File:The myths of Mexico and Peru (1913) (14784093225).jpg

Identifier: mythsofmexicoper01spen (find matches)
Title: The myths of Mexico and Peru
Year: 1913 (1910s)
Authors: Spence, Lewis, 1874-1955
Subjects: Indians of Mexico Indian mythology Indians of Mexico Indians of South America Indian mythology Indians of South America
Publisher: New York, T. Y. Crowell company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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reet his friends who have gonebefore. The Calendar System As has been said, the calendar system was the sourceof all Mexican science, and regulated the recurrence ofall religious rites and festivals. In fact, the entiremechanism of Nahua life was resident in its provisions.The type of time-division and computation exemplifiedin the Nahua calendar was also found among the Mayapeoples of Yucatan and Guatemala and the Zapotecpeople of the boundary between the Nahua and Mayaraces. By which of these races it was first employed isunknown. But the Zapotec calendar exhibits signs orboth Nahua and Maya influence, and from this it hasbeen inferred that the calendar systems of these raceshave been evolved from it. It might with equalprobability be argued that both Nahua and Maya artwere offshoots of Zapotec art, because the characteristicsof both are discovered in it, whereas the circumstancemerely illustrates the very natural acceptance by aborder people, who settled down to civilisation at a3*
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tVli.WEBT J^KiC-O The Spirit of the dead Aztec is attacked by an Evil Spirit who scatters Clouds of Ashes Gilbert James LUNAR RECKONING relatively later date, of the artistic tenets of the twogreater peoples who environed them. The Nahuaand Maya calendars were in all likelihood evolvedfrom the calendar system of that civilised race whichundoubtedly existed on the Mexican plateau prior tothe comJng of the later Nahua swarms, and which ingeneral is loosely alluded to as the Toltec. The Mexican Year The Mexican year was a cycle of 365 days, withoutany intercalary addition or other correction. In courseof time it almost lost its seasonal significance becauseof the omission of the extra hours included in thesolar year, and furthermore many of its festivals andoccasions were altered by high-priests and rulers tosuit their convenience. The Mexican nexiuhilpilitztli(binding of years) contained fifty-two years, and ranin two separate cycles—one of fifty-two years of 365days each, and another

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