UNDERSTANDING THE AZTEC CALENDAR, THE MEXICAN CULTURE ICON

The Aztecs used the Nahuatl language, and to communicate in writing they  used figures that symbolize ideas, numbers, or represent facts or important dates. The sculptures adorning the temples and other constructions are one of the most elaborate in America. Its purpose was to please the gods and they showed  it in every one of them. Many of the sculptures reflected the presence of the gods and their participation in daily life. The most famous sculpture (which survives to this day) is the circular Calendar Stone, best known as the "Aztec Calendar", which represents the Aztec universe.

The Sun Stone is a basalt monolith disk containing inscriptions concerning the cosmogony of our pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica, the Aztec civilization and solar cults. It is common to call the Aztec calendar, although it was probably a ceremonial bowl or Temalacatl or gladiatorial sacrificial altar, probably involved in the Mexican holiday Tlacaxipehualiztli. In Nahuatl language is called "Ollin Tonatiuhtlan" which means "Sun of Movement". This way of calling is related to the way in which, according to the prehispanic cosmogony, is expected to end the era of the Fifth Sun. The previous four had names how the sun would end, it is said that "Ollin Tonatiuh" will end with a series of earthquakes.

The Calendar is evidence of knowledge of Mathematics and Astrology that the Aztecs had. It contains pictures or images of their days, months and suns (cosmic cycles). It has 3.6 meters in diameter and weighs around 24 metric tons. It took 52 years to complete, from 1427 to 1479. It is believed that this period lasted through the use of stone tools. The calendar was buried by the Spanish when they conquered Tenochtitlan and was lost for 250 years, until December 1790 when it was found by accident, when performing repairs to the Cathedral, which is settled in the place that was once the capital of Empire Azteca, in the center of Tenochtitlan. Nowadays is in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico.

DESCRIPTION

The sculptural motifs in low and high relief and covering its surface, are a summary of the complex Aztec cosmogony.

DISCO CENTRAL

In the center of the monolith is the face of the sun god Tonatiuh within the sign "movement" (Ollin), with both hands, each with a bracelet, an eye and eyebrow, because he sees all nothing can be hidden.Also in each hand, his claws imprison human heart, and his tongue is represented as a flint knife, expressing the need for sacrifices to the continuity of the solar motion.

THE FOUR AGES

The upper right square represents the fourth Jaguar, day after 676 years, the first was over, the emergence from the bowels of the earth, monsters that devoured people. Represents the element Earth.

On your left is the fourth wind recalling that, after 364 years, strong winds shook the earth and those who did not die  became monkeys.

Under it, the Fourth Rain: The world lasted 312 years and those who lived there, died or became turkeys after a rain of fire. It represents the Fire element.

In the lower right square is Fourth Water, a prelude to our world, which lasted 676 years and ended when those who  lived  died trapped by water and became fish.

CARDINAL POINTS

The central disk contains the signs of the cardinal signs placed between the Ages:

The North, sign 1 Flint

Southern Rain sign 1

This, with a heraldic emblem Xiuhuitzolli

West, with the sign 7 Monkey

FIRST RING

Signs Ollin, Tecpatl, Quiahuitl and Xochitl.

TONALPOHUALLI

The crown is formed following pictograms baptized twenty days of the Aztec Sacred Calendar, Tonalpohualli in a counter-clockwise. These twenty days were combined with thirteen numbers until it was a sacred year of two hundred sixty days. Cipactli, Ehecatl, Calli, Cuetzpallin, Coatl, Miquiztli, Mazatl, Tochtli, Atl, Itzcuintli, Ozomatli, Malinalli Acatl, Ocelot, Cuauhtli, zcaquauhtli, Ollin, Tecpatl, and Xochitl Quiahuitl

SECOND RING

The second ring contains several square sections, each section containing five points, are represented the five-day weeks. There are also eight angles dividing the stone into eight parts. These represent the sun placed in the direction of the cardinal points.

THIRD RING

At the bottom of the stone, two fire serpents, Xiuhcoatl that surround and frame the stone and carried the god across the sky, facing each other. Their bodies are divided into sections that could symbolize flames and members of Jaguar. These sections could represent annual cycles fifty-two: Aztec century consisted of 52, each correspondence between the beginning of the calendar year with the sacred. At the top of the monolith, a square cut between the tails of the snakes represents the date "13 Ácatl". This is supposed to correspond to 1479, the year in which the calendar was completed. At the edges of the relief, there are eight equally spaced holes, representing different constellations.

The pre-Hispanic iconography has yet to be revealed at all, today there were several different techniques for interpreting the symbolism of the monuments that have left us the ancient pre-Hispanic civilizations and certainly the Aztec Calendar is a summary of the evolution of cosmology same, a great symbol, an icon of Mexican culture.

According to the Mayan calendar, the end of time will take place on December 21, 2012. Considering that this calendar is carved in stone over a thousand years, it is interesting to reflect on the knowledge of this civilization Columbian Mesoamerican now available to modern man through Archeology, Astronomy and Technology. The information contained in the inscriptions of the Mayan calendar supposedly delineate the conclusion of human history, to take place is our contemporary date. We can only hope.

Námaste

LUNA NUEVA

Para mayor información visita Sitio Hispano de Astrología