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For the Aztecs, keeping track of time was key for both religious reasons and for planting crops.
They had two separate calendars: a solar calendar and a sacred calendar. The Aztecs divided their history into 52-year time periods, and each 52-year period was a “Sun.” The Aztecs believed they lived in the time of the fifth Sun. The dates on the solar and religious calendars came together once every 52 years. Near the end of each Sun, the Aztecs feared the Sun would set and never rise again. If that happened, their world would end.
Sacred Calendar
▲ The sacred calendar, also known as the sacred almanac, was 260 days long. It had two parts. The left-hand wheel was divided into 13 months of 20 days each, and the right-hand wheel had 20 named days. The two wheels of the calendar turned together so that each day fit with a number. The year started with 1 Alligator, and the next day was 2 Wind, and then 3 House. After 13 days, the wheel on the left had moved 13 notches. The new week began on 1 Jaguar, then 2 Eagle. What is the next day?
Astrologers studied the stars and used the sacred calendar to decide which times of the year were lucky. They also used it to predict the future. Aztec priests developed the calendar by watching the stars move. They also knew about the cycles of the Sun, the Moon, and the planets. Here, the god of the Evening Star looks at the heavens through a crossed stick. Priests used these sticks to figure out the distance of the stars from each other and from the horizon. ▶
◀ The Aztecs studied the night sky for knowledge of the future, but few people went out after dark. They thought evil spirits walked around at night.
At midnight on the 12th day, priests sacrificed a human victim. They lit a fire and used the flame to light torches that lit up sacred temple fires around the countryside. That would keep the world safe for 52 more years, they thought. ▶
▲ At the end of every 52 years, the first day of the solar and the sacred calendar came at the same time. The 12 days at the end of the 52-year cycle were a very dangerous time. That’s because the world could come to an end then.
Solar Calendar
◀ The Aztecs’ solar calendar, like our own, was 365 days long. It was based on Earth’s yearly movement around the Sun. The Aztecs used it to figure out when to plant and harvest crops. The days of the year were divided into 18 months of 20 days each. The remaining five days were added at the end of each year.
The five days at the end of the year were known as nemontemi, or “nothing” days. The Aztecs believed that babies born during these days would never grow up to be any good. Arguments that began in those days could last forever. ▶
