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DID YOU KNOW: Ancient Maya discovered two fundamental ideas in mathematics and used them in their numeric system: a) positional value and b) the concept of zero. 300 years after the Maya accomplished their impressive numeric system; only one other great ancient civilization was able to acquire such important numeric understanding, the Hindu. The Mayan solar calendar of 365 days depicted here is called "Haab;” it is divided into 18 months of 20 days, each with a period of 5 days left over at the end of the year. This short 5 day month is called “Uayeb,” the resting of the year. The most important calendar cycle for the Maya is Tzolkin, a ritual calendar of 260 days also known as the Sacred Almanac and J'Men Elder Mayan Priests (Shamans) continue using its count to celebrate their Mayan sacred rituals and ceremonies. It is composed of 13 months, each with 20 days. Every day in the 260 day calendar has a unique corresponding position in time as well as in the “Haab” or the solar 360 + 5 day Maya calendar. Each day’s position in the calendars only repeats itself every 52 solar years.
A cycle of 52 solar years, called the Sacred Calendar Round intermeshes with both Haab and Tzolkin calendars to form a calendar system of the Maya’s Cosmo-vision and time. There is one more calendar, the Long Count, a linear calendar interpretation of time that the Maya perfected during the 1st millennium A.D.
THE MAYA LONG COUNT: The Maya calculated dates millions of
years in the past and the future for ritual purposes with the use of
their “Long Count,” or date calendar, which records the total number
of days that have elapsed since their zero day 0.0.0.0.0 that can be
correlated to August 2nd, 3114 B.C. in our Gregorian
calendar. The present Haab calendar cycle will end on
13.0.0.0.0 or December 21st, 2012 A.D. in our Gregorian
calendar which will mark the winter equinox. The slow wobbling
of the earth's polar axis causes the precession of equinoxes, also
known today as the Platonic Year, this was well known by ancient
Maya timekeepers and skywatchers and played an important part of
their religion, sacred ceremonies, Cosmo-vision and mythology.
Mayan
mythology foretells the creation
story of the Hero Twins and the end of the present Haab or Long
Count calendar cycle; this rare cosmic event, the cross formed by
the intersecting Milky Way and the plane of the ecliptic path of our
solar system, was symbolized with a Ceiba Sacred Tree of Life by
ancient Maya and marked the end of a cycle and the beginning of a
new era. · A day is called “kin” · Each set of 20 kin (days) is called uinal · Each set of 360 days is known as tun · Each set of 20 tuns (almost 20 years) is known as katun · Each set of 20 baktuns (almost 400 years) is known as baktun
Long count dates are inscribed on many ancient Maya monuments,
ceremonial vessels and codex. The count is expressed in a sequence
like this one 9.13.0.5.2 which reads: 9 baktuns, 13 baktuns, 0 tuns,
5 uinals, 2 kins. NOTE: original Maya numerical reading format goes
from right to left numbers as shown in the wheels of time photo
below:
This article is a courtesy of the following non-profit organizations:
Maya Founation In Laakeech
A.C.
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