Graphic representations for the twenty day names have existed among certain ethnic, linguistic, or archaeologically identified peoples.
[1] The term for the Aztec day signs, tōnalpōhualli, comes from the root word Tona which means to give light or heat.
In Aztec society there were multiple intertwining calendars, the tōnalpōhualli, and the xiuhpōhualli which refers to the solar year of 365 days.
The tōnalpōhualli as aforementioned consists of twenty different day signs or Trecenas, which in almost all representations are accompanied with a glyph depicting its character.
[5] The glyphs were recognizable to their meaning, and members of the population would understand what day it was and their current position in time.
[6] The order of the days related to all aspects of life, they dictated when was the right time to plant maize and when to harvest.
[citation needed] Note that the symbols are arranged counterclockwise around the calendar stone.
Above is the
Codex Telleriano-Remensis
: Folio 10r
annotated to identify the day signs (Tonalpohualli) and counts on the page. This page includes the later half of a Trecena, starting with 6 grass (6 Malinalli) and ending with 13 rain (13 Quiyahuitl). The Trecena progresses from the second row and the first column and continues to the right. Once it is five columns in the order it progresses downward until the fifth column and fifth row. The
Codex Telleriano-Remensis
was produced in the sixteenth century with
European influence
and supplies.
Above is the
Codex Borbonicus
Folio 13 with annotations to highlight the day signs (Tonalpohualli) within the
Trecena
which is shown on the page. The
Trecena
begins at the bottom leftmost corner with 1 movement (1 Olin) and continues through the full 13 day cycle until 13 water (13 Atl) at the top box on the inner column. Each day sign is paired with their respective deity, for example 2 flint is presented by
Chalchiuhtotolin
.
