42 BUEEAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY Fbull. r.7 



any one of the twenty names ^ as a starting point, Kan for example, 

 the number 1 was prefixed to it. See Table II, in which the names 

 of Table I have been repeated with the nmnbers prefixed to them in 

 a manner to be explained hereafter. The star opposite the name 

 Kan indicates the starting point above chosen. The name Chicchan 

 immediately follo\^dng Kan in Table II was given the next nmnber 

 in order (2), namely, 2 Chicchan. The next name, Cimi, was given 

 the next number (3), namely, 3 Cimi, and so on as follows: 4 Manik, 

 5 lamat, 6 Muluc, 7 Oc, 8 Chuen, 9 Eb, 10 Ben, 11 Ix, 12 Men, 13 Cib. 



Table, II. SEQUENCE OF MAYA DAYS 



Instead of giving to the next name in Table II (Caban) the 

 number 14, the number 1 was prefixed; for, as previously stated, 

 the numerical coefficients of the days did not rise above the num- 

 ber 13. Follo\vdng the day 1 Caban, the sequence continued as 

 before: 2 Eznab, 3 Cauac, 4 Ahau. After the day 4 Ahau, the last 

 in Table II, the next number in order, in this case 5, was prefixed to 

 the next name in order — that is, Imix, the first name in Table II — 

 and the count continued \\dthout interruption : 6 Imix, 6 Ik, 7 Akbal, 

 or back to the name Kan wdth which it started. There was no break 

 in the sequence, however, even at this pomt (or at any other, for 

 that matter) . The next name in Table II, Kan, selected for the 

 starting point, was given the number next in order, i. e., 8, and the 

 day following 7 Akbal in Table II would be, therefore, 8 Kan, and 

 the sequence would continue to be formed in the same way: 8 

 Kan, 9 Chicchan, 10 Cimi, 11 Manik, 12 lamat, 13 Muluc, 1 Oc, 

 2 Chuen, 3 Eb, and so on. So far as the Maya conception of time was 

 concerned, this sequence of days went on without interruption, forever. 



While somewhat unusual at first sight, this sequence is in reality 

 exceedingly simple, being governed by three easily remembered rules: 



Rule 1. The sequence of the 20 day names repeats itself again and 

 again without interruption. 



1 Since the sequence of the twenty day names was continuous, it is obvious that it had no beginning or end- 

 ing, like the rim of a wheel; consequently any day name may be chosen arbitrarily as the starting point. In 

 the accompanying example Kan has been chosen to begin with, though Bishop Landa (p. 236) states 

 ^_ with regard to the Maya: "The character or letter with which they commence their count of the 

 ^]jj) days or calendar is called Hun-ymix [i. e. 1 Imix]". Again, " Ilerc commences the count of the cal- 



* endar of the Indians, saying in their language Hun Imix (*) [i. e. 1 Imix]." (Ibid., p. 246.) 



