![]() Eric Thompson believed that the glyph Kankin represents the rib cage of a dog, and that this month was somehow associated with canines. When they were completely burned, a bucket of water was poured on them as if rain from Chaak had extinguished them. Fires were lit atop the temples and the hearts of birds and animals were thrown into the flames. No specific festival is recorded for this month, though some scholars believe it may have been connected to ceremonies honoring deer.Ĭeremonies led by the elders of the community honored Chaak and Itzamna. ![]() The hunters had their second festival of the year, this one to ask for the forgiveness of the gods for shedding the blood of animals. In glyphs, the patron of this month is Venus. Ceremonies honoring Chaak the rain god and prayers for the maize fields were performed. The temples were renovated or repaired as needed. In glyphs, the patron of this month is the Moon Goddess. Afterwards, the artisans were honored by feasting and drinking. The wooden effigies they had made the month before were delivered to shrines and valuable offerings were made to them as a way of "activating" them. Carvers worked continuously, their families bringing them food and water, until the images were complete. Wood was chosen with care and carving was done with ceremony and blood letting. ![]() Children were all given nine light raps on their knuckles to assure they would become skilled craftsmen like their parents.Ī month to make wooden effigies of the gods. Instruments were anointed and many items were painted blue. Preparations for the festivals during the next month. At the end of the month, Kulkulcan was said to descend from the the heavens and collect the offerings. The comedians continued to visit neighborhoods throughout the month, performing and bringing offerings back to the temple. ![]() Offerings were made at the temple and much incense was burned. It was marked by processions to primary community temples, accompanied by troupes of comedians. The festival of Chicc-kaban, dedicated to Kulkulcan, the Feather Serpent. Hive owners shared honey with the community. Offerings were made to images of the four Chaaks (rain gods), and the rims of offering plates were covered in honey. It may have also been associated with the beginning of the darkest months of the year in fall. Hunters and fisherman blessed their tools and performed blood letting ceremonies.īee keepers prepared themselves for the coming activities by fasting. Predictions for the year were made and individual priests were assigned their festival obligations for the year.Ī month to honor the god of hunting, Ek Zip. Physicians and shamans made offerings to Itzamna, the god of magic and patron of priests. On the first day of the year there was gift giving and drinking. The first month of the year, preceded by fasting and abstinence. Pop - Mat (symbol of community and marriage) The following is translation of each month name and a brief list of what was to be celebrated during each: Contact period documents, especially the writings of Diego de Landa, do relate the existence of a festival cycle that followed the Haab. It is the 260-day Tzolk'in, not the Haab that informs one of their personality traits and destiny. These are unpredictable days, not for planning important events or traveling away from home.ĭespite the fact that a tourist can buy a charm with their "Maya month sign" in most of the publicly accessible ruins as if they were related to the concept of Greek zodiacal signs, the modern Maya assign no horoscope-like significance to these signs. The final five days of the Haab cycle are the 19th month, called Wayeb. The first number of any given month is mathematically in the place of zero (a concept with which the Maya were aware), but written hieroglyphically as "seating." The patron deity of the month assumes the throne on day zero and stays for the next 19 days. As with the Tzolk'in, each day is represented by a number-glyph combination, but the numbers are now 20, one for each day of a 20 day month. Together they form the 365-day, solar-based year. The Haab is made up of 18 months of 20 days each and a final short month of only 5 days. In operation together, the Haab and Tzolk'in create a larger, 52-year cycle called the Calendar Round that was used not only by the Maya but also by every other culture in Mesoamerica. In point of fact, one cannot find a Haab date that is not recorded with a Tzolk'in date within ancient hieroglyphic texts. The Eighteen months of the Haab (Image adapted from Voss 2000)
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