Quote:
Originally Posted by orbsycli
the tzolkin was modeled after the turtle shell, and the 13 revolutions the moon makes around the Earth in a year.
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Although the Maya venerated the turtle and associated it with one of the day-signs of their calendar, that of Cauac, the 19th sign, they did not model the Cholq'ij calendar on it. This is a myth perpetuated by the Dreamspell cult lead by Jose Arguelles. The real origin of the Cholq'ij is largely unknown, but contemporary maya Ajq'ij, the keepers of the calendar, associate its creation with the human gestation period (260), the fingers and toes (20), and the major joints in the human body (13). It was also used for the early cultivation of maiz and to calculate the transit and synodic cycles of many celestial bodies (but I rely on the direct human relationship in my own understanding; information about the astronomical significance and accuracy of the Cholq'ij are well documented by scholars; google it).
The thing about the 13 revolutions around the moon is not part of the Tzolkin, but rather another part of the Dreamspell invention (13 Moon Calendar). The Cholq'ij is associated with the moon in a way simliar to the female menstruation cycle. It was used to predict when a woman's child would be born considering the day of conception. If the baby is already born, one may calculate 9 signs backward (in the order of the full count) to determine when it was conceived. That tortuga site won't cut it. I can't post links yet, but i shall try it this way: cholqij,proboards102,com
Peace
Mayan Tzolkin
Re: Mayan Tzolkin
Re: Mayan Tzolkin
