289 



for the first. The Aztecks united in what they 

 called wheels of the half century, xiuhmolpilli, 

 the series of hieroglyphics, that denote the cycle 

 of 52 years. A serpent, with its tail in its 

 mouth, forming a circle, surrounds the wheel, 

 and denotes, by four knots, the four indictions, 

 or tlalp'dli. This emblem reminds us of the 

 serpent or dragon, which, among the Egyp- 

 tians and the Persians *, represents the century, 

 a revolution, cevwn. In this wheel of fifty-two 

 years, the head of the serpent denotes the be- 

 ginning of the cycle. It is not so with the 

 wheel of the year; the serpent there does 

 not encircle the 18 hieroglyphics of the months, 

 and nothing in it characterizes the first month of 

 the year. 



The memoir which Mr. Gam a published at 

 Mexico on the Azteck almanack being very 

 scarce in Europe, I shall insert here the series of 

 the months, according to the laborious investi- 

 gations of this distinguished writer. I shall add 

 the etymology of the denominations, all of which 

 relate to the festivals, public works, and the 

 climate of Mexico. We cannot doubt, but that 

 Tititl was the first month, the Indian Christoval 

 del Castillo expressly stating in his manuscript 

 history, that the nemontemr, or complementary 



* Bailly, p. 515. 

 VOL. XIII. U 



