Ahau Sequence: The sequence of five day-signs related in the Dresden Codex which are used to predict the morningstar risings of Venus: Ahau, Kan, Lamat, Eb and Cib. This sequence also occurs in the same context in the Popol Vuh.
Calendar Round (CR): A period of 52 haab representing the synchronization of the tzolkin and haab.
Corr #: The "correlation number","correlation constant" or the "Ahau equation", i.e., the Julian Day number which corresponds with the first day of the Long Count Great Cycle.
Count of Days: Usually refers to the 260-day cycle.
Day-Sign Coefficient: The number (between 1 and 13) which accom panies a day-sign.
Eagle Sequence: Predictive Sequence ruled by the day-sign Eagle: Eagle (Men), Cauac, Akbal, Manik and Chuen.
Eclipse Half-Year: Period of time between eclipses - 173.3 days. Implicit in Mayan calculations.
Ecliptic: The 16 degree wide belt along which the planets, moon, and sun travel.
Emergence Day-Signs: Day-signs on which Venus emerges as morning star.
(G): Indicates the use of the Gregorian calendar.
GMT: The Goodman-Martinez-Thompson correlation number: JD 584283.
Great Cycle: Period of time generated by the Mayan Long Count. Equals 13 Baktuns, 1872000 days, or approximately 5125.36 years.
Haab: Same as the vague solar year; period of 365 days.
Hun: One
Hun Batz: One Monkey. God of the Popol Vuh.
Hun Chuen: One Monkey (or One Artisan). God of the Popol Vuh.
Hunahpu: One of the Hero twins of the Popol Vuh. Refers to the day-sign Ahau, and therefore, as One Ahau, the traditional Sacred Day of Venus.
Inferior Conjunction: This occurs when a retrograde planet cross es in front of the sun, on its way to becoming a morningstar.
(J): Indicates use of the Julian Calendar.
JD or J.D. #: Julian Day Number.
Mam: Ixil Maya term to designate the arrival of the year-bearer (the first day of the haab; New Year's Day).
New Year's Day in Mayan Calendars: New Year's day is the first day of the haab. Since different cultural groups followed different haab placements, New Year's Day occurs at different times for different groups. Also, since leap year was not recognized in the Mayan haab, New Year's Day precesses backward around the Gregor ian calendar at the rate of one day every four years. This does not complicate the universally shared Sacred Count of 260 days.
Nodal Cycle: The cycle of the lunar nodes around the ecliptic. Approximately equals 18.4 years.
Oxib: Three in the Quiche language.
PHI: The Golden Mean or the Golden Proportion. Although this is best expressed as a ratio, it is usually approximated as 1.618.
Predictive Emergence Day-Signs: Sequence of 5 day-signs which predict the morningstar appearance of Venus. Similar to Predic tive Sequence.
Predictive Sequence: The sequence of 5 day-signs which predict the morningstar appearance of Venus after inferior conjunction. There are four possible sequences.
(Q): Indicates use of the Quiche haab.
Ruling Sequences (4): In my proposed Venus Calendar, there are four possible Senior Day-Signs, and each implies its own ruling sequence for the Venus Round of its rule. The four possible Sequence Rulers are: Serpent, Dog, Eagle, Marksman. The Ruling Sequences are implied from these four Senior Day-Signs, after the intervals in the Dresden Codex.
Sacred Calendar: Although this term can refer to the 260-day cycle by itself, it can also refer to the complete framework of time-cycles used by the Maya.
Sacred Cycle: Refers to the 260-day cycle.
Sacred Day of Venus: The sacred day (including its number coefficient) which begins a Venus Round. Example: 1 Ahau is the traditional Sacred Day of Venus. Ahau, by itself, is simply the Senior Sacred Day (coefficient is required to designate the Sacred Day apart from the occurrence of Ahau as only an Emergence Day-Sign).
Senior Day-Sign: Usually the Calendar Round beginning day. The most revered day-sign; can vary from group to group.
Stelae: Carved monuments often found at archeological sites. Many contain tzolkin/haab and Long Count dates. These were called te-tuns (tree stones) by the Classic Maya.
(T): Indicates the use of the Tikal haab.
Tzolkin: Sacred Count of Days (260-day cycle). Alternate meanings: "pieces of sun" or "day-count of vibrational tree-consciousness".
Tzolkin/Haab: Conventional combining of tzolkin and haab designation to indicate a unique day within a Calendar Round period.
Vague Solar Year: Mayan numerological convention - 365 days. Otherwise known as the haab.
Vayeb: The 5-day month which ends the haab.
Venus Calendar: The system by which morningstar appearances of Venus are predicted. Consists of the nestled cycles of tzolkin, haab, and Calendar Round.
Venus Cycle: The synodical period of Venus. Equals 583.92 days; the Maya used a 584 day approximation.
Venus Emergence as Morningstar: The first day on which Venus becomes visible in the eastern morning sky after inferior conjunction (passing in front of the sun). Reckoned to occur 4 days after perfect inferior conjunction.
Venus/Mars Round: Actually, this refers to a conjunction cycle of Venus, Mars and the Sun, evident in the Dresden Codex. Equals 6 Calendar Rounds.
Venus Rising: The date on which Venus emerges as morningstar.
Venus Round (VR): The period of 104 haab which synchronizes the primary cycles of Mayan time - the tzolkin and haab. Also provides a framework by which the astronomical phenomena associated with Venus can be predicted.
Xbalanque: One of the hero twins from the Popol Vuh. Refers to the day-sign Ix and the full moon.
Xibalba: The Mayan Underworld.
Year-Bearers: The sequence of four day-signs on which the first day of the haab can occur. There are 5 different year-bearer sequences, or types, labelled in Roman numerals: I, II, III, IV and V.
Zero Counting: zero counting was used by various groups to count haab months from 0 to 19. The Ixil and Quiche dropped zero counting at some point and began counting their haab months from 1 to 20.
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