 to. But instead of commencing Avith the usual year-bearers, Kan, 

 Muluc, Ix, Cauac, this table, as will be evident to those familiar with 

 the Maya calendar, begins with the days with which, in the usual plan, 

 the months close; viz, Akbal, Lamat, Ben, Ezanab. The reason for 

 this will be given further on. 



For a full explanation of the Maya calendar the reader is referred to 

 my previous works*; the following brief explanation is given for the 

 benefit of readers who may not have an opportunity of referring to 

 these works. 



The Maya year, according to the early Spanish authors, contained 

 three hundred and sixty-five days and consisted of two unequal parts, 

 as follows : Three hundred and sixty days, or the year proper, divided 

 into eighteen months of twenty days each; and the five intercalary 

 days required to complete the number three hundred and sixty-five 

 added at the end. 



The eighteen months were named and numbered as follows : 1 Pop, 

 2 Uo, 3 Zip, 4 Tzoz, 5 Tzec, 6 Xul, 7 Yaxkin, 8 Mol, Chen, 10 Yax, 

 11 Zac, 12 Ceh, 13 Mac, 14 Kankiu, 15 Muan (or Moan), 1(> Pax, 17 

 Kayab, 18 Cumhu (or Cumku). As the year always commenced with 

 the month Pop, the others following in the order given, the number of 

 each is readily ascertained from the name, and the name from the 

 number. 



Each month consisted of twenty days, named as follows: Kan, Chic- 

 chau, Cimi, Manik, Lamat, Muluc, Oc, Chuen, Eb, Ben (or Been), Ix, 

 Men, Cib, Caban, Ezanab, Cauac, Ahau, Ymix, Ik, Akbal. The order 

 or sequence here given was always maintained, though the month did 

 not always begin with the same day, since, according to the peculiar 

 arrangement of the calendar, it might begin with Kan, Muluc, Ix, or 

 Cauac; or, as appears to be the rule in the Dresden codex and as given 

 in our table 3, with Akbal, Lamat, Ben, and Ezanab. t If it began 

 with Kan, the second day would beChicchan, the others following as 

 given above; if with Muluc, then Oc would be the second day, Chuen 

 the third, and so on; if with Ix, then Men would be the second day, 



* "A study of the Manuscript Troauo" (Contributions to North American Ethnol- 

 ogy, Vol. V), 1882, pp. 7-12; "Aids to the Study of the Maya Codices," 6th Ann. Rep. 

 Bur. Eth., 1888, p. 275. 



tit is probable, as will hv shown liereaftcr. that this system was derived from 

 the Tzental calendar. 



