The Mexican yeare.
Thomas Nicholas translation
TOC
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.