For a long time, the Maya calendar has been one of the most intriguing mysteries of ancient times. Most people know about it now as the calendar that helps us to keep track of what day it is, but do you know about its origins?
It all started with a Mayan king who was so mad at the gods that he decided to create his own calendar. The gods knew he was not afraid to create his own calendar, so they sent him a jaguar that would help him in his work. The king would have the jaguar draw the charts, which would be necessary for math and astronomy, and he would carve it on pieces of wood. He kept some of them in secret locations as protection from other kings and gods.
1. Introduction
2. The Olmecs and the Mayan Calendar
3. The Mayans in general
4. Importance of the Maya Calendar
5. Difficulties with the Maya Calendar
Introduction –
The Mayan calendar is a system of calendars used in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, and in many modern indigenous communities in the Guatemalan highlands, Veracruz and Oaxaca. The essentials of the Maya calendar are based upon a system which had been in common use throughout the region, dating back to at least the 5th century BCE.
The essentials of the Maya calendar are based upon a system which had been in common use throughout the region, dating back to at least the 5th century BCE.
The Olmecs and the Mayan Calendar –
The Mayan calendar originated from the Olmec Calendar. The Olmecs are believed to have created the earliest form of the calendar, which was later modified by the Mayans. The Maya calendar is also known as a “sacred almanac” mainly because it acts as a formula for life itself.
Olmecs:
The Olmecs originated in the Gulf Coast region of Mexico in about 1500 BCE. They were the first people to be truly organized, and they had a vast trade network across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. The Olmecs believed that everyone was connected with each other. Thus, they believed that all of their craftsmen were linked through communication and interrelationship. Therefore, they understood that in order to have an efficient society, they had to believe in each other.
The Olmec calendar was created in the 1500s BCE. The Olmecs used this calendar to note significant events, such as the birth of a child, or an important battle. It was used to mark significant days such as a new year, or an important festival. This calendar was very accurate for its time and it was only off by a few days. The calendar had 13 months with 20 days in each month, totaling 260 days per year.
Mayans:
The Maya came from the Mexican Highland region called the Yucatán Peninsula. Evidence shows that the Maya lived there for several thousand years before they were displaced by other peoples from outside Mexico. The Mayan people were organized and developed a mature political system during this time. They also were proficient traders who had contact with many different cultures. The Mayan calendar began in 200 BCE, and the Mayans began to use it in 150 CE.
The Mayan calendar, much like the Olmec, was used as a sacred almanac. It was kept in several places by the Mayans, such as a cave, a temple or an altar. This calendar had 13 months for the 260 days in a year and 20 days in each month. The year was divided into 18 months of 20 days and 3 months of 30 days, totaling 104 days per year.
The Mayans were really meticulous about their timekeeping.
The Mayans in general –
The Mayans were very organized, and they were able to develop a very sophisticated society that was based on trade. They believed that their gods were responsible for the creation of everything on earth, so they must have had a substantial reason for creating this calendar. Today, we know this as one of the most important calendars in history.
They were skilled farmers and pottery makers, but they were also excellent craftsmen. Their skill in creating jade and stone artwork was outstanding, as well as their skill in creating pottery with beautiful decorations. They had developed a very intricate social system that allowed them to be organized enough to create something so great as a calendar.
Importance of the Maya Calendar –
The Mayan calendar is the most accurate calendar ever created. The calendar had 13 months and 20 days in each month; totaling 260 days per year. The Mayans were concerned with the stars, so they arranged this calendar so that it was 365 days long, so they could follow the seasons of the year and tell when to plant crops and when to harvest them. The Mayans were also concerned with their gods and believed that their gods would determine whether or not they would have a good crop.
Quetzalcoatl in Aztec mythology, for example, was the god of the wind. The Mayans believed that if they sacrificed a prisoner to him that he would give them an end to the drought they were going through and would send wind, or rain as a result of his gift.
The Mayans had interesting ways of keeping time. They used their calendar for different reasons in different places. In some areas, it was also used as a cycle of life which allowed them to celebrate new life at birth and death at death.
Difficulties with the Maya Calendar –
Difficulties arose when the Mayan Calendar and Gregorian calendar had to coexist. The Gregorian calendar is based on solar years, which are 365 days long. The Mayan calendar is based on the lunar year, which is 260 days long, so naturally there were going to be discrepancies between the two.
The Maya aligned their Maya Calendar with the Winter Solstice. When they did this in 2012, it was off by 5 days from real time. They did this every so often, for example every 5 CE and every 20 CE. At some point, they realized that they were getting close to the Winter Solstice and so aligned their calendar with Winter Solstice. This got them very worried, but they realized that there was no way of fixing it at this point.
They were also concerned about having their approximate dates of alignments be correct.
The Maya were very organized, and they were able to develop a very sophisticated society that was based on trade. Today, we know this as one of the most important calendars in history. They had developed such an intricate social system that it allowed them to be organized enough to create something so useful as a calendar.
