APPENDIX. 



443 



script, "great feasts were celebrated in honour of the god thereof, and a 

 statue of the god was put up, with letters and inscriptions," It must be 

 supposed that these were expressed by means of signs or hieroglyphics. 



The use of this cycle was of very great advantage and importance, be- 

 cause when, for example, the 8th Ajau was referred to in their histories in 

 describing some event which it was necessary to distinguish from others, 

 the 8th Ajau was established as a distinct date, and it was understood that 

 the 312 years had elapsed, which made up the whole Katun, in order to re- 

 turn to the same number ; this was more clear, if the writer explained that 

 a ^iudz Kalun had elapsed, which is the sum total of the thirteen Katunes, 

 or the great cycle. They had various modes of quoting the Ajaues, as by 

 saying generally the beginning, middle, or end of such an Ajau, or by 

 mentioning the years of the Katun which had elapsed, without stating the 

 month or day of the year, or by specifying all the particulars of the epoch, 

 the year, month, and day. Such is the passage in which is noticed the 

 death of a certain, without doubt very notable, Ajpula. It is said that he 

 died in the 6th year of 13 Ajau, when the first day of the year was 4 Kan 

 at the east end of the wheel, in the day of 9 Ymix, 18th of the month Zip. 

 This date being so circumstantial, we will trace it out, that it may serve as 

 an example. 



Looking at the series of years which belong to the 13 Ajau, and which 

 we have given above, it will be seen that 12 Cauac falls in the year 1488, 

 the second day of that year being, therefore, the beginning of the 13th 

 Ajau; that the year 1493 is the sixth from the beginning of the said Ajau, 

 and that its first day is designated as 4 Kan, which is the title of that year, 

 " 18th of the month Zip." As this month begins on the 25th of August, 

 the 18th corresponds with the Uth of September, Let us see now whether 

 this 18th day falls on 9 Ymix. The first month of that year commenced 

 with 4 Kan, since 4 Kan designates that year (see the rule given in treat- 

 ing of the months). We find the numbers (of the week) annexed to the first 

 days of the following months by successively adding 7 to each month, &c. 

 (or, which is the same thing, by the rule buk xoc). The number of the 1st 

 day of the 1st month being in this case 4, the number of the 1st day of the 

 2d month will be 4+7==ll, and that of the 1st day of the 3d month, viz., of 

 Zip, will be 11+7 — 13=5. That month begins, therefore, in that year, with 

 5 Kan, and the following days are. 



Days 

 Aug. 



25 

 26 

 27 

 28 

 29 

 30 

 31 



r)f 

 Zip. 



D^ys of the Week. 



Sept. 



T 



2 



3 



4 



5 



6 



7 



of 



Zip. 



8 

 9 

 10 

 11 

 12 

 13 

 14 



Days of the Week. 



Day 

 ■iept. 



"8" 

 9 

 10 

 11 



Zip. 



Days of the Week. 



1 



2 

 3 

 4 

 5 

 6 

 7 



5. Kan. 



6. Chicchan. 



7. Cluimi. 



8. Manik. 



9. Lamac. 



10. Muluc. 



11. Oc. 



12. Ctiuen. 



13. Eb. 



1. Ben. 



2. Gix. 



3. Men. 



4. Cluin. 



5. Caban. 



15 

 16 

 17 

 18 



6. Edznab. 



7. Cauac. 



8. Ajau. 



9. Ymix. 



