Clusters, knots, binding, netting. Kach, Ch'orti'; K'at, Quiche; Kan, Yucatec; Cuetzpallin, Aztec-Nahuatl. The Yucatec name for this day means netting, like the Ch'orti'. Netting first reached a sacred level for the Maya when they wove a tight netting to act as a cage for the first animals that they domesticated: the macaw parrot, the jaguar, and the mountain lion. This netting was created on Isla Tigre, Honduras, in about 8340 BCE in the case of the jaguar and slightly before that for the parrot. The next time that the Maya used netting for a sacred purpose is when they were... Continue reading

The residents of the highland Guitarrero Cave site in northern Peru, which had the earliest textiles in the Americas and a broad assortment of food plants, spoke a language similar to that of the residents of Monte Verde and Taltal in Chile, indicating the likely source of the first Peruvian population. I have compared the names of the villages surrounding the cave to the names of the villages surrounding the Chilean sites and found similarities, specifically they all seem to fit within an archaic proto Ch'orti'. Names from Taima-taima, Venezuela, and El Abra-Tocancipa, Colombia, also appear to be from the... Continue reading

As the Maya observed the skies they noticed that the lunar and solar eclipses occurred at certain positions in the 260-day tzolk'in calendar. This is because the eclipse period coincides with 260 days. Eclipse seasons occur each period of 173.31 days. Three of these eclipse periods equals 519.93 days or almost 520 - two tzolk'in cycles. The Maya noticed that the eclipses took place at three specific zones or seasons within the tzolk'in. Each season was about 33 days long - the eclipse season. Every 173.31 days the eclipses would take place in one of the tzolk'in eclipse seasons. For... Continue reading

Sterile. B'atz (Chorti'); B'atz' (Quiche); Chuen (Yucatec); Ozomatli (Aztec/Nahuatl). Based on correlation 584188. The typical meaning given to this day sign is Monkey, the meaning of the sign in the three languages listed here except Ch'orti'. Monkey is the slang used to describe the people honored by this day sign: unconventional families, including single people. There is no word B'atz in the Chorti' dictionary but pax is very similar. The b' and the p are equivalent. The tz and the x are rather similar - it is easy to see how it may have morphed from x to tz or... Continue reading

Study or Forget. Chorti': Etz'nab', Kiche: Tijax, Yucatec: Etz'nab, Nahua/Aztec: Tecpatl. Based on correlation 584188. Etz'nab' is a compound word. It comes from ehtz' - observation, study, imitation - and nahp - forgetfulness, a forgetting. (Note: in Chorti' the b' and the p are equivalent.) While there is no 'or' between them I believe it is understood. The two concepts are a duality - one or the other - study or forget about it. The word ehtz' itself probably comes from the word eht, which means trial or test. The Etz'nab' day was probabaly named soon after the night of... Continue reading

The Mayan long count calendar is a 5,125 year calendar that turned over in 2012 to start a new 5,125 year cycle. But instead of turning over on December 21, the common perception, it happened on September 17. This is because the calendar was initiated 105 days sooner in 3114 BCE than commonly believed. Instead of an August 11, 3114 BCE start date the Maya began the calendar on April 28, 3114 BCE. Some Maya consider the calendar cycle that just ended to be the fourth "world" or age. We have just started the fifth age. The third age started... Continue reading

Giant Serpent. Chichan (Ch'orti'), Kan (Quiche), Chikchan (Yucatec), Coatl (Aztec). When the Mesoamerican ancestors, including the Maya, arrived in El Salvador in about 8700 BCE they were quickly captured by the Xibalbha, symbolized by the daysign 7 Chamer (Death) in the Mars retrograde calendar. The Mayan ancestors escaped and made their way the conjunction of the Lempa and Torola Rivers. They were somewhat safe because the Xibalbha could not swim and if they approached the Mayan ancestors would retreat into the Lempa River. After several years they found a better spot - the Tecapa volcano, which had both a crater... Continue reading

"The Course, the Route." B'i'r (Ch'orti'), E (Quiche), Eb (Yucatec), Malinalli (Nahuat-Aztec) Using a GMT correlation of -95, the 13 day week of B'i'r begins today. In the Wisdom Ch'orti' dictionary B'i'r is spelled "Bihir". B'i'r is the itinerary, the circuit, the path, the road, the way. It refers especially to the treacherous course by water through islands, rocks, and steep cliffs as the Maya sailed to various parts of the world, such as the Straits of Magellan or the Caribbean islands. The left-hand part of the Mayan glyph for this day depicts the water path around a jutting peninsula.... Continue reading

"Our neighbors, our companions." Kawe't (Ch'orti'), Kawuq (Quiche), Kawak (Yucatec), Quiahuitl (Nuhuat-Aztec) Using a GMT correlation of -95, the 13 day week of Kawe't begins today. Kawe't is about our neighbors, near and far. Seeing all as neighbors and all as companions. The Maya are somewhat unusual in having a sacred symbol or sign be based on neighbors, someone who is non-Mayan. This is the most generous of signs and a time to assist others, rebuild neighborhoods, organize, and create companionship outside one's family or circle. The Maya created a sign for their neighbors because they truly believed in getting... Continue reading

Early in the Popol Vuh, the second chapter in some versions, is the story of 7 Kaqix - which is the story of how the Maya invented and used gunpowder. Its placement shows how important this story was to the Maya, as they ordered the oral history that would become the Popol Vuh. I will re-tell the story by translating key words using Ch'orti' rather than the language the Popol Vuh was recited in, Quiche, when recorded, and I will date the invention of gunpowder from 7724 BCE to 7677 BCE, using the Mars retrograde long-count calendar. Gunpowder consists of... Continue reading

Sticks and Clay. Tz'ikin (Ch'orti'), Tz'ikin (Quiche), Men (Yucatec), Cuauhtli (Aztec) Tz'ihk is clay or made of clay. Kin is sticks or grass blades. Tz'ikin celebrates the creation of humans - coming from sticks and clay and at death returning to sticks and clay. It also symbolizes the evolution of human beings. This day sign gained a second meaning early in the Mayan timeline. Tzik is to count in Ch'orti' and k'in is day or sun. The second meaning for this day symbolizes when the Maya first started keeping track of days and using the tzolk'in calendar. This probably happened... Continue reading

Wind. Ik'ar (Ch'orti'), Iq' (Kiche), Ik' (Yucatek), Ehecatl (Aztec). This is one of only three sign names that is essentially the same in the three Mayan languages in which the tzolk'in is normally presented. Ik'ar and the related syllable Ik' have numerous meanings in Ch'orti' - Ik'ar meaning wind, breeze, or evil wind. Ik' can mean air or atmosphere. It is likely that Ik' also referred to the void in the center of the Milky Way galaxy. And it's likely that Ik' at one time meant dark and evening, two of its meanings in Yucatec. Ik' was one of the... Continue reading

Log rafts were a key form of travel for both the prehistoric Peruvians and Salvadorans. Their common ancestors arrived to Monte Verde, Chile, in 12,500 BCE, most likely in log rafts from across the Pacific Ocean. From there one group migrated by raft to Taima Taima, Venezuela, another one to El Abra-Tocancipa, Columbia, and still yet another to the Lapa do Boquete, Rio Sao Francisco region of Brazil. The four founding families of Mesoamerica arrived from South America to Playa Toluca, El Salvador, in four rafts in about 8700 BCE. The remains in the form of the sailing stones, which... Continue reading

Payment Made. Tojma'r (Ch'orti'), Toj (Quiche), Muluk (Yucatec), Atl (Aztec). Tojmar may represent the very first day created in the Mayan 20-day week, a reminder every 20 days, counted out on the fingers and toes, to stop the daily grind and pay homage to the spirits. Most likely this started in about 8,650 BCE. Each family brought an animal that was caught during the previous 19 days hunting to be sacrificed, if still alive, and given back to the earth as thanks. At the same time the Maya discoved tobacco at Tecapa, El Salvador, which they credited to the spirit... Continue reading

When the Mayan ancestors arrived in El Salvador from South America in about 8700 BCE they quickly were captured by a remnant of the Clovis point hunters who took them captive to the Corinto cave. In spite of the hunters being much taller than the Mayan ancestors the Maya were able to escape towards the confluence of the Torola and Lempa Rivers to a place now called Jardín (Garden) in the municipality of San Juán de Edén. When the hunters found them their only escape was to submerge themselves in the Lempa River. They found out the hunters were afraid... Continue reading

The Sick One. Ajmak (Quiche), Kib (Yucatec), Cozcacuauhtli (Aztec). The tzolk'in day sign of 1 Ajmok or 1 Ahmok (in Ch'orti') sets the tone for the next 13 days. Like many of the day signs, Ajmok has a double meaning. The straight forward meaning is "the sick one" and may refer to the suffering of those who became sick in general or it could refer specifically to the biggest health problem ever faced by the Maya - tobacco-related illnesses. The second meaning for this sign comes from Ahmo' which means the large bird man or the falcon man. This helps... Continue reading

In terms of longevity, Igualtepec or Igualtepeque, El Salvador, is one of the most important Mayan sites. It was the lead Mayan site from about 7200 BCE to perhaps 1800 BCE when leadership was moved to Chalchuapa and Siete Principes in El Salvador, to coastal sites in Guatemala, Chiapas, and Belize, and a little later to Mirador in northern Guatemala. While most of the focus on Igualtepec is of the spectacular petroglyphs and rightly so, it takes away from the coordinating role that Igualtepec played among the four Mayan lineages, such as coordinating the four-site gatherings near the Lempa-Sumpul confluence... Continue reading

Night. Aq'ab'al (Quiche), Ak'bal (Yucatec), Calli (Aztec). The tzolk'in day sign of 1 Ak'bar (in Ch'orti') provides the tone for the next 13 days. Ak'bar was one of the eight great founders of the Mayan people and considered the greatest of them all. The Ak'bar lineage consisted of Ak'bar on the male side and Chomija on the female side. Ak'bar is the name of the leader of the flotilla of four rafts that made the journey from South America to Central America in about 8900 BCE. Ak'bar means "night" and the name corresponds to Ak'bar taking the night shift of... Continue reading

Lago Güija on the border of Guatemala and El Salvador is one of the primary centers of the Maya prior to the pre-Classic period, centered at Igualtepec and before that Teotipa. There are many bits of evidence that a great flood occurred at Lago Güija covering up the advanced village of Teotipa: the meaning of the name Igualtepeque, a Mayan site on the Salvadoran lake shore the oral history of people living along the lake shore today the historic lake levels of Lago Güija the flood story of the Popol Vuh the form of the river out of the lake... Continue reading

One of the more interesting archeological sites in the Americas is Teotipa, El Salvador. It is a 10,000 year-old village with clear signs that it was a base for early agriculture. One of its ancient teosinte fields can be seen at right. From teosinte the Maya hybridized corn. I estimate that it was inhabited from 8,200 BCE to 7,400 BCE when it was flooded. This will need to be confirmed with more traditional dating methods. Teotipa only came into view in the last 25 five years when a damn was built upstream on one of its feeder rivers in Guatemala,... Continue reading

When the Mayan ancestors left Isla Tigre following the advent of the 3rd sun, marked by a triple star event in 8207 BCE, each of the four lineages went to an island, in order to be safe from their fierce enemy the Xibalbhans at Corinto cave who were afraid of water. [Click to enlarge map.] Two lineages remained to the east - the Lenca/Olmeca lineage at Lago Olomega (Teomeka) and the Zapotec lineage at the mouth of the Lempa River (Teoakan). The Quiche lineage and the Ch'orti' lineage went to the west of El Salvador - the Quiches to Lago... Continue reading