Page:A Study of the Manuscript Troano.djvu/50

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A STUDY OF THE MANUSCRIPT TROANO.

Muluc, Oc, Chuen, Eb, Ben, Ix, Men, Cib, Caban, Ezanab, Cauac, Ahau, Ymix, Ik, Akbal, was always preserved. For example, if the month began with Muluc, the second day would be Oc, the third Chuen, and so on to Akbal; then followed Kan, just as we would name seven days commencing, say, with Wednesday, then Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, &c.

The Maya year contained 365 days and consisted of two unequal parts, as follows: 360 days, or the year proper, divided into eighteen months of twenty days each; and five intercalary days, which were added at the end in order to complete the number 365.

The eighteen months were named and numbered as follows:

1. Pop; 2. Uo; 3. Zip; 4. Tzoz; 5.Tzec; 6. Xul; 7. Yaxkin; 8. Mol; 9. Chen; 10. Yax; 11. Zac; 12. Ceh; 13. Mac; 14. Kankin; 15. Muan; 16. Pax; 17. Kayab; 18. Cumhu.

Fig. 3.—Month characters.

The year always commenced with the same month—Pop—the others invariably following in the order given, so that the number of the month being given we know its name.

But eighteen months of twenty days each not completing the year, five days were added after the close of Cumhu—not as a part of that month for no month could have either more or less than twenty days—to complete