THE MONTHS OF THE YEAR IN KAQCHIKEL: THE MAYAN CALENDAR - CULTURE VOCABULARY

The months of the year in kaqchiquel or cachiquel, are part of the sophisticated system of ancient Mesoamerican calendars of the Mayan peoples. These have a particularity: they have their own names corresponding to the linguistic branch of the south of the Yucatan peninsula.

It is still considered today as one of the most accurate systems ever formulated for calculating time and cycles of the sun, moon, and Earth. It calculates eras, centuries, years, months, weeks and days, based on the combination of 3 units of measurement: long, solar and sacred calendar.

The months are considered as such within the solar calendar, called in their dialect the Haab or Chol'Ab, which today the Mayan peoples have practically replaced by the Gregorian.

The most common nomenclature used and studied for the calendar is Yucatecan, which is the most widely spoken and studied language among the Mayan peoples. Despite the fact that Cachiquel as a dialect differs from Yucatec, its calendars preserve the cultural parallel mentioned above.

The months of the year in kaqchikel

Next, there is a list with the different months in Cachiquel, their reference in Yucatec, the glyph of the first day of the month or day "0" or "seat of the month that begins" and some of its meanings.

1- Takaxepwal

Reference in Yucatec: Pop.
Meaning: jaguar, leadership, soft ground.

2- Nab'ey Tumusus

Reference in Yucatec: Wo.
Meaning: black conjunction, night, two soft lands.

3- Rukab 'Tummusus

Reference in Yucatec: Sip.
Meaning: Red conjunction, deer, deer.

4- Sib'ixik

Reference in Yucatec: Zotz '.
Meaning: bat, fish, early winter.

5- Uchum

Reference in Yucatec: Sek.
Meaning: heaven, earth, death.

6- Nab'ey Mam

Reference in Yucatec: Xul.
Meaning: dog with solar tail, days of the birds.

7- Rukab 'Mam

Reference in Yucatec: Yaxk'in.
Meaning: new sun, red clouds, Sun God.

8- Liq'in Qa

Reference in Yucatec: Mol.
Meaning: water, gathering of clouds.

9- Nab'ey Toq'ik

Reference in Yucatec: Ch'en.
Meaning: black storm, moon, west.

10- Rukab 'Toq'ik

Reference in Yucatec: Yax.
Meaning: green storm, Venus, south.

11- Nab'ey Pach

Reference in Yucatec: Sak.
Meaning: white storm, frog, north.

12- Rukab 'Pach

Reference in Yucatec: Kej.
Meaning: red storm, trees, east.

13- Tz'ikin Q'ij

Reference in Yucatec: Mak.
Meaning: Cover closed, God of number 3.

14- K'aqan

Reference in Yucatec: K'ank'in.
Meaning: Earth, underworld, yellow sun.

15- Ib'otao or B'otam

Reference in Yucatec: Muwan.
Meaning: Owl, God of rain and clouds.

16- K'atik

Reference in Yucatec: Pax.
Meaning: cougar, arrow, time to sow

17- Itzkal

Reference in Yucatec: K'ayab.
Meaning: Tortoise, Goddess of the Moon.

18- Pariy 'Che'

Reference in Yucatec: Kumk'u.
Meaning: grain or barn, crocodile, corn, dark gods.

19- Tz'Apiq'Ij

Reference in Yucatec: Wayeb
Meaning: 5 days of bad luck, God of the earth.

The use of the months of the year Kaqchiquel

This calendar was based on the rotation of the Earth around the sun. It was also called the agricultural or civil calendar, since its months indicated the seasons for the agricultural tasks of sowing and harvesting, something very important for all Mayans.

As the life of these towns revolved around agriculture, the rest of the civil activities of the year also depended on it. Thanks to this, the calendar included a kind of guide with which people, month by month, carried out activities of a personal nature or with the community.

In this particular, it functioned as if it were a Mayan zodiac, where each month represents an important aspect of social and personal life according to its culture. Currently, the Haab is treated as an astrological alternative in Central America, along with Chinese and Western astrology.

Like all horoscope, it does not escape being surrounded by symbolism and mystery, with multiple interpretations available among the various ethnic groups. The local inhabitants in modern times have not offered more detail than is already available. Consequently, the meaning of each month within the calendar is not completely clear.

However, there is sufficient numerical, functional and symbolic correlation between the different Mayan peoples with respect to the calendar and its months. The cachiquel falls within this conglomerate.

How does this calendar work?

Mayan numbering for the days within each month.

This calendar has 18 months of 20 days each adding a total of 360 days. To this is added a last month of 5 days, completing the 365-day cycle that coincides with the rotation of the earth around the sun.

Each 20-day period is accompanied by a glyph that represents the entry for that particular month that was usually considered day 0 in the numbering, and this was written before the name of the month. The rest of the days it continued until reaching 19, thus adding 20.

In this way, each month began with day 0 followed by the name: 0 Takaxepwal, which meant on each first day as the seat of the month Takaxepwal. Then it would continue 1 Takaxepwal, 2 Takaxepwal, 3 Takaxepwal successively until reaching 19 Takaxepwal.

Then the next period would be 0 Nab'ey Tumusus, 1 Nab'ey Tumusus, 2 Nab'ey Tumusus until 19 Nab'ey Tumusus and then with the month Rukab 'Tummusus until the last day of the penultimate period which is 19 Pariy' Che '.

The year culminates with the 5 days of the last month which is Tz'apiq'ij. The nomenclature of days remains the first being the Tz'apiq'ij until the 4 Tz'apiq'ij.

In relation to the Gregorian calendar, the new year coincides with the ninth Cachiquel month Nab'ey Toq'ik from January 2 to 21. On the other hand, the Cachiquel New Year that begins with Takaxepwal, coincides with the last days of July.

Wayeb, the end of the year of changes

The last month of the year is very important for the Cachiquel people as it is for the Mayans, better known as the Wayeb. Unlike the rest of the 18 months with 20 days, this one only had 5.

They were thought to be days of natural imbalance, where ghosts roamed the earth scaring people. Consequently, the entirety of the days of this month was strictly reserved for the transition of cosmogonic authority from the outgoing year to that of the coming year.

The Mayans believed that this aspect would influence life throughout the next period. These days it was preferable to stay at home and work was not allowed.

The tools were kept to give them rest in gratitude for the service provided in the different tasks of society. In this way, the rituals of renewal and change proceeded without interruption.

This month was the time for self-discovery, strengthening of identity and family communion in the Cachiquel community. This is where the goals for the following year were established and the way to meet them was planned, hoping for the best of providences.

Everything that happened during the 360 days of the year, good or bad, whether on a personal or community scale, was evaluated and reflected in depth. Offerings were presented as a sign of gratitude in the hope of cleaning up all the negative that dragged on until the end of the year and hoping that the new cycle would bring more providences.

References

The Mayan calendar portal (2016). The Haab '. Lucita Inc. Recovered from: maya-portal.net.
Rozenn Milin (2015). Maya New Year with the Kaqchikel in Guatemala. Sosoro, so the languages of the world may live on! Recovered from sorosoro.org.
Peter Rohloff, Emily Tummons. Kaqchikel. Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies. KU. The University of Kansas. Recovered from latamst.ku.edu.
Lolmay Pedro García (2012). The true meaning of the 13 B'aqtun and the Mayan Calendars. Kaqchiquel Linguistic Community. Recovered via Issuu: issuu.com.
Kajkan. The thirteen bakun. Recovered via Simplebooklet. Recovered from: simplebooklet.com.
Wishingmoon (2015). Mayan Zodiac Signs. Which one are you? Clasic Light Ltd. Recovered from wishingmoon.com.
Energy Healing Info. Mayan Zodiac Symbols: Haab Calendar. Recovered from energy-healing-info.com.
Mystical Maya. Chargers of the year and the Wayeb. Recovered from mysticomaya.com.

THE MONTHS OF THE YEAR IN KAQCHIKEL: THE MAYAN CALENDAR - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025