The Tonalpohualli, the 260-day ritual calendar, was one of the two interlocking cycles that formed the Mexica calendar system. The Tonalpohualli was composed of 20 signs, called tonalli, multiplied by 13 numbers, called ce. Each day in the Tonalpohualli had a unique combination of sign and number, and the calendar produced 260 days before the cycle was complete. The 260 days of the Tonalpohualli were divided into 20 periods of 13 days each, and each period was associated with one of the 20 signs.
The 20 Day Signs
The 20 signs of the Tonalpohualli were the basic units of the calendar, and each sign had its own associations, its own deities, and its own fortune. The 20 signs were: cipactli (crocodile), ehecatl (wind), calli (house), cuetzpalin (lizard), coatl (serpent), miquiztli (death), mazatl (deer), tochtli (rabbit), atl (water), itzcuintli (dog), ozomatli (monkey), malinalli (grass), acatl (reed), ocelotl (jaguar), cuauhtli (eagle), cozcuauhtli (vulture), ollin (movement), tecpatl (flint), quiahuitl (rain), and xochitl (flower).
Each sign had its own associations with the gods, with the natural world, and with human activities. The sign of cipactli (crocodile), for example, was associated with the earth and with the beginning of things, and the sign of miquiztli (death) was associated with the underworld and with the ancestors. The Mexica believed that the day sign determined much of a person’s destiny, and the sign of a person’s birth was used to predict the person’s character and fortune.
The 13 Numbers
The 13 numbers of the Tonalpohualli were combined with the 20 signs to produce the 260 unique days of the calendar. The numbers were 1 to 13, and they were combined with the signs in a regular sequence. The first sign, cipactli, was combined with the numbers 1 to 13, producing the days 1-Cipactli, 2-Cipactli, 3-Cipactli, and so on, up to 13-Cipactli. The next sign, ehecatl, was then combined with the numbers 1 to 13, producing the days 1-Ehecatl, 2-Ehecatl, 3-Ehecatl, and so on.
The 13 numbers were important in the Tonalpohualli, and they were believed to have their own associations and their own fortunes. The number 1, for example, was associated with the beginning of things, and the number 13 was associated with the completion of a cycle. The Mexica believed that the combination of a sign and a number was particularly significant, and it was used to determine the auspicious days for various activities.
The Use of the Tonalpohualli
The Tonalpohualli was used for a wide range of purposes, from divination to the timing of religious rituals. The Tonalpohualli was used by the priests, called tonalpouhqui, who were trained in the calmecac and who specialized in the reading of the calendar.
The tonalpouhqui would consult the calendar to determine the auspicious days for various activities, including the planting of crops, the conduct of war, the performance of rituals, and the naming of children. The tonalpouhqui were also responsible for the preparation of the religious almanacs, called tonalpohualli or almanacs, which were used by the priests to determine the dates of the religious festivals.
The Personal Day Sign
The Mexica believed that each person had a personal day sign, called the tonalli, that was a portion of the divine force residing in the person. The tonalli was associated with the day of a person’s birth, and it was believed to determine much of the person’s character and destiny. The Mexica prayed to their tonalli at the beginning of each day, and they observed the days of the calendar that were sacred to their personal day sign.
The personal day sign shaped the Mexica identity, and it shaped the religious and social life of the people. The Mexica believed that the proper care of the tonalli was essential for the well-being of the person, and they performed a wide range of rituals to ensure the protection of the tonalli.
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