314 



The numbers thirteen and twenty having no 

 common factors in the almanack of half-luna- 

 tions, the two periodical series cannot twice 

 correspond to the same terms, till after thirteen 

 multiplied by twenty, or two hundred and sixty 

 days. In a year, the first day of which has the 

 sign cipactti, there is no half-lunation, that be- 

 gins with the sign cipactti, in the first thirteen 

 months ; but after the month pachtli, the same 

 signs return with the same ciphers. To avoid 

 this cause of error, the Mexicans, faithful to their 

 principles of not naming the number of small 

 periods of thirteen days, had again recourse to 

 the contrivance of periodical series. They 

 formed a third series of nine signs, called the 

 lords or masters of the night, namely, 



Xiuhteucti tletl 

 Tecpatl . 

 Xochitl 

 Cinteotl . 

 Miquiztli 

 Atl . . 

 Tlazolteotl 

 Tepeyollotli 



Quiahuitl 



fire, or master of the year. 



flint. 



a flower. 



the goddess of maize. 



death. 



water. 



the goddess of love, 

 a spirit that inhabits the in- 

 terior of mountains, 

 rain. 



We may be astonished at finding a series of 

 nine terms in a calendar, that makes use only of 



