MAYA 



IHMMA 



.] 



YMIX IN THE I\rAYA CALENDAR. 



43 



early autbors. For example, the iMaya, Tzental, and Quicbe-Cakchi- 

 quel lists are usually given as follows : 



Usual day names in the Maya, Tzental, and Quiche- Cakchiquel dialects. 



Wliy Ymix was not chosen as one of the "year-bearers" is a mystery 

 which is not yet solved. It is probable, however, that this order came 

 down from a time previous to the adoption of the four-year series. It 

 is evident from Landa's language and from some series in the codices 

 that Ymix was selected as the day with which to begin certain chrono- 

 logic periods. This author's language, which is somewhat peculiar, is 

 as follows: 



It is cnrioiis to note how the dominical letter always comes np at the beginning 

 of its year, without mistake or failing, and that none of the other twenty letters 

 appear. They also use this method of counting in order to derive from certain let- 

 ters a method of counting their epochs and other things, which, though interesting to 

 them, does not concern ns much here. It is enough to say that the character or letter 

 ■with w'hich they begin their computation of the days of their calendar is always one 

 Yviix, which is this, (/jvsj) which has no certain or iixed day on which it falls. Be- 

 cause each one changes its position according to his own count; yet, or all that, the 

 dominical letter of the year which follows does not fail to come up correctly.* 



It seems probable that a wrong inference has been drawn from this 

 language by writers. It does not declare that the '-dominical let- 

 ter" was Ymix; on the contrary, a careful analysis of his language 



Relacion de las Cosas de Y'ucatau, p. 236. 



