The Mayan calendar

A sun calendar that was used in past times was that of the Mayas. It probably goes back to the year 580 B.C. According to a renowned Ameri¬can archaeologist, Sylvanus Griswold Morley, it was the first seasonal and agricultural calendar in America.

The Mayan calendar was similar in some respects to that of the Egyptians. It consisted of 360 days, with a period of 5 days, necessary to complete the year, added as a short month. As we saw, the Egyptians dedicated the 5 extra days in the year to the gods, but the Mayas considered them as evil days upon which no work could be done, no journey undertaken and no marriage performed. As in Egypt, arrangements for the extra days were left to the priesthood.

The Mayan calendar was arranged differently from that of the Egyptians. The year had 18 months of 20 days. The 20 days within each month were divided into four 5-day series, corresponding to our weeks; each day had its own name. The 20 days of the month began with a cipher; henee the days were numbered from O to 19 inclusive, not from 1 to 20 inclusive, as we would count the days in our months.

Inserted with the Mayan sun calendar was another imposed by the priests, who used a time system of their own for ceremo¬nial rites and purposes. This was the permutation system, or tzolkin. In this system there were 20 months of 13 days each existing within the framework of the 18-month 20-day year. It was as if we were to have a 260-day year start on January 1. The 260th day would correspond to September 17 : the first day of the new 260-day year could then correspond to September 18.