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1. The startup screen
The only file necessary is MC8E.EXE. To start the program either
(i) locate the program in the File Manager or Explorer and double click on the program icon or
(ii) from a command line prompt (DOS or a console application window), at the subdirectory containing the program, enter "MC8E".The program starts up at the main menu, as follows:
Move the light-bar using the up- and down-arrow keys, or press the initial letter of the option you want (until the light-bar comes to it).
You can set a parameter (correlation number, yearbearer system or month base number) or get information. If the latter, is it about today, tomorrow or do you want a sequence of days/dates, or do you wish to convert among long counts, European dates and/or tzolkin/haab dates? Or do you want to add or subtract in pictun arithmetic? The function keys do what they are said (at the bottom of the screen) to do. These options and functions will be explained in more detail below.
In order for the software to start and to end properly it may be necessary to have a CDROM in your CDROM drive.
2. Specification of the correlation number
As explained in Chapter 2, the correlation number is the Julian day number of the day 0.0.0.0.0 4 Ahau 8 Cumku, or in other words, the number of days that elapsed from -4712-01-01 (Julian) to the most recent day 0.0.0.0.0 in the Maya long count calendar. The default value is 584,283, the so-called Thompson correlation, which seems most widely accepted among Maya scholars. According to this correlation, 0.0.0.0.0 4 Ahau 8 Cumku occurred nearly 1500 Gregorian years after -4712-01-01 (J), i.e. somewhere late in the fourth millenium B.C.To specify the correlation number select "Correlation number" and the following menu will appear:
Use the up- and down-arrow keys (or press the key for an initial letter) to select one of the named correlations, or select "Specify other" to use some other correlation number. The possible range for the correlation parameter is 0 through 999,999 days, a range of nearly 2,738 years. The value of the correlation number does not affect conversions between long count dates and tzolkin/haab dates within a particular Maya calendar. It does, however, affect all conversions between Maya dates and European dates.
3. Specification of the yearbearers
As explained in Chapter 3, there were various systems of yearbearers used by Maya authors at different times and places. The system used in the Madrid Codex is not the same as that used in the Dresden Codex. Thus whenever Maya dates are to be converted one must ask which system of yearbearers is assumed. Six are possible, of which only four have been found in use historically (see more in Chapter 3).The yearbearer sub-menu allows selection of one of three yearbearer systems, as follows:
Yearbearer system New year's System Codices day on name where used Kan, Muluc, Ix, Cauac 0 Pop Yucatan Kan, Muluc, Ix, Cauac 1 Pop Mayapan Madrid Akbal, Lamat, Ben, Edznab 0 Pop Campeche Ik, Manik, Eb, Caban 0 Pop Tikal Dresden, ParisThe default yearbearer system is Ik/Manik/Eb/Caban, that of the Dresden Codex. Followers of Dr. José Argüelles may prefer to use Kan/Muluc/Ix/Cauac (with a month-base-number of 0, the "Yucatan" system), since that is presupposed in Dr. Argüelles's books (see Section 10).The software has four help screens; this is the second of them:
4. Specification of the haab month base number
After specifying the yearbearer system you must specify whether the month base number is 0 or 1. When working with dates in the Dresden or in the Paris Codex the month base number should be set to 0. For dates in the Madrid Codex the month base number should be set to 1.The choice of yearbearer system or month base number does not affect conversions between long count dates and European dates, or between long count dates and tzolkin dates. What is affected is the haab date, and so a Western date may correspond to various tzolkin/haab dates in the various systems.
5. About today and tomorrow
These two menu choices give you all the details, in various Maya, European and lunar calendars, about today and about tomorrow. You can get an equal amount of information about succeeding days by pressing the space bar, for example:
6. Generating a sequence of dates
There are two menu choices for generating a date sequence (in which each date has a line of information on the screen and you can continue as long as you like with dates in the sequence). These two choices are:
- Maya calendar date sequence
- Goddess lunar calendar date sequence
You can specify a date in various ways. As it says in the help screen:
A date may be entered in any of several calendars. You may use the Gregorian, Julian or Goddess Calendars. You may also enter a Julian day number (e.g. 2,450,000) or a Maya long count (e.g. 12.13.14.15.16). If you use the Gregorian or the Julian Calendars then the date format in use is the ISO date format.... or whatever date format is currently set.
There are three date formats supported:
- American (month/day/year)
- European (day.month.year)
- ISO (year-month-day)
Once you specify a particular date, either as a Maya long count, as a Western Gregorian or Julian date, or as a Goddess Calendar date, the software generates a line for that date and each succeeding date containing the Maya tzolkin/haab date corresponding to that date together with the long count date and the European dates. This is useful for getting a better idea of the cycles of the tzolkin and of the haab within the calendar round.
The two menu choices give somewhat different output.
"Maya Calendar date sequence" gives output such as:
"Goddess Calendar date sequence" gives output such as:
Here is the date sequence for the entire 12.19.7 tun.
7. Converting a long count
Within the current era Maya long count dates range from 0.0.0.0.0 to 12.19.19.17.19, or possibly the day following, 13.0.0.0.0. 13.0.0.0.0 is the same as 0.0.0.0.0 and so is more correctly thought of as the first day of the era of thirteen baktuns succeeding the present one. The "Long count to tzolkin/haab date and European dates" menu option will convert a long count such as 9.16.16.0.9 into a tzolkin/haab date and, depending on the value of the correlation number, into a Julian day number and thus to dates in the European calendars.To find out the long count date that differs from another long count date by a certain number of days simply enter the long count +/- that number of days. E.g. to obtain the long count date which is 1,440 days prior to 10.0.0.0.0 enter 10.0.0.0.0 - 1440 (the result is 9.19.16.0.0).
Sample output:
Correlation number = 584,283 (Thompson) Year bearers: Ik, Manik, Eb, Caban Month base number = 0 Tikal system (Dresden Codex) Date format: ISO L.c. = 12.13.14.15.16 M.d.c. = 1,826,956 Tzolkin/haab: 5 Cib 14 Xul (Tikal) C.n. = 584,283 Gregorian = 24 Aug 1889 J.d.n. = 2,411,239 Julian = 12 Aug 1889 Lunar = 29 Xochiquetzal 2943 L.c. = 12.13.14.15.16 plus 20 days 12.13.14.16.16 M.d.c. = 1,826,976 Tzolkin/haab: 12 Cib 14 Yaxkin (Tikal) C.n. = 584,283 Gregorian = 13 Sep 1889 J.d.n. = 2,411,259 Julian = 1 Sep 1889 Lunar = 20 Yemaya 29438. Converting a date to Mayan dates
The menu option "Date to long count and tzolkin/haab dates" allows you to enter dates in a variety of calendars, and to get back the corresponding Maya dates.As quoted above, from the Help screen:
A date may be entered in any of several calendars. You may use the Gregorian, Julian or Goddess Lunar calendars. You may also enter a Julian day number (e.g. 2,450,000) or a Mayan long count (e.g. 12.13.14.15.16). If you use the Gregorian, Julian or Goddess Lunar calendars then the date format in use is the ISO date format.... or whatever date format is currently set (see the use of the F4 function key below).
European dates may be entered in either the Julian or the Gregorian calendars. Either add a "G" or a "J" at the end, as in 1990-12-31 G, or press Enter after typing the date and answer "G" or "J" to the question "Is this a Gregorian or a Julian date?" For dates in the Goddess Lunar Calendar use the full date, e.g. 5-530-01-01.
The Maya date is then displayed in various formats, together with the Julian day number, the long count date and the six tzolkin/haab dates. Additionally the correlation number is displayed, together with the number of days (in decimal notation) since 0.0.0.0.0. Entering "2000000" (a Julian day number) produces:
Correlation number = 584,283 (Thompson) Year bearers: Ik, Manik, Eb, Caban Month base number = 0 Tikal system (Dresden Codex) Date format: ISO Gregorian = 18 Sep 763 J.d.n. = 2,000,000 Julian = 14 Sep 763 C.n. = 584,283 GLC = 2386-24-03 L.c. = 9.16.12.9.17 8 Caban 8 Ceh (Yucatan) 8 Caban 9 Ceh (Campeche) 8 Caban 10 Ceh (Tikal) 8 Caban 9 Ceh (Mayapan) 8 Caban 10 Ceh (A) 8 Caban 11 Ceh (B) Days since 0.0.0.0.0: 1,415,717There are six tzolkin/haab dates displayed corresponding to the three possible systems of yearbearers combined with the two possible month base numbers. Any given European date may have various haab dates within the various systems.
9. Converting a tzolkin/haab date
Not all tzolkin/haab dates are possible combinations. E.g. 1 Imix 1 Pop is possible in no system, not even those that were not used historically. Some tzolkin/haab dates are possible within one system, but not another. For example, 13 Imix 9 Kayab is possible in the Tikal system and in A (not used) but is not possible in the Yucatan system.A given tzolkin/haab date occurs only once in slightly less than fifty-two years. In a thousand years a particular tzolkin/haab date could occur about nineteen times. If the tzolkin/haab date is possible within the current system (as displayed at the menu screen) then you can identify all dates in a given range of years corresponding to this tzolkin/haab date. Only dates in the range 0.0.0.0.0 (11 August -3113 according to the Thompson correlation) through 13.0.0.0.0 (21 December 2012) will be displayed.
There are 18,980 tzolkin/haab dates in the calendar round. Each has a position in the calendar round, from 0 to 18979. The calendar round position is displayed for each tzolkin/haab date. E.g., 12 Lamat 1 Kayab is at position 12,748 and 1 Akbal 1 Pop is at position 1843. To determine the number of days between two tzolkin dates simply take the difference of the calendar round positions. In this example there are 10,905 days from 1 Akbal 1 Pop to 12 Lamat 1 Kayab. From 12 Lamat 1 Kayab to 1 Akbal 1 Pop there are only 8075 days (18,980 - 10,905 = 8,075).
As a historical example, consider the two tzolkin/haab dates mentioned by Aveni [1], p.160, as being the dates of the birth and the death of Lord Pacal, as inscribed on the famous sarcophagus lid in the tomb beneath the Temple of the Inscriptions at Palenque. These two dates are 8 Ahau 13 Pop and 6 Edznab 11 Yax (they actually occur twice in the inscriptions). The calendar round position of the first is 9520 and that of the second is 938. Subtracting the first from the second gives -8582, to which (since it is negative) we should add 18,980, giving 10,398. However, 10,398 days is less than 29 years, and Lord Pacal is known to have lived longer than this. Thus he must have died not on the first 6 Edznab 11 Yax following 8 Ahau 13 Pop, but (presumably) on the second, thus living 10,398 + 18,980 = 29,378 days, i.e. 80 years, 5 months and some days. This is confirmed by the fact that, following one of the inscriptions is the distance number 4.1.10.18, i.e. 18 kin, 10 uinal, 1 tun, 4 katun, which equals 29,378 (this can be confirmed by the use of the pictun arithmetic facility in the software).
There is other evidence to suggest that the long count date of Lord Pacal's death is 9.12.11.5.18, corresponding (using the Thompson correlation) to 26 August, 683 (G).
Sample output, where we ask what European dates between the European years 500 and 1000 correspond to the tzolkin/haab date of 4 Imix 4 Uo:
Correlation number = 584,283 (Thompson) Year bearers: Ik, Manik, Eb, Caban Month base number = 0 Tikal system (Dresden Codex) Date format: ISO Tzolkin/haab: 4 Imix 4 Uo Possible in: Tikal A Calendar round position = 8801 C.n. = 584,283 Dates in current era within range 1 Jan 500 through 31 Dec 1000 (G) M.d.c. L.c. J.d.n. Gregorian Julian 1,337,401 09.05.15.00.01 1,921,684 16 Apr 549 14 Apr 549 1,356,381 09.08.07.13.01 1,940,664 4 Apr 601 1 Apr 601 1,375,361 09.11.00.08.01 1,959,644 22 Mar 653 19 Mar 653 1,394,341 09.13.13.03.01 1,978,624 10 Mar 705 6 Mar 705 1,413,321 09.16.05.16.01 1,997,604 25 Feb 757 21 Feb 757 1,432,301 09.18.18.11.01 2,016,584 12 Feb 809 8 Feb 809 1,451,281 10.01.11.06.01 2,035,564 30 Jan 861 26 Jan 861 1,470,261 10.04.04.01.01 2,054,544 18 Jan 913 13 Jan 913 1,489,241 10.06.16.14.01 2,073,524 5 Jan 965 31 Dec 96410. Deriving correlation numbers
Occasionally one will find an author who states that a certain tzolkin/haab date corresponds to a certain European date, but who gives no further information concerning yearbearers, correlation number, etc. For example, in Dr. José Argüelles's Earth Ascending we find the following four correspondences:
Gregorian date Tzolkin/haab Page 25 March 1988 3 Cib 2 Mac 166 28 March 1988 6 Cauac 5 Mac 1 April 1988 10 Akbal 9 Mac 21 6 April 1988 2 Lamat 14 Mac 162When we attempt convert any of these tzolkin/haab dates (using the "Tzolkin/haab to long count and European dates" menu option) we find that they are possible only in the Yucatan system, which has a month-base-number of 0 and uses the Kan/Muluc/Ix/Cauac system of yearbearers.
So to continue we reconfigure the software for these yearbearers (using the default Thompson correlation 584,283) and when we ask what European dates in the 20th Century correspond to, say, 3 Cib 2 Mac, we find:
Correlation number = 584,283 (Thompson) Year bearers: Kan, Muluc, Ix, Cauac Month base number = 0 Yucatan system Date format: ISO Tzolkin/haab: 3 Cib 2 Mac Possible in: Yucatan Calendar round position = 4276 C.n. = 584,283 Dates in current era within range 1 Jan 1901 through 31 Dec 2000 (G) M.d.c. L.c. J.d.n. Gregorian Julian 1,845,336 12.16.05.16.16 2,429,619 21 Dec 1939 8 Dec 1939 1,864,316 12.18.18.11.16 2,448,599 8 Dec 1991 25 Nov 199125 Mar 1988 does not appear. This tells us that Dr. Argüelles is using a correlation between the Maya and European calendar which is something other than the Thompson correlation. But which?
The option "Tzolkin/haab and European date to correlation numbers" gives us the answer.
Correlation number = 584,283 (Thompson) Year bearers: Kan, Muluc, Ix, Cauac Month base number = 0 Yucatan system Date format: ISO Tzolkin/haab: 3 Cib 2 Mac Assuming this date fell on 1988-03-25 G then: Calendar round position = 4276 First day of this calendar round is JDN 2,442,970, 1976-07-10 G First day of next calendar round is JDN 2,461,950, 2028-06-27 G Possible correlation numbers around 584,283: 507,010 then 0.0.0.0.0 = -3324-01-17 G and 13.0.0.0.0 = 1801-05-29 G 525,990 then 0.0.0.0.0 = -3272-01-05 G and 13.0.0.0.0 = 1853-05-16 G 544,970 then 0.0.0.0.0 = -3221-12-23 G and 13.0.0.0.0 = 1905-05-04 G 563,950 then 0.0.0.0.0 = -3169-12-10 G and 13.0.0.0.0 = 1957-04-21 G 582,930 then 0.0.0.0.0 = -3117-11-27 G and 13.0.0.0.0 = 2009-04-08 G 601,910 then 0.0.0.0.0 = -3065-11-15 G and 13.0.0.0.0 = 2061-03-26 G 620,890 then 0.0.0.0.0 = -3013-11-02 G and 13.0.0.0.0 = 2113-03-14 G 639,870 then 0.0.0.0.0 = -2961-10-21 G and 13.0.0.0.0 = 2165-03-01 GThese correlation numbers differ by 18,980, and with each of them 1988-03-25 G corresponds to 3 Cib 2 Mac in the tzolkin/haab calendar round. The correlation number closest to the Thompson correlation is 582,930, which puts the end of the 13th baktun of the current era at 2009-04-08 G. Dr. Argüelles does not explain how he comes by this correlation number, which is different from any of the 45 or so numbers which have been suggested by Maya scholars (see J. M. Jenkins's Tzolkin, pp.32-33).
When we set the correlation number to 582,930 and look at the date of the Harmonic Convergence, 1987-08-16, we find that the long count is 12.18.18.0.14 and in the Yucatan system the tzolkin/haab date is 2 Ix 0 Uo, neither of which appear noteworthy.
For another example from Dr. Argüelles's work we may turn to the start of Chapter 6 of The Mayan Factor, where we read that the following dates correspond:
Firstly we may note that the long count given is impossible. The maximum value for the uinal value (second from last) is 17, since 18 uinals make 1 tun.
Firstly the software tells us that 10 Ben 9 Kayab is (again) possible only in the Yucatan system. We may pursue the enquiry as above, and we obtain:
Correlation number = 584,283 (Thompson) Year bearers: Kan, Muluc, Ix, Cauac Month base number = 0 Yucatan system Date format: ISO Tzolkin/haab: 10 Ben 9 Kayab Possible in: Yucatan Calendar round position = 3633 C.n. = 584,283 Dates in current era within range 1 Jan 1901 through 31 Dec 2000 (G) M.d.c. L.c. J.d.n. Gregorian Julian 1,844,693 12.16.04.02.13 2,428,976 18 Mar 1938 5 Mar 1938 1,863,673 12.18.16.15.13 2,447,956 5 Mar 1990 20 Feb 1990 Tzolkin/haab: 10 Ben 9 Kayab Assuming this date fell on 1986-06-20 G then: Calendar round position = 3633 First day of this calendar round is JDN 2,442,969, 1976-07-09 G First day of next calendar round is JDN 2,461,949, 2028-06-26 G Possible correlation numbers: 507,009 then 0.0.0.0.0 = -3324-01-16 G and 13.0.0.0.0 = 1801-05-28 G 525,989 then 0.0.0.0.0 = -3272-01-04 G and 13.0.0.0.0 = 1853-05-15 G 544,969 then 0.0.0.0.0 = -3221-12-22 G and 13.0.0.0.0 = 1905-05-03 G 563,949 then 0.0.0.0.0 = -3169-12-09 G and 13.0.0.0.0 = 1957-04-20 G 582,929 then 0.0.0.0.0 = -3117-11-26 G and 13.0.0.0.0 = 2009-04-07 G 601,909 then 0.0.0.0.0 = -3065-11-14 G and 13.0.0.0.0 = 2061-03-25 G 620,889 then 0.0.0.0.0 = -3013-11-01 G and 13.0.0.0.0 = 2113-03-13 G 639,869 then 0.0.0.0.0 = -2961-10-20 G and 13.0.0.0.0 = 2165-02-28 GThis time the correlation closest to the Thompson correlation is not 582,930 but rather 582,929, which puts the end of the 13th baktun at 2009-04-07 G. Unfortunately Dr. Argüelles does not explain why the correlation used in Earth Ascending differs by one day from that used in The Mayan Factor.
11. Pictun arithmetic
You may wish to know the number of days between two long count dates. For example, in discussing the Paris Codex Severin mentions two long count dates 10.7.4.3.5 and 9.17.8.8.5, and notes that the difference between them is 70,460 days, which is exactly 2,386 lunar months (2,386 mean lunar months of 29.53058885 days is 70459.985 days). To verify this, select the "Pictun arithmetic" option and enter: 10.7.4.3.5 - 9.17.8.8.5We might wonder whether Severin's observation results from luck, that is, from having come across a pair of long count dates whose difference just happens to be this close to an integral number of lunar months. We can test this as follows: 2,386 lunar months, where a lunar month is 29.53059 mean solar days, is 70,459.98774 mean solar days, only 1/82 of a day different from 70,460 days. Of all the numbers from 1 to 140,000 only 116 of them are as close, or closer, to an integral number of lunar months. We can conclude that the probability of a difference between two long count dates being at least as close as 70,460 days is to an integral number of lunar months is about 1 in 1,207. Thus if we assume that none of the long count pairs in the available texts and inscriptions have in fact any astronomical significance we would have to gather about 836 of them before we had a 50/50 chance of including a pair whose difference was as close to an integral multiple of lunar months as 70,460 days is to 2,386 lunar months. Thus it seems unlikely that Severin's two long counts just happen to be a multiple of lunar months apart.
There are quantities in the codices which look like long count dates but have more than five numbers. These frequently occur as so-called "serpent numbers". For example, Bricker & Bricker cite a case where the Dresden codex contains the glyphs for the tzolkin/haab dates 9 Kan 12 Kayab and 13 Akbal 1 Kankin and the serpent number 4.6.9.15.12.19. They elucidate the relations between these numbers as follows:
(1.11.15.) 3.16.15.11. 4 9 Kan 12 KayabAs Bricker and Bricker note, "only the last five places refer to the long-count position. The first three places refer to a much longer cycle based on the pictun composed of 20 baktuns, rather than the era of 13 baktuns." In this larger scheme, 0.0.0.0.0 4 Ahau 8 Cumku is designated 1.11.19.0.0.0.0.0.+ 4. 6. 9.15.12.19 _________________________ (1.11.19.) 10. 6.10. 6. 3 13 Akbal 1 Kankin
To find out what 1.11.19.0.0.0.0.0 is in decimal, simply enter that number. The result is 1,840,320,000 days, or approximately 5,038,629 mean solar years.
12. Use of the function keys
F1 Help screens
There are four reference screens. If you wish, use the print-screen facility to dump these screens to the printer for later reference.
F3 Show output
This displays the output screen which holds the results of calculations. Press any key to return to the menu screen.
F4 Date toggle
Dates may be entered and displayed in any of three date formats:
- American (month/day/year)
- European (day.month.year)
- ISO (year-month-day)
or in other words:
- month/day/year (American)
- day.month.year (European)
- year-month-day (ISO)
The F4 key cycles through these three formats.
F5 Printer on/off
(This option works only when the program is run from the DOS operating system, not when run from Windows.) If you wish the results to be sent to your printer then press the F5 function key. Results of calculations will then be printed until either you turn off the printer by pressing the F5 key or you exit the program.
F8 Clear output screen
This function key clears the output screen.
F9 Log file on/off
This works like the F5 function key except that output is sent to a disk file called MC8E.LOG. New output is appended to this file, so unless you delete MC8E.LOG before starting a session with the software you may find that MC8E.LOG contains output from a previous session. When output is being sent to the log file "MC8E.LOG" will be displayed on the screen. When you exit from the program the size of the MC8E.LOG file is displayed.13. Use of alternative name sets
This software allows use of two different sets of names for tzolkin days and haab months. Selecting "Names" at the main menu toggles between these two sets. They are as follows:Names for tzolkin days:
Imix, Ik, Akbal, Kan, Chicchan, Cimi, Manik, Lamat, Muluc, Oc, Chuen, Eb, Ben, Ix, Men, Cib, Caban, Eznab, Cauac, Ahau
Imix, Ik', Ak'bal, K'an, Chikchan, Kimi, Manik', Lamat, Muluk, Ok, Chuwen, Eb, Ben, Ix, Men, Kib, Kaban, Etz'nab, Kawac, AhawNames for haab months:
First set:
Pop, Uo, Zip, Zotz, Zec, Xul, Yaxkin, Mol, Chen, Yax, Sak, Ceh, Mac, Kankin, Muan, Pax, Kayab, Cumku, UayebSecond set:
Pohp, Wo, Sip, Sotz', Sek, Xul, Yaxk'in, Mol, Ch'en, Yax, Zak, Keh, Mak, K'ank'in, Muwan, Pax, K'ayab, Kumk'u, Wayeb
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