f the year as
365 days; there is even some evidence that they allowed an intercalary
day every four years, by beginning the reckoning of the year one day
earlier.

The beginning of their year is stated, by most authorities, to have been
on the day corresponding to our January 31st or February 1st, old style
(February 11th or 12th, new style).

The year was not divided into lunar months, as was the case with the
hunting tribes, but in a manner similar to the highly artificial and
complicated system that prevailed among the Mayas and Mexicans. This
allotted to the solar year twenty months of eighteen days each, leaving
a remainder of five days, which the Mexicans called _nemontemi_,
insufficient; the Mayas _n yail kin_, days of pain or of peril, and the
Cakchiquels _[tz]api [t]ih_, days of evil or days at fault; and which
were not included in the count of the months.[28-2]

Dates, however, were not assigned by a simple reference to days of the
month, but by days of the week; these weeks being of thirteen days each,
and including every day of the year. The week days were not named, but
numbered only.

As will be noted in the _Annals_, more importance was attached to the
day on which an occurrence took place than to the year. This is common
with untrained minds. Every citizen of the United States knows that
George Washington was born on the 22d of February; but it would puzzle a
large portion of them to be asked the year of his birth.

_Names of the Cakchiquel Months._

_Name._ _Signification._
1. Tacaxepual, Corn planting
2. Nabey tumuzuz, First of winged ants.
3. Rucan tumuzuz, Second of winged ants.
4. Cibix, Smoky, or clouds.
5. Uchum, Re-planting
6. Nabey mam, First grandson.
7. Rucab mam, Second grandson.
8. Li[t]in[t]a, Soft to the hand.
9. Nabey to[t], First cacao harvest.
10. Rucab to[t], Second cacao harvest[TN-1]
11. Nabey pach, First incubation.
12. Rucab pach, Second incubation.
13. Tziquin [t]ih, Bird days.
14. Cakan, Red clouds.
15. Ibota, Mat rolling.
16. Katic, Drying up.
17. Itzcal [t]ih, Bad road days.
18. Pariche, In the woods.

To appreciate the bearing of these names, one must remember that this is
a rural calen