Tonalamatl

Tonalamatl ("Book of the good and bad days") is the name of the divination calendar used by the Maya and Aztecs .

Page 13 of the Codex Borbonicus, with the 13th trecena des Tonalpohualli . In the large field the goddess Tlazolteotl , who rules Cinteotl

The Aztecs , Maya and probably also the Inca had a three-part calendar system. In addition to calendars based on the orbit of the earth around the sun ( Haab ), they also had a calendar based on the Venus cycle ( Tzolkin ). A year of this calendar comprised 13 times 20 days, each of the 20 days having a fixed day sign. Tonalamatl were questioned to find out whether the days ruled by fateful powers were favorable or unfavorable for certain human projects. One believed / hoped to get information about fateful events such as the course of illnesses, pregnancies, births, and the like in them.

See also

• Aztec calendar

Examples received

• Codex Borbonicus , Tonalamatl , Aztec manuscript
• Codex Borgia , ritual manuscript from the Cholula area
• Codex Dresdensis , Mayan manuscript