The Mayan Calendar

The Mayan Calendar was more that just one calendar, but several. Think of the Mayan Calendar as a series of series of interlocking gears with different ratios: a 13 pin sprocket turns inside a 20 pin cog, which itself rotates in another, and it in another and so on. The Mayans did not shy away from large numbers, and invented some rather ingenious methods to write down some extremely large numbers. But before we go into that, here's a road map of what you are seeing on any typical Mayan display month:

Great Circle Number & Long Count One of the most sacred numbers in the Mayan system is the number 1,872,000. This is the length of The Great Circle Number. Although there is little debate on the number's importance, there is debate on how it was derived. In many respects, all Mayan dates are simply a counter of days from The Great Circle number. The current cycle that we are on, The Great Circle is coming very close to its completion. On Winter Solstice 2012 (December 21, 2012), we will have completed the current Great Circle (begun in 3114 BC), to start a new one.

In a sense, the Mayan count of days within the Great Circle number (number of days from start of the current Great Circle in 3114 BC) is very similar to astronomers Julian Day Number. Astronomers evolved a method of describing a date that was calendar independent.

The Mayans call their count of days The Long Count. January 1, 2009 in Mayan Long Count would be 1870550. The day before would be 1870549 the day after would be 1870551. Now the Mayans did not represent 1870550 as just one number, but rather a several smaller numbers. In Mayan, 1870550 was represented as: 12.19. 15. 17.10. This means:

  • 12 Baktuns
  • 19 Katuns
  • 15 Tuns
  • 17 Uinals
  • 10 Kins

Think of a Kin as 1 day

20 Kins make up 1 Uinal
18 Uinals make up 1 Tun
20 Tuns make up 1 Katun
20 Katuns make up 1 Baktun

1 Batkun = 144000 Kins
1 Katun = 7200 Kins
1 Tun = 360 Kins
1 Uinal = 20 Kins

Therefore, the Mayan representation of the Great Circle Number is 13.0.0.0.0

This is the Gregorian New Year (January 1, 2009) as represented with Mayan Glyphs

12 Baktuns - 19 Katuns - 15 Tuns - 17 Uinals - 10 Kins

The Tzolkin Number The Tzolkin number comes from the sacred Mayan religious calendar, in which each day is given a specific name . The cycle is repeated every 260 days. Counting in the Tzolkin calendar is at first a little unusual, but not difficult. The Tzolkin has 20 specific glyphs. A number from 1 to 13 is associated with each glyph. It will take 260 days to complete the Tzolkin cycle.

How to read the table. The first day in the Tzolkin cycle is 1 Imix. The second day is not 2 Imix as you would think, but 2 Ik. The third day is 3 Akbal. Numbers in red indicate how far into the cycle the date actually is. So, read the table vertically. 7 Ahaw is the 20th day. How far is 6 Muluk into the cycle? Find the row for Muluk. Read across until you find 6. The number in red associated with 6 Muluk is 149. Another way to determine 149 is: You would have had to cross 7 complete columns. Each column is 20 days. So, 6 Muluk = (7 * 20) + 9 days (149 days) into the Tzolkin 260 day cycle.

Date Name
Date Number

Imix
1
  1		 8
  21		 2
  41		 9
  61		 3
  81		 10
  101		 4
  121		 11
  141		 5
  161		 12
  181		 6
  201		 13
  221		 7
  241

Ik
2
  2		 9
  22		 3
  42		 10
  62		 4
  82		 11
  102		 5
  122		 12
  142		 6
  162		 13
  182		 7
  202		 1
  222		 8
  242

Akbal
3
  3		 10
  23		 4
  43		 11
  63		 5
  83		 12
  103		 6
  123		 13
  143		 7
  163		 1
  183		 8
  203		 2
  223		 9
  243

Kan
4
  4		 11
  24		 5
  44		 12
  64		 6
  84		 13
  104		 7
  124		 1
  144		 8
  164		 2
  184		 9
  204		 3
  224		 10
  244

Chikchan
5
  5		 12
  25		 6
  45		 13
  65		 7
  85		 1
  105		 8
  125		 2
  145		 9
  165		 3
  185		 10
  205		 4
  225		 11
  245

Kimi
6
  6		 13
  26		 7
  46		 1
  66		 8
  86		 2
  106		 9
  126		 3
  146		 10
  166		 4
  186		 11
  206		 5
  226		 12
  246

Manik
7
  7		 1
  27		 8
  47		 2
  67		 9
  87		 3
  107		 10
  127		 4
  147		 11
  167		 5
  187		 12
  207		 6
  227		 13
  247

Lamat
8
  8		 2
  28		 9
  48		 3
  68		 10
  88		 4
  108		 11
  128		 5
  148		 12
  168		 6
  188		 13
  208		 7
  228		 1
  248

Muluk
9
  9		 3
  29		 10
  49		 4
  69		 11
  89		 5
  109		 12
  129		 6
  149		 13
  169		 7
  189		 1
  209		 8
  229		 2
  249

Ok
10
  10		 4
  30		 11
  50		 5
  70		 12
  90		 6
  110		 13
  130		 7
  150		 1
  170		 8
  190		 2
  210		 9
  230		 3
  250

Chuwen
11
  11		 5
  31		 12
  51		 6
  71		 13
  91		 7
  111		 1
  131		 8
  151		 2
  171		 9
  191		 3
  211		 10
  231		 4
  251

Eb
12
  12		 6
  32		 13
  52		 7
  72		 1
  92		 8
  112		 2
  132		 9
  152		 3
  172		 10
  192		 4
  212		 11
  232		 5
  252

Ben
13
  13		 7
  33		 1
  53		 8
  73		 2
  93		 9
  113		 3
  133		 10
  153		 4
  173		 11
  193		 5
  213		 12
  233		 6
  253

Ix
1
  14		 8
  34		 2
  54		 9
  74		 3
  94		 10
  114		 4
  134		 11
  154		 5
  174		 12
  194		 6
  214		 13
  234		 7
  254

Men
2
  15		 9
  35		 3
  55		 10
  75		 4
  95		 11
  115		 5
  135		 12
  155		 6
  175		 13
  195		 7
  215		 1
  235		 8
  255

Kib
3
  16		 10
  36		 4
  56		 11
  76		 5
  96		 12
  116		 6
  136		 13
  156		 7
  176		 1
  196		 8
  216		 2
  236		 9
  256

Kaban
4
  17		 11
  37		 5
  57		 12
  77		 6
  97		 13
  117		 7
  137		 1
  157		 8
  177		 2
  197		 9
  217		 3
  237		 10
  257

Etznab
 5
  18		 12
  38		 6
  58		 13
78		 7
  98		 1
118		 8
  138		 2
  158		 9
  178		 3
  198		 10
  218		 4
  238		 11
  258

Kawak
6
19		 13
  39		 7
  59		 1
  79		 8
  99		 2
  119		 9
  139		 3
  159		 10
  179		 4
  199		 11
  219		 5
  239		 12
  259

Ahaw
7
  20		 1
  40		 8
  60		 2
  80		 9
  100		 3
  120		 10
  140		 4
  160		 11
  180		 5
  200		 12
220		 6
  240		 13
  260

The Haab Calendar This is the common calendar. It consists of 18 months of 20 days each, followed by a short month of 5 days each. The Haab calendar on its own was 365 days in length, but the Mayans never used the Haab just by itself. The Haab was one common calendar in a intricate array of ever nesting and more complicated calendars. So the Haab calendar was not used by itself to determine the length of the year.

The Haab Months are:

Pop
Uo
Zip
Zotz
Tzec
Xul
Yaxkin
Mol
Chen
Yax
Zac
Ceh
Mac
Kankin
Muan
Pax
Kayab
Cumku
Uayeb

The Mayan Constant As archaeologists and anthropologists come to learn more and more about the Mayan calendar, many are beginning to re-evaluate just how powerful and dynamic it really was. As explained in the section above regarding the Maya Long Count, it is possible to take a Mayan number and convert it to a modern astronomical Julian Day Number. To do so, requires knowledge of a specific event to anchor the calendar in time. The current trend is to use the offset 584283 as this will give a Mayan date of 13.0.0.0.0 on December 21, 2012. Another school of thought (although becoming increasingly less popular) was to tie the Mayan Calendar to a date that was believed to have occurred in 3114 BC. To do that requires using the constant of 584285 in the date translation.

Does the Mayan calendar actually end in 2012? No, it doesn't. The Mayan LongCount 13.0.0.0.0 translates to December 21, 2012. The next day will be 13.0.0.0.1. The '13's position (called the 'Baktuns') can go as high as '19'. After that, add another digit. The Mayan Age for the earth for example was extremely long.

This business of the calendar 'ending' is based solely on hysterical nonsense. December 20, 2012 will be 12.19.19.17.19 the next day will be 13.0.0.0.0 -- its an odometer change, nothing more.

The LongCount number is a composite of Base 20 and Base 18 math. In fact, 19.19.19.17.19 equals October 12, 4772. The next day will be first use of the 'Pictuns' position and will be written as: 1.0.0.0.0.0.