4 The Mexican Zodiac. 



all sixteen divisions, which may have to do with the Mexican 

 division of the day into sixteen parts. 



Speaking of the onter circles, Grama says, " The external 

 zone consists, except at the extremities, of a symbol twenty 

 times repeated, which may represent the Milky Way. The 

 waving lines are probably meant for clouds/'' Others suppose 

 them to be symbols of mountains, in which clouds and storms 

 originate ; whilst Gallatin thought them to be altogether orna- 

 mental. 



I will now examine this portion of the Zodiac. Between 

 the large and small rays there are six sets of ten indications, 

 and two of five (something like Acatl, or reeds) = 70, which 

 number has been already referred to. Out of the centres of the 

 six sets rise figures, called by Gama c ' rafagas 6 luces," which 

 may mean plumes of feathers. These figures have squares 

 with five indications each = 30, twelve of these would be = to 

 360. Then there are door- way indications, each of three, = 18, 

 which may have to do with the eighteen months of the Aztec 

 year. 



Then follow the twelve series of the waved symbol 

 (supposed by Gama to represent clouds and mountains), and 

 underneath twelve open spaces of fours, == 48. The whole 

 figure looks to me like the symbol Atl, or water. Did the 

 Aztecs suppose that the world, as they knew it, was 

 surrounded by water ? One of their expressions was, " All the 

 round world is but a sepulchre." Solis observes that one of 

 their principal idols was seated in a chair, which was on a blue 

 globe, which they called heaven. Out of this circle springs 

 the symbol of the year XIII Acatl, or reeds (the twenty- sixth of 

 the cycle). 



We now come to the symbol on the outer edge, ten times 

 repeated on each side, == 20. In the upper portions are band- 

 like figures (which may be reeds), and probably have reference 

 to the tying up, or completion of the cycle every fifty-two years. 

 Further on are two more of these symbols, and in the lower 

 portions two more partially covered, = 24. The twenty 

 symbols have ten indications each, =200. There were great 

 feasts at every 200 and 300 days ; but the symbols at the top 

 have forty indications, and if the lower ones contained the 

 same number, we should have 260 indications, or the number 

 of days in the year of the priests, which had 100 days less 

 than the solar year. Gama supposed this to be the symbol of 

 the Milky Way ; but it strikes me rather to represent plants 

 or flowers. The first Spaniards called them tufts of flowers. 

 I find the symbol to bear a great resemblance to that of the 20th, 

 or last day of the month Xochtl, or Flower. May we suppose 

 the Aztecs conceived that this was to represent the outside of 



