The Aztecs - Sense of Time Flashcards
What are the two Aztec calendars and what three parts make up the Calendars?
The two Aztec calendars that were very important to their ways of life were the solar calendar (xiuhtlapohualli) that was used for agriculture and the sacred/religious calendar (tonalpohualli) that was used for determining when many of their religious rituals and sacrifices should be performed. The three parts that make up the solar calendar (xiuhtlapohualli) were that it was made of 365 days, 18 months, and 20 days within each month (not including the last month with 5 days). Each week for this calendar had been days long. The sacred calendar (tonalpohualli) was made up of 260 days, 13-day weeks that rotated with the 20-day cycle, and daysigns, in which each day had a sign. The solar one, the sacred one, and the 52 years one made up the three calendars that were important to the Aztecs.
Describe the xiuhtlapohualli calendar in 2-3 sentences.
The xiuhtlapohualli calendar was the Aztecs’ main calendar that consisted of 360 days, similar to our calendars today but was created long before any Europeans. It was their solar calendar that was used to regulate agricultural activities, such as planting and harvesting, and determined market days. It had 18 months with 20 days within each month and a 19th month that only had five days. (These five days were thought to be unlucky and empty, so no activity of any kind was carried out, in the belief that only misfortune would result. During this month called the nemontemi nobody cooked, engaged in trade, got married, made love with a partner, etc.) Each of the 18 months were represented by/to honor a god, and each of the 20 days had a symbol or sign for it, that was also connected to a god. At the beginning of the year, according to this calendar, there would be a festival to honor the god of rain, Tlaloc.
Describe the tonalpohualli calendar in 2-3 sentences.
The tonalpohualli calendar was the Aztecs’ sacred calendar that consisted of 260 days. There was a 13-day cycle (one week - trecena) that rotated with the xiuhtlapohualli’s 20-day cycle. This calendar was mainly used by priests and was used to determine when many of their religious rituals and sacrifices should be performed. Each day on this calendar was associated with a fate that was good, bad, or indifferent.
Why do you think time was important to the Aztecs?
I think time was very important to the Aztecs because it controlled their activities and ways of life. Without the solar calendar, the Aztecs wouldn’t ever be able to tell when they were to plant and harvest crops. This calendar showed them the different seasons, in which they would know when the best time for agriculture would be, and when the worst time for agriculture would be. Without the sacred calendar the Aztecs wouldn’t be able to tell when certain events for them should take place. Events like religious rituals, or sacrifices were important to the Aztecs, and knowing when to do it using these calendars was a big part of their lives. Every single day, month, year were represented by a god which told them who and how they were supposed to worship that god. They thought that if they didn’t worship those gods exactly on those days, the world will end.
Would the Aztec Sun stone be considered a primary source or secondary source?
The Aztec Sun stone would be considered a primary source. This is because it was carved in the 15th century by the Aztecs, and was very important to them. People today are able to learn from this stone about the Aztecs and their time, as it is from the ancient times in which they lived.
How are the two calendars related?
The two calendars are related because, for both of them, each of their days use a specific daysign that corresponds to a specific god. For the solar calendar the daysigns represent each day differently for the 20 days, while it represents the sacred calendar in a mixed order. Also, they both follow a 20-day cycle (veintena). These two calendars helped shape the Aztecs’ way of life and control their activities and work. They were both intertwined and rotated at the same time to give them a 52-year calendar.
What kinds of information is on the Sun stone?
The type of information on the Sun stone is both religious information and information of their lives (is kind of a calendar). In the center of it there is a representation of either the day sun god Tonatiuh, the night sun god Yohualtonatiuh or the earth monster Tlaltecuhtli. The tongue represents a sacrificial knife or flint and since it’s sticking out it suggests a thirst for blood and sacrifice. Around the face the four squares represent the four suns that have fallen, resulting in the world ending four times. These suns successively replaced each other after the gods Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca struggled for control of them until the 5th sun was reached. On both sides of the central face are two jaguar heads or paws that are each holding a heart, representing the terrestrial realm. There were two heads at the bottom of the center that represented fire serpents in which their bodies ran around the perimeter of the stone and ended with a tail. This type of information was important to the Aztecs, as it was what they believed in and lived by.
How are the calendars similar and or different from the one we use today?
The calendars are similar to the ones we use today because the solar calendar for the Aztecs had 365 days and so does our calendar. It is also similar to the solar calendar because it also helps us determine the seasons and what we do and don’t grow. The calendars are different from the ones we use today because they used signs or symbols to represent their days while we use names and numbers. Also, the sacred calendar only has 260 days while we have 365. The weeks on the solar calendar are made up of five days and the weeks on the sacred calendar are made up of 13 days, while our weeks are made up of seven days. Also, every four years for us, we get a leap year, so it adds an extra day but they don’t get it.
What is the New Fire Ceremony and how did it work?
The New Fire Ceremony was a ceremony that was held every 52 years on the day that the two calendars would start again on the same day. This great ceremony had marked the occasion. It was a very scary time for the Aztecs, as they were unsure if the sun would be rising or if the world would be ending once again. It started with all the fires of any kind being extinguished from temples, houses, and the streets. A thorough cleaning operation took place with the streets being swept, old hearth stones were being thrown away, with old cooking utensils were being thrown away and old clothes too, and even idols were washed and cleansed. A ritual was to tie a bundle of 52 reeds together creating a symbolic xiuhmopilli and burn 52 of them. Pregnant women were locked away and their faces were painted blue in the belief that they would not turn into monsters during the night. Children also had their faces painted and were kept from sleeping to prevent them from turning into mice. When darkness fell, everyone stopped their activities, and waited for the ceremony to happen. The priests waited for the stars to align in order to start. The priest would cut out the heart of a human sacrifice and a fire was kindled in the empty chest cavity using a sacred fire stick drill. If the fire burned brightly then they had been blessed with another sun. The fire was used to light a fire at the temple of Huitzilopochtli. From there runners ensured that all the fires in the city were lit. After the morning of fasting, there was a great day of partying. They would eat and drink wear new clothes, and dance together to celebrate the sun.
In what ways was the new fire ceremony like the way we celebrate the coming of a new year?
In both occasions, people are awaiting midnight, when the stars align. When midnight strikes, it marks the beginning of the new year, as well as the occasion. Also, before it led up to midnight all was dark, but when it hit it brightened up. For the Aztecs, this is because of the fire they kindled, but for us, it’s because of the fireworks that are lighted for the new year. Also, both occasions were greatly celebrated with many great fortunes to come. They both start a whole new calendar.
How do the two calendars influence the way the Aztec live their life?
The solar calendar controlled the Aztecs and their agricultural activities, while the sacred calendar controlled the Aztec’s rituals and sacrifices. Both of these calendars had an effect on the Aztecs and their way of life, in which they wouldn’t question what happened with the calendar and just make sure to follow it. The calendars were able to associate each day with either a good fate, bad fate or an indifferent fate. No matter what the fate of the day was, they acted upon it. So if it was a bad and empty day they wouldn’t eat or do other fun activities and instead stay home and prayed.
Summary paragraph
The Aztecs had two main calendars, xiuhtlapohualli and tonalpohualli. The xiuhtlapohualli calendar was the Aztec’s solar calendar and main calendar that consisted of 365 days. It was their solar calendar that was used to regulate agricultural activities, such as planting and harvesting, and determined market days. It had 18 months with 20 days within each month and a 19th month that only had five days. This last month with five days was considered unlucky and empty, so no activity of any kind was carried out, in the belief that only misfortune would result. During this month called the nemontemi nobody cooked, engaged in trade, got married, made love with a partner, etc. Each month and day was represented by a god, so they would honor/worship the god for that day. Each day was also represented by a tonalli (daysign) that was dedicated to a god. At the beginning of the year for this calendar, there would be a festival to honor the god of rain, Tlaloc. The second calendar tonalpohualli was the Aztec’s sacred calendar that the Aztecs used to determine when spiritual rituals and sacrifices would take place. It consisted of 260 days. It had 13-day week cycles that rotated with the solar calendar’s 20-day month cycle. This calendar was mainly used by priests in which each day on this calendar was associated with a fate that was good, bad, or indifferent. Time was super important to the Aztecs because every single day, month, and year were represented by a god which told them who and how they were supposed to worship that god. They thought that if they didn’t worship those gods exactly on those days, the world will end. The two calendars were both intertwined and rotated at the same time to give them a 52-year calendar. On the same day that these two calendars would start again, a ceremony called the New Fire Ceremony would mark the occasion. It was a time of terrifying uncertainty because they didn’t know whether or not the sun would rise the next day. It started with all the fires of any kind being extinguished from temples, houses, and the streets. A thorough cleaning operation took place with the streets being swept and old household items being thrown away. A ritual was to tie a bundle of 52 reeds together creating a symbolic monument, and burn 52 of them on the day. Women and children had their faces painted in a belief that they wouldn’t turn into monsters or mice. When darkness fell, everyone stopped their activities, and waited for the ceremony to happen. The priests waited for the stars to align in order to start. The priest would cut out the heart of a human sacrifice and a fire was kindled in the empty chest cavity using a sacred fire stick drill. If the fire burned brightly then they had been blessed with another sun. The fire was used to light a fire at the temple of Huitzilopochtli and from there runners ensured that all the fires in the city were lit. After this, they would all celebrate the bright fire, as the sun would rise the next morning. The Aztecs also had a sunstone, which was a representation of the Aztec people’s religion and lives. It represented gods, a flint (sacrificial knife), four suns which represent the four times the sun fell/world ended, a band representing the 20-day month names, and fire serpents.
