THE AZTEC CALENDAR

Like the Mayans, the Aztecs have both a 260 day calendar, called Tonalpohualli (or The Count of the Destinies), and 365 day solar, or agricultural calendar callled Xihuitl.

The 260 day cycle of 13 months of 20 days each is constructed by interlocking 13 numbered days with 20 named days.

Days:

  1. cipactli [crocodile]
  2. ehecatl [wind]
  3. calli [house]
  4. cuetzpalin (cuetzpallin) [lizard]
  5. coatl [snake]
  6. miquiztli [death]
  7. mazatl [deer]
  8. tochtli [rabbit]
  9. atl [water]
  10. itzcuintli (itzcuintl) [dog]
  11. ozomahtli (ozomatli) [monkey]
  12. malinalli [grass]
  13. acatl [reed]
  14. ocelotl [jaguar]
  15. cuauhtli [eagle]
  16. cozcacuauhtli (cozcauauhtli) [vulture]
  17. ollin [movement]
  18. tecpatl [stone knife]
  19. quiahuitl (quiauitl) [rain]
  20. xochitl [flower]

The 365 day cycle has 18 months of 20 days each, plus 5 "useless" or "unlucky" days.

Months:

  1. atlacahualo
  2. tlacaxipehualiztli (tacaxipehualiztli)
  3. tozoztontli
  4. hueytozoztli
  5. txcatl
  6. etzalcualiztli
  7. tecuilhuitontli (tecuihuitontli)
  8. hueytecuilthuitli
  9. tlaxochimaco
  10. hueymiccailhuitl (hueymiccaihuitl)
  11. ochpaniztli
  12. pachtontli
  13. hueypachtli
  14. quecholli
  15. panquetzaliztli
  16. atemoztli
  17. tititl
  18. izcalli
  19. namontemi (nemontemi)
NOTE: Yes, I know that's 19. As I explain at the beginning of this page, all of this information is second-hand from research on the web. I found a site that first stated the calendar had 18 months, then went on to name 19. Then, it listed them again, with a corresponding symbol and their Gregorian equivalents, and in this second list, spelled five of the names slightly different (I'm sure it's probably just typos, but I don't which is correct, so I've provided both). I hope to clear this 19 name discrepancy up with further research, but this will stand for now.

The solar calendar was also divided into 5 Cocij (seasons).

Cocij:

  1. cocij piye cogaa ([time of droughts]) - 73 days
  2. cocij yoocho (tiger [time of sickness and miseries]) - 73 days
  3. cocij cogaa (crocodile [time of rain and wind]) - 73 days
  4. cocij col lapa (corn [time of harvests]) - 73 days
  5. cocij piye chij (eagle or warrior [holy time or holiday]) - 73 days

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