Lunar ReckoningPeople in a barbarous condition almost invariably reckon time by the period between the waxing and waning of the moon as distinct from the entire passage of a lunar revolution, and this period of twenty dayswill be found to be the basis in the time-reckoning of the Mexicans, who designated itcempohualli. Each day included in it was denoted by a sign, as “house,” “snake,” “wind,” and so forth. Eachcempohualliwas subdivided into four periods of five days each, sometimes alluded to as “weeks” by the early Spanish writers, and these were known by the sign of their middle or third day. These day-names ran on without reference to the length of the year. The year itself was designated by the name of the middle day of the week in which it began. Out of twenty day-names in the Mexican “month” it was inevitable that the fourcalli(house),tochtli(rabbit),acatl(reed), andtecpatl(flint) should always recur in sequence because of the incidence of these days in the Mexican solar year. Four years made up a year of the sun. During thenemontemi(unlucky days) no work was done, as they were regarded as ominous and unwholesome.We have seen that the civil year permitted the day-names to run on continuously from one year to another. The ecclesiastical authorities, however, had a reckoning of their own, and made the year begin always on the first day of their calendar, no matter what sign denominated that day in the civil system.The Demon IzpuztequeThe Demon IzpuztequePhoto Mansell & Co.
Lunar ReckoningPeople in a barbarous condition almost invariably reckon time by the period between the waxing and waning of the moon as distinct from the entire passage of a lunar revolution, and this period of twenty dayswill be found to be the basis in the time-reckoning of the Mexicans, who designated itcempohualli. Each day included in it was denoted by a sign, as “house,” “snake,” “wind,” and so forth. Eachcempohualliwas subdivided into four periods of five days each, sometimes alluded to as “weeks” by the early Spanish writers, and these were known by the sign of their middle or third day. These day-names ran on without reference to the length of the year. The year itself was designated by the name of the middle day of the week in which it began. Out of twenty day-names in the Mexican “month” it was inevitable that the fourcalli(house),tochtli(rabbit),acatl(reed), andtecpatl(flint) should always recur in sequence because of the incidence of these days in the Mexican solar year. Four years made up a year of the sun. During thenemontemi(unlucky days) no work was done, as they were regarded as ominous and unwholesome.We have seen that the civil year permitted the day-names to run on continuously from one year to another. The ecclesiastical authorities, however, had a reckoning of their own, and made the year begin always on the first day of their calendar, no matter what sign denominated that day in the civil system.The Demon IzpuztequeThe Demon IzpuztequePhoto Mansell & Co.
Lunar ReckoningPeople in a barbarous condition almost invariably reckon time by the period between the waxing and waning of the moon as distinct from the entire passage of a lunar revolution, and this period of twenty dayswill be found to be the basis in the time-reckoning of the Mexicans, who designated itcempohualli. Each day included in it was denoted by a sign, as “house,” “snake,” “wind,” and so forth. Eachcempohualliwas subdivided into four periods of five days each, sometimes alluded to as “weeks” by the early Spanish writers, and these were known by the sign of their middle or third day. These day-names ran on without reference to the length of the year. The year itself was designated by the name of the middle day of the week in which it began. Out of twenty day-names in the Mexican “month” it was inevitable that the fourcalli(house),tochtli(rabbit),acatl(reed), andtecpatl(flint) should always recur in sequence because of the incidence of these days in the Mexican solar year. Four years made up a year of the sun. During thenemontemi(unlucky days) no work was done, as they were regarded as ominous and unwholesome.We have seen that the civil year permitted the day-names to run on continuously from one year to another. The ecclesiastical authorities, however, had a reckoning of their own, and made the year begin always on the first day of their calendar, no matter what sign denominated that day in the civil system.The Demon IzpuztequeThe Demon IzpuztequePhoto Mansell & Co.
Lunar ReckoningPeople in a barbarous condition almost invariably reckon time by the period between the waxing and waning of the moon as distinct from the entire passage of a lunar revolution, and this period of twenty dayswill be found to be the basis in the time-reckoning of the Mexicans, who designated itcempohualli. Each day included in it was denoted by a sign, as “house,” “snake,” “wind,” and so forth. Eachcempohualliwas subdivided into four periods of five days each, sometimes alluded to as “weeks” by the early Spanish writers, and these were known by the sign of their middle or third day. These day-names ran on without reference to the length of the year. The year itself was designated by the name of the middle day of the week in which it began. Out of twenty day-names in the Mexican “month” it was inevitable that the fourcalli(house),tochtli(rabbit),acatl(reed), andtecpatl(flint) should always recur in sequence because of the incidence of these days in the Mexican solar year. Four years made up a year of the sun. During thenemontemi(unlucky days) no work was done, as they were regarded as ominous and unwholesome.We have seen that the civil year permitted the day-names to run on continuously from one year to another. The ecclesiastical authorities, however, had a reckoning of their own, and made the year begin always on the first day of their calendar, no matter what sign denominated that day in the civil system.The Demon IzpuztequeThe Demon IzpuztequePhoto Mansell & Co.
Lunar Reckoning
People in a barbarous condition almost invariably reckon time by the period between the waxing and waning of the moon as distinct from the entire passage of a lunar revolution, and this period of twenty dayswill be found to be the basis in the time-reckoning of the Mexicans, who designated itcempohualli. Each day included in it was denoted by a sign, as “house,” “snake,” “wind,” and so forth. Eachcempohualliwas subdivided into four periods of five days each, sometimes alluded to as “weeks” by the early Spanish writers, and these were known by the sign of their middle or third day. These day-names ran on without reference to the length of the year. The year itself was designated by the name of the middle day of the week in which it began. Out of twenty day-names in the Mexican “month” it was inevitable that the fourcalli(house),tochtli(rabbit),acatl(reed), andtecpatl(flint) should always recur in sequence because of the incidence of these days in the Mexican solar year. Four years made up a year of the sun. During thenemontemi(unlucky days) no work was done, as they were regarded as ominous and unwholesome.We have seen that the civil year permitted the day-names to run on continuously from one year to another. The ecclesiastical authorities, however, had a reckoning of their own, and made the year begin always on the first day of their calendar, no matter what sign denominated that day in the civil system.The Demon IzpuztequeThe Demon IzpuztequePhoto Mansell & Co.
People in a barbarous condition almost invariably reckon time by the period between the waxing and waning of the moon as distinct from the entire passage of a lunar revolution, and this period of twenty dayswill be found to be the basis in the time-reckoning of the Mexicans, who designated itcempohualli. Each day included in it was denoted by a sign, as “house,” “snake,” “wind,” and so forth. Eachcempohualliwas subdivided into four periods of five days each, sometimes alluded to as “weeks” by the early Spanish writers, and these were known by the sign of their middle or third day. These day-names ran on without reference to the length of the year. The year itself was designated by the name of the middle day of the week in which it began. Out of twenty day-names in the Mexican “month” it was inevitable that the fourcalli(house),tochtli(rabbit),acatl(reed), andtecpatl(flint) should always recur in sequence because of the incidence of these days in the Mexican solar year. Four years made up a year of the sun. During thenemontemi(unlucky days) no work was done, as they were regarded as ominous and unwholesome.
We have seen that the civil year permitted the day-names to run on continuously from one year to another. The ecclesiastical authorities, however, had a reckoning of their own, and made the year begin always on the first day of their calendar, no matter what sign denominated that day in the civil system.
The Demon IzpuztequeThe Demon IzpuztequePhoto Mansell & Co.
The Demon Izpuzteque
Photo Mansell & Co.