Time and Wisdom: A Sacred Calendar Among the Ayöök People of Oaxaca, Mexico

Authors

  • Araceli Rojas

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18441/ind.v30i0.219-245

Keywords:

Mesoamerican Calendars, Ayöök, Mixe, Ritual, Codices, Mexico, Guatemala

Abstract

The calendar of 260 days, made up of the combination of 20 signs and 13 numbers, was one of the essential traits of ancient Mesoamerican civilizations. Interestingly, this calendar system persists in some contemporary communities in Mexico and Guatemala, where it is still utilized by daykeepers, also experts in ritual, divination and medicine. The present article offers a brief documentation of one of these calendars, among the Ayöök (Mixe) people of Oaxaca, Mexico. Derived from this, an analytical view is offered to provide a better understanding of its function and social significance. This work attempts to shed light on the study of Mesoamerican calendars as well as to approach the calendrical and mantic pictorial manuscripts of the Teoamoxtli (Borgia) Group.

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Published

2013-01-01

Issue

Vol. 30 (2013)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2013 INDIANA

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