the annual apparent course of the sun is
an achievement which has never been surpassed in primitive astronomy and
merits admiration and recognition. The record of the periodical movements
of the heavenly bodies, constitutes, at the same time naturally a register
of the four seasons.

8. Simultaneously with the division of the year into four equal parts, the
ollin (and pyramid) typified the division of the 20-day period into four
quarters as well as the four 13 year periods which constituted the epoch
of fifty-two years. As the Calendar periods will be discussed in my
monograph on the subject, I shall only mention here a fact showing how
completely the quadruplicate idea had influenced native speculation. The
Mexicans believed that four great eras had passed since the creation of
the world and designated these as the earth, air, fire and water eras.
They believed that, although humanity had always escaped utter
annihilation, the world had been almost completely destroyed by three of
the elements in succession at the end of three of these eras. At the time
of the Conquest, the Mexicans supposed themselves to be living in a fourth
age which was doomed to perish by fire.

9. According to the distinguished Mexican scholar Senor Alfredo Chavero,
the symbols in the nahui-ollin commemorated the four epochs of the world's
history and I readily accept this as one of the many significations of the
quadruplicate figure.

Leaving the nahui-ollin for the present, let us next consider the band,
with compartments, which encloses it and exhibits the twenty symbols
hitherto only known as calendaric signs,--four of which were year- as well
as day-signs, whilst sixteen were day-signs only. Their relative positions
show that they were intended to be read from right to left.

A profusion of evidence, however, exists showing that individuals bore the
day-names as personal appellations, not only in Mexico but also in Central
America. Amongst the Quiches for instance, members of the "Royal house of
Cavek" are designated in the Popol Vuh, as three deer, nine dog, etc.

It thus follows that the twenty signs were not merely names of years and
days, but also designated the tribes and clans. The element-symbols which
marked every fifth day and the years and constitute the major signs,
likewise were the names of the four great divisions of the people, and of
their respective chieftains. On the other hand the 4x4=16 minor signs,
applied not only