The Mexican Yeare
The Mexicans yeare is thrée hundered sixtie dayes, for they haue in their yere eightéene monethes, and euery moneth contayneth twentie dayes. They haue other fiue odde dayes, whiche goeth by themselues, in the which they vsed to celebrate greate feastes of cruell and bloudy sacrifice, with much deuotion. And reconing after this sort, they could not choose but erre, for they could not make equal the punctuall course of the Sunne. Yea the Christian yere is not perfit, although we haue learned Astronomers. But yet these simple Indians wente neare the marke.
The Names of the Moneths
Tlacaxipeualiztli.
Tozcuztli.
Huei Tozeuztli.
Toxcalt.
Ecalcoaliztli.
Tocuilhuicintli.
Hueitecuilhuitl.
Miccailhuicintli.
Veymiccailhuitl.
Vchpaniztli.
Pachtli.
Huei Pachtli.
Quecholli.
Panquecaliztli.
Hatemuztli.
Tititlh.
Izcalli.
Coavitleuac.
The Names of Dayes
| Cipactli | A Spade |
| Hecatl | Ayre or Winde |
| Calli | A House |
| Cuez Pali | A Lizart |
| Coualt | A Snake |
| Mizquintli | Death |
| Macatl | A wilde Hart |
| Tochtli | A Conny |
| Atl | Water |
| Izcuyntli | A Dogge |
| Ocumatli | An Ape |
| Malinalli | A Brome |
| Acatlh | A Caue |
| Ocelotl | A Tigre |
| Coautli | An Egle |
| Cozcaquahutl | A Bussard |
| Olin | A Temple |
| Tepatlh | A Knife |
| Quiauitl | Rayne |
| Xuchitl | A Rose |
Althoughe these twentie names serue for the whole yere, and are but the dayes of euery moneth, yet therfore euery moneth beginneth not with Cipactli, which is the first name, but as they followe in order, and the fiue odde dayes is the cause thereof. And also bycause theyr wéeke is of thirtéene dayes, which changeth the names, as by example, Cecipactli can go no further thā vnto Matlactlomeiacatl, which is thirtéene, and then beginneth an other wéeke: and we do not say Matlactlinaui Ocelotl, whiche is the fourtéenth day, but we say Ceocelotl whiche is one, and then recken the other sixe names, vnto twenty. And when al the twentie dayes are ended, begin againe to recken from the first name of the twentie, but not frō one, but from viij. And bicause ye may better vndrestand the matter, here is the example.
Cecipactli.
Omehecatl.
Ei Calli.
Naui Cuezpali.
Macuilcouatl.
Chicoacen Mizquinth.
Chicome Macatl.
Chicuei Tochtli.
Chiconauiatl.
Matlaciz Cuintli.
Mailactlioce Ocumatli.
Matlactliome Malinalli.
Matlactlomei Acatlh.
The next wéeke following doth begin his dayes from one. And that one is the fouretéenth name of the moneth and of the dayes, and saith.
Ceocelotl.
Omecoautli.
Eicozcaquahutli.
Naui Olui.
Macuil Tecpatl.
Chicoacen Quiauitl.
Chicome Xuchitl.
Chicoei Cipactli.
In this second wéeke, Cipactli came to fal on the eighte day, being in the first wéeke the first day.
Cemacatl.
Ometochtli.
Eiatl.
Nauizi cunitli.
Macuil Ocumatli.
And so proceede on to the thirde wéeke, in the which this name Cipactli entreth not, but Macatl, which was the seuenth day in the first wéeke, & had no place in ye second, and is the first in the third. This reconing is no darker, than ours, which we haue in a.b.c.d.e.f.g. For they also change with time, and runne in such sort, that.a. whiche was the firste letter of this moneth, commeth to be the fift daye of the nexte moneth, and the thirde moneth he counteth to be the third day, and so orderly doth the other sixe letters.
The Accounting of Yeares
These Mexicans had another order to recken theyr yeares, which exceded not aboue foure in number, as one, two, thrée, foure, wherewith they accounte a hundred, fiue hundred, a thousand, and as many moe as they lust. Those foure figures or names are, Tochtli, Acatlh, Tecpatlh, Calli, and do signifye, a Conny, a Caue, a Knife, and a House, saying.
| Ce Totchtli | One yeare |
| Ome Acatlh | Two yeares |
| Ei Tecpatlh | Thrée yeares |
| Naui Calli | Foure yeares |
| Macuil Tochtli | Fiue yeares |
| Cicoacen Acatlh | Sixe yeares |
| Cicome Tecpatlh | Seauen yeares |
| Chicuei Calh | Eight yeares |
| Chiconaui Tochtli | Nine yeares |
| Matlactli Acatlh | Tenne yeares |
| Matlactlioce Tecpatlh | Eleuen yeares |
| Matlactliome Calli | Twelue yeares |
| Matlactliomei Tochtli | Thirtéene yeares |
So that the reconing passeth not aboue thirtéene, whiche is one wéeke of the yeare, and endeth where he began.
Another Weeke.
| Ce Acatlh | One yeare |
| Ome Tlepatlh | Two yeares |
| Ei Calli | Thrée yeares |
| Naui Tochtli | Foure yeares |
| Macuil Acatlh | Fiue yeares |
| Chicoacen Tecpatlh | Sixe yeares |
| Chicome Calli | Seuen yeares |
| Cichuei Tochtli | Eight yeares |
| Chiconaui Acatlh | Nine yeares |
| Matlactli Tecpatlh | Tenne yeares |
| Matlactlioce Calli | Eleuen yeares |
| Matlactliome Tochtli | Twelue yeares |
| Matlactliomei Acatlh | Thirtéene yeares |
The third vveeke of yeares.
| Ce Tecpatlh | One yeare |
| Ome Calli | Two yeres |
| Ei Tochtli | Thrée yeres |
| Naui Acatlh | Foure yeres |
| Macuil Tecpatlh | Fiue yeres |
| Chicoacan Calli | Sixe yeares |
| Chicome Tochthi | Seauen yeares |
| Chicuei Acatlh | Eight yeares |
| Chiconaui Tecpatlh | Nine yeares |
| Matlactli Calli | Tenne yeares |
| Matlactliome Tochtli | Eleuen yeares |
| Matlactliome Acatlh | Twelue yeares |
| Matlactliomei Tecpatlh | Thirtéene yeares |
The fourth Weeke.
| Ce Calli | One yeare |
| Ome Tochtii | Two yeares |
| Ei Acatlh | Thrée yeares |
| Naui Tecpatlh | Foure yeares |
| Macuil Calli | Fiue yeares |
| Chicoacen Tochtli | Sixe yeares |
| Chicome Acatlh | Seauen yeares |
| Chicuei Tecpatlh | Eight yeares |
| Chiconaui Calli | Nine yeares |
| Matlactli Tochtli | Tenne yeares |
| Matlactlioce Acatlh | Eleuen yeares |
| Matlactliome Tecpatlh | Twelue yeares |
| Matlactliomei Calli | Thirtéene yeares |
Ech of these wéekes, which our men cal Indition, doth conteyne thirtéene yeares, so that all the foure wéekes make two and fiftie yeares, which is a perfit number in the reconing, and is called the yeare of grace, for from fiftie two yeres, to fiftie two yeares, they vsed to make solemne feastes, with strange Ceremonies, as hereafter shall be declared. And when fiftie two yeares are ended, then they beginne againe, by the same order before declared, vntil they come to as many moe, beginning at Ce Tochtli, and so forwarde. But alwayes they begin at the Conny figure. So that in the forme of reconing they kepe & haue in mēmorye, things of 850. yeares, and by this Cronicle they know in what yere euerye thing hapned, and how long euery king raygned: howe many children they had, and all things else that importeth to the estate of the gouernement of the lande.
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