Ancient Civilizations of Mexico and Central America

Permutation Table

		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	1
1	Imix	1	8	2	9	3	10	4	11	5	12	6	13	7	1
2	Ik	2	9	3	10	4	11	5	12	6	13	7	1	8	2
3	Akbal	3	10	4	11	5	12	6	13	7	1	8	2	9	3
4	Kan	4	11	5	12	6	13	7	1	8	2	9	3	10	4
5	Chicchan	5	12	6	13	7	1	8	2	9	3	10	4	11	5
6	Cimi	6	13	7	1	8	2	9	3	10	4	11	5	12	6
7	Manik	7	1	8	2	9	3	10	4	11	5	12	6	13	7
8	Lamat	8	2	9	3	10	4	11	5	12	6	13	7	1	8
9	Muluc	9	3	10	4	11	5	12	6	13	7	1	8	2	9
10	Oc	10	4	11	5	12	6	13	7	1	8	2	9	3	10
11	Chuen	11	5	12	6	13	7	1	8	2	9	3	10	4	11
12	Eb	12	6	13	7	1	8	2	9	3	10	4	11	5	12
13	Ben	13	7	1	8	2	9	3	10	4	11	5	12	6	13
14	Ix	1	8	2	9	3	10	4	11	5	12	6	13	7	1
15	Men	2	9	3	10	4	11	5	12	6	13	7	1	8	2
16	Cib	3	10	4	11	5	12	6	13	7	1	8	2	9	3
17	Caban	4	11	5	12	6	13	7	1	8	2	9	3	10	4
18	Eznab	5	12	6	13	7	1	8	2	9	3	10	4	11	5
19	Cauac	6	13	7	1	8	2	9	3	10	4	11	5	12	6
20	Ahau	7	1	8	2	9	3	10	4	11	5	12	6	13	7

The Conventional Year

It has been stated that the Mayas arrived at a conventional 365 day year made up of eighteen months of twenty days each plus a short period of five days that fell after the eighteen regular months had been counted. The Mayan month names are as follows:—

1. Pop 2. Uo 3. Zip 4. Zotz 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 19. Uayeb (five additional days)

Since there are twenty days or positions in the month and likewise twenty distinct day names in the tzolkin, falling in regular order, it follows that each day would always occupy the same month position were it not for the offset at the end of each year caused by the short Uayeb period. As it is, any day name occupies the same month position during the course of an entire year and a position five days in advance during the course of the following year. Since five is contained four times in twenty there can be only four shifts, the fifth year showing the same arrangement as the first. The following table gives the month positions of each day name during the changes of four consecutive years as these are recorded in the ancient inscriptions.