20
The discovery of the Manuscript, no doubt, induced Señor Perez to make a systematic and detailed sketch of the early native chronolgy of his country. We shall mention only the most interesting and important of his details and refer the reader for the rest to Stephens' work already mentioned. The names of the 20 days, in the month are as follows: —
|
1 Kan. |
6 Muluc. |
11 Gix. |
316 Cavac. |
sidered of no importance, still, as it would bring to light another of the many numerical combinations (13×20=260) in which those people indulged, with the fundamental figures of their calendar system, we must feel a great interest in the asserted fact, hoping it will turn out to be a correct statement. Our researches have been directed for a long time towards the discovery of the symbols which the Maya annalists or sculptors would have employed for their chronological periods. It was in connection with these studies that we discovered the Nahuatl symbols for the same, of which we gave account in our discussion on the Calendar Stone. Yet while this discovery only corroborates the suspicion long entertained that a certain set of Maya symbols reprsented the lustra of 5, and another the period of 20 years, we have not yet been able to recognize a Maya symbol for the period of 260 years.
The word Katun is a compound of Kat, to ask, to consult, and tun, stone; hence the stone, which when asked, gives account. Thus it was also understood by Cogolludo, who, when mentioning the word Katun (see above), was referring to the square stones iucrusted into walls, upon which the convent was built. What traditions he followed in this is still better illustrated by the words in continuation of this passage: "In a place called Tixualahtun, which means a spot where one hewn stone is set upon another one, the Archives of the Indians are said to have existed, to which they resorted for all questions of historical interest (recurso de todos los acaecimientos), as we should do to Simancas, in Spain." The stone columns found on the spot named, can be seen pictured in J. L. Stephens' Incidents of travel in Yucatan, Vol. II., page 318.
