Author Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1881 Excerpt:...we shall find that the third year will begin with 3 Ix; continuing this process we ascertain that the fourth commences with 4 Cauac, the fifth with 5 Kan, the sixth with 6 Muluc, the seventh with 7 Ix, the eighth with 8 Cauac, the ninth with 9 Kan, the tenth with 10 Muluc, the eleventh with 11 Ix, the twelfth with 12 Cauac, the thirteenth with 13 Kan, the fourteenth with 1 Muluc, the fifteenth with 2 Ix, and so on. From this we see that no year, after the first, commences with a day numbered 1 until thirteen have been completed, thus forming a period of 13 years, or as it is designated, "A week of years" or "Indication." By continuing the above process we shall find that no year will again commence with 1 Kan until 52, (or 13X4,)--are completed. Table III. KAN TABLE. Table IV. CAUAC TABLE. In order to make this as plain as possible I will give here a table of years for one cycle of 52 years. As there is some doubt as to which of the two years--1 Kan or 1 Cauac--the cycle began with, I give tables (Nos. Ill and IV) for both. By this time the reader is sufficiently conversant with this sytem to know that if the cycles commence with 1 Kan, as in the left-hand table (No. Ill), the year following 13 Cauac would be 1 Kan and the commencement of another cycle. If the true method were as given in the right-hand table (No. IV), then 13 Ix would be followed by 1 Cauac, the first year of the next cycle. This follows, as will readily be seen, from the fact that 52 is the least common multiple of 4 and 13. The importance of knowing which one of these arrangements was that used by the Mayas will be apparent from the following illustration: A certain event is dated a particular day in the year I Ix; if the table we have headed 1 Kan be correct it would...