Toltec wisdom and Nahuatl language

Well, well, Look at the arguments.

2008-06-28T11:05:00.004-05:00

I have a google search which found an interesting article about Nahuatl translation, and more. Paste the line below in your browser to look at the article.

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?StoryID=76864

Rampant egotism and anti mexican sentiment in the news paper has opened an argument with my viewpoint. Look at it please.

Connecting Nahuatl speakers via Skype network.

2008-04-25T11:47:00.005-05:00

Inocensio Jimenez Chino and his wife Florencia

This was an exploratory event. The picture of Inocensio was made in Cafe. etc., but the shype connection did not hold long enough. We Moved to the Public Library where the connection continued for many minutes while the old friends talked.

I had the pleasure of connecting Jonathan Amith, Professor of Languages at Yale University with two friends that came from Guerrero and now live in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato. I was not able to record the voices for this blog but here are pictures.

You can see many details regarding Inocensio if you search via Google for the entire phrase. He is well known as a painter in the indigenous style of Guerrero. It has been a great pleasure to listen to the Nahuatl speakers as they used modern technology to renew contact between nations.

Another foray into the Codices, "Codice Florentino"

2008-04-21T19:33:00.002-05:00

The Public library in San Miguel de Allende has an extensive collection of books that refer to the Codices from Mexico. Today I had time to look into the shelves where I found a book in Spanish.

The title "El 'Codice Florentino' y la 'Historia General' de Sahagun. First edition was ISBN 968-805-127-6 1,000 copies, Second printing ISBN 968-805-516-6, corrected and augmented.

Author Jose Luis Martinez makes a detailed study of the manuscript which is not on public display at this time; It is not certain where it is now. The last reported sighting was in 1896. This is stated in a footnote on P. 4; however a facsimile was obtained, by scholars in US, from unrevealed sources and a copy was donated to 'Archivo de la Nation' of Mexico. A complicated history of presumed copies seems to terminate in the translations based by Charles E. Dibble and Arthur J. O. Andersonon the facsimile . That translation is in a set of expensive volumes. I have only Volume 6 in my personal library. I have not found any reference there to Toltec. Martinez continues studying various versions for 157 pages where I found no reference to Toltec.

The authoritative sources of Toltec history are very scarce; I did not find a source today but you might like to follow this trail, I am tired now and will continue study of the Codex Borgia as discussed in my blog on calendars at http://mexicancalendars.blogspot.com/.

The Codex Borgia is also from an unknown source, possibly a temple raided by the Spanish but it is organized so carefully that I am convinced that it came from a very wise people. It has pictures only in the style of Toltec predecessors of the Aztec and other calendar based cultures in ancient Mexico,

New reference to calendar, Xihuitl 9 Tecpatl, Trecena 1 Cuauhtli, Tonalli 4 Tecpatl

2008-03-15T08:10:00.006-06:00

Yesterday I discovered the home page of another person with a focus on cultures as revealed by the calendar. This home page is a major addition to my blog about the calendar which I posted on Feb 24, 2008.

The study is published

by a very interesting geographer who writes about his adventures and misadventures in the academic world.

I have only read the first chapter as published on-line. It charms me with its literary humor and I hope to continue reading for the detailed description of the importance of the 260 day periodic sacred calendar. I continue to quote the calendar on these postings with hope that some will find the incentive to study its origins.

Speaking Nahuatl, part #6 of a video recording

2008-03-12T08:36:00.004-06:00

English: Ariel Neptali is our youngest son
Spanish: Arkiel Nepatli es nuestra hijo menor
Nahuatl: Oriel es san mas pilentain

Speaking Nahuatl, part #5 of a video recording

2008-03-12T08:22:00.003-06:00

English: Fabiola is our daughter
Spanish: Fabiola es nuestra hija
Nahuatl: yen huan tocone sihuatl

Speaking Nahuatl, part #4 of a video recording

2008-03-12T07:28:00.004-06:00

English: Victor is our oldest son
Spanish: Victor es nuestra hijo mayor
Nahuatl: Victor yenhuan tocone yecoyotl

Speaking Nahuatl, part #3 of a video recording

2008-03-12T07:07:00.004-06:00

English: Octavia is the mother of this family
Spanish: Octavia es madre del familia
Nahuatl: Octavia yehua nantli de chanecacame

Speaking Nahuatl, part #2 of a video recording

2008-03-11T21:02:00.006-06:00

English: I am the father of this family.
Spanish: Soy padre del familia.
Nahuatl: nahuan nitlati de chanecacahuan

Speaking Nahuatl, part #8 of a video recording

2008-03-11T19:03:00.005-06:00

c

English: See you later
Spanish: hasta luego
Nahuatl: totasque

Introduction of Nahuatl speaking famiy, part 1 of 8

2008-03-11T18:14:00.004-06:00

English: This is the family of Tomas Jimenez.
Spanish: Es La Familia de Tomas Jimenez;
Nahuatl: ichanecahuan

Speaking Nahuatl #1

2008-03-11T16:39:00.003-06:00

Un Tonalli, El Sol, the Sun, once malinalli for those using ritual calendar.

2008-03-09T08:04:00.012-06:00

Painting, Nahuatl text, Spanish text by Tomas Jimenez from Guerrero who
has many happy memories of life in the countryside.

Nahuatl: Se telpacatzin kinhuican iborregos xtlahuacan yehuan itekiyo nochi Tonaltii xpacame llehuen itempa atl kitequi xochitl un llehuanmen oquitlatiquen aman cuican ipan incha. Unsequime coconen tlapilohuan.

Spanish: Un nino llevan al campo los borregos. Este es su trabajo todos las dias, hay senoritas que van a la orilla de rio a cortar flores lo que ellas plantaron para llevar a casa y otros ninos pescando con el anzuelo.

English: A child takes sheep to the fields. This is his work every day, there are girls who go to the edge of the river to cut flowers that they planted for taking to the house. Other boys are fishing with fishing hooks.

Un macehualti de un calpa

2008-03-09T07:58:00.003-06:00

Painting, Nahuatl text, Spanish text by Tomas Jimenez from Guerrero who
has many happy memories of life in the countryside.

Nahuatl: Un masehualti de un calpa llehue campa atl para concuisque un tlin conisique ipan incha, inima ica tlatequisque xtla quipiya tliinca ritlilanasque un atl pura campa incha. Un tlacame comantica untlama oinqui conkui tlicontli.

Spanish: La gente del pueblo van al rio para traer agua tanto para tomar y regar las plantas que ellos tiene porque no hay agua potable en este lugar. Los hombres ellos aveces van a pescar o ir a la lena.

Englsh: The people of the town go to the river to take water for drinking and watering the plants that they have because there is no potable water at this place. The men themselves sometimes go fishing or to the wood.

Time of harvest, painted from memories of October.

2008-03-08T11:58:00.009-06:00

Painting, Nahuatl text, Spanish text by Tomas Jimenez from Guerrero who
has many happy memories of life in the countryside.

Nahuatl: aman tlacuilos un tin otlan

tacome niman sihuame pehua tlacui, tequiti tepec mestli octubre icuac un masehualme pehua kitequi ajonli, nopahuehuiya imihuan ichanecanhua ipan un tequitl.

Spanish: Es tiempo de la sega

Ahora hombres y mujeres empieza a recojer la cosecha, trabajando en el campo. Es el mes de octubre cuando la gente empieza a cortar el ajojonli. Se apoyan todo la familia para el trabajo.

English: The time of harvest

At this time men and women begin to collect the harvest, working in the field. It is the month of October when people start to cut the sesame. All the family helps in the work.

Xihuitl 9 Tecpatl, Trecena 1 Ehecatl, Tonalli 7 tochtli, 5 March 2008 Two pigs, one turtle

2008-03-05T19:55:00.007-06:00

Nahuatl: Ome pitzi, Cem ayotzi
Spanish: Dos cerdos, Uno tortuga
English Two pigs, one turtle

This is the first three animals that I intended to offer for sale on E-Bay. They are made in guerrero by native wood carvers and then decorated by artisan Tomas Jimenez from Oapan, Guerrero.

Well, Maybe they will be offered. They cost me $10.00 US dollars each. I bought them because this hard working artist-father is providing resources for three children to have an education in the public schools in San Miguel de Allende. The public schools mandate uniforms and books before the free education is provided. His children speak Nahuatl at home and Spanish at school.

I once had an account on E-Bay. Time has passed and memories have faded. I may just keep these animals! You can place a comment on the blog if you want them.

Xihuitl 9 Tecpatl, Trecena 1 Ehecatl, Tonalli 5 Mizquitzli; 5 March 2008

2008-03-03T15:47:00.003-06:00

The cherry tree has a full blossom

3 Cuetzpalin, Special Easter Mass, Canada de la Virgin

2008-03-01T20:31:00.001-06:00

The Traditional Fiesta at the Canada de la Virgin is opened by Mass and a talk. The priest is delivering words of advice to a respectful crowd. Soon the rodeo will begin and there will be food for all those who made the trek.

1 Ehecatl, 28 feb 2008, Manzanita in Bloom

2008-03-01T19:58:00.004-06:00

Nahuatl:
English: Flowers of Manzanita
Spanish: Flores de Manzanita

This tree is in the inner patio of Callejon Valle de Maiz #5A San Miguel de Allende, Gto.

The observation of natural events; toltec wisdom.

2008-02-27T21:40:00.004-06:00

The pictures on this blog demonstrate careful observation of natural events which are at the root of Toltec wisdom. the pictures also provide a starting place for learning the Nahuatl language. The pictures and definitions can be used as a picture dictionary, a 'pictionary'.

Nimili in ocachi niquitzinin de nochten

2008-02-27T16:42:00.006-06:00

In Spanish: La milpa mia es la mas chica de todo.
In English: My field is the smallest of all.

This complicated caption was assisted by one of my dictionaries which had an example on page 180 of a complete expression. I have only changed 'nehua' to 'nimili'. This dictionary has been very useful because of the numerous phrases that demonstrate use of the words. The key word providing this phrase was 'quitzinin' which I found in the spanish-to-nahuatl section of the book under the word 'pequeno'. This illustrates the geat utility of this dictionary which has no English but can be used with an English-to-Spanish list of key words.

This is also a picture of my rooftop photographic laboratory that provides the model seeds sprouting at the end of February 2008.

13 Cipactli, 27 Feb 2008, Bean sprouting

2008-02-27T13:19:00.009-06:00

The day is 13 Cipactli, 27 Feb. 2008 and the bean is sprouting. It was planted with the corn
and today was its first appearance.

13 Cipactli, 27 Feb 2008, Cherry tree blossom is beginning.

2008-02-27T13:10:00.006-06:00

The Cherry tree blossom is beginning. Click on the picture and the entire image will appear. You can scroll to see a larger view of the flower bud and baby leaves.

The Mexile: Nahuatl - The Aztec Language

2008-02-26T16:32:00.000-06:00

The Mexile: Nahuatl - The Aztec Language

AMATEUR LINGUISTICS IN MEXICO

2008-02-25T19:59:00.002-06:00

I visited Mexico for many years and then purchased a home in Rosarito Beach, Baja California after a marriage with Nancy, the third major love of my life. The home in La Jolla had been sold and Mexico offered a comfortable residence that I could purchase without a mortgage. Nancy loved Mexico and we decided that love for Mexico would be a complement to our marriage so we both admitted that we have a three part love.

It became important to improve our language skills in order to understand the words used by residents who share the country of our joint love. I soon learned that I think without words. It was difficult to find words in Spanish that would express my thoughts that were easily discussed in English. My thoughts remained trapped without words to express them. We are still practicing for more and better ability in the Spanish language.

I was retired but Nancy was still minister of a church so she retained her townhouse in San Diego. We started to live on both sides of the border and learned to cope with the legal border as well as the linguistics barrier. I was in love, an amateur, helpless in the grip of linguistics as well as border guards. I learned to tolerate border guards but I still am engaged with the science of linguistics. I resist any feeling of helplessness by ra-assigning the energy provided by my retirement from the workforce.

I have a healthy curiosity, along with Nancy. We sometimes try to explain our love for Mexico. At other times we just enjoy it especially since she sold her townhouse and bought a home in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato. We now live in central colonial Mexico. Easy living was the hook and a fine view was the line that drew us here where we now live.

My curiosity brought me into the study of Mexican culture and then study of the words recorded by the early explorers of Mexico. Cortez and his military expedition in search of gold were first. They were soon accompanied by a group of Catholic scholars that recorded the fluent Nahuatl teachings in Spanish letters for King Carlos of Spain who wanted to know the thoughts of his new subjects. Some of the words written in Spanish letters survived the perilous voyages to Spain but many of the surviving manuscripts were captured. I thought that the surviving words would be the key that would unlock the ancient secrets that fuel my love for Mexico.

My library has expaned as I read travel stories, archaeological descriptions, admired the work of ancient artists. etc.,eyc. A bibliography in the appendix shows the variety of books which I have accumulated and attempted to understand.

Surviving copies of sixteenth century manuscripts became the resources for many scholars of linguistics. My education did not include linguistics and I have become an amateur student of an extensive school of academic linguistics. This explans my dual meanings of amateur, as a lover, and as a student with no academic qualifications.

I did not admire the rules grammar when in college. I thought they were extra impediments when I already knew how to express myself in writing. The Spanish scholars of sixteenth century used their understanding of Latin grammar as they developed grammar to organize the fluent speech of Nahuatl scholars. I attempted to understand Carocci's sixteenth century Spanish book in an English translation. It is well written but it did not teach me to read the recorded Nahuatl speakers with any great facility. Then I attempted to understand the "Grammar of Classical Nahuatl by Andrews. I developed an admiration for the difficulty of understanding Nahuatl but still did not learn how to read.

I started to study " " by Lockhart and started to study " " by Sullivan. The maze became more difficult as I continued to be frustrated before reaching my goal. I discovered the " " mailing list and began e-mail communication with Anderson. He was extremely gracious with my amateur leanings and mailed a CD with many helpful sentence parts he had gleaned from many years as a professor of Linguistics. Then another friend in San Miguel made me a zerox copy of an illustrated book for self teaching of young Spanish students of Nahuatl. I can read and repeat the 300+ snippets of conversation in that book which is in a modern dialect of the still living language.

An example of my studies is included in another google document. "CUICAPEUHCAYOTL" which I found on my hard drive with creation date 07/26/2007. It was created while we were in Rosarito last year! I remembered that study while reviewing the online file of documents in Project Gutenberg. My studies continue. Another example is in anoher google document: TLAMAUIZ MAHMANI TLACECELHTIAedited on December 3, 2007 9:51 AM by Oenthomas.

Another reference
http://www.sil.org/mexico/nahuatl/guerrero/L003-PuedeHablar-nah.htm

28 Jan 2008 I went to the Ignacio Ramirez market and located the area where merchants from Guerrero have their booths. I took a copy of lesson 30 from the above referenced book in order to show the resources available for self study. There I was able to contact a speaker of Nahuatl, Florencio,who wants to consider trading his knowledge for my translations and help in speaking English. It that San Miguel de Allende has suffieient resources for study of the document referenced above by www.sil.org

Elotl in toctli, corn sprouting, el Maiz brotando

2008-02-25T16:09:00.011-06:00

Today the new corn plant emerged in the planter on our roof at Callejon Valle de Maiz, 5A, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico.

The date on my computer calendar is 25 Feb, 20o8. This corresponds to Tonalli 11 Quiahuitl in trecena 1 Atl which you can locate on the sacred calendar which I have posted at
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=d7b4c3p_68f4jp6qz9

This corn kernel was placed into the ground on a Saturday 16 Feb, 20o7 which corresponds to the tonalli 2 Itzcuintli in the same trecena as you can see on the Sacred calender referenced in the link above.

There is an interesting website about sprouting http://www.fotosearch.es/photovivid/brotando/UNP116/

Keeping a calendar by Trecenas.

2008-02-24T19:53:00.007-06:00

DESIGN OF THE MEXICAN CALENDAR BY TRECENAS

The Mexican calendar designers choose to name twenty ritual days and then count Days in cycles of 13. This can be best demonstrated by making a table of 13 square spaces in each of twenty rows. I will now explain the system by placing day numbers in sequence into the squares, starting with day 1 in row 1 and continuing down the column to row 13. In row 14 the days repeat from 1 and continues counting days as each day number is placed in a new square until the column is filled with day 7 in row 20 then continues to column 2 with day 8, etc,etc. The final row is filled with day 13 and a new table of ritual days can be started in row 1 with day 1. The table of 20 rows and 13 columns has been filled with 260 days. I do not know the prehistoric Mexican reason for this choice of counting days. My guess is that they had a twenty day ceremonial week and decided to extend the calendar by counting ceremonial weeks to correspond to the number of Cosmic Moon Cycles. The result was a 260 day ritual calendar which does not correspond with the agricultural seasons and with more advanced observations of a Cosmic Year Cycle.

1 Cipactli, caiman	1	8	2	9	3	10	4	11	5	12	6	13	7
2 Ehecatl, wind	2	9	3	10	4	11	5	12	6	13	7	1	8
3 Calli, house	3	10	4	11	5	12	6	13	7	1	8	2	9
4 Cuetzpallin, Lizard	4	11	5	12	6	13	7	1	8	2	9	3	10
5 Coatl, snake	5	12	6	13	7	1	8	2	9	3	10	4	11
6 Miquiztli. death	6	13	7	1	8	2	9	3	10	4	11	5	12
7 Mazatl, deer	7	1	8	2	9	3	10	4	11	5	12	6	13
8 Tochtli, rabbit	8	2	9	3	10	4	11	5	12	6	13	7	1
9 Atl, water	9	3	10	4	11	5	1	6	13	7	1	8	2
10 Itzcuintli, dog	10	4	11	5	12	6	13	7	1	8	2	9	3
11 Ozomatli, monkey	11	5	12	6	13	7	1	8	2	9	3	10	4
12 Malinalli, grass	12	6	13	7	1	8	2	9	3	10	4	11	5
13 Acatl, reed	13	7	1	8	2	9	3	10	4	11	5	12	6
1 Ocelotl, jaguar	1	8	2	9	3	10	4	11	5	12	6	13	7
2 Cuautli, eagle	2	9	3	10	4	11	5	12	6	13	7	1	8
3 Cozcacuahtli, king vulture	3	10	4	11	5	12	6	13	7	1	8	2	9
4 Ollin, movement	4	11	5	12	6	13	7	1	8	2	9	3	10
5 Tecpatl, flint	5	12	6	13	7	1	8	2	9	3	10	4	11
6 Quiahuitl, rain	6	13	7	1	8	2	9	3	10	4	11	5	12
7 Xochitl, flower	7	1	8	2	9	3	10	4	11	5	12	6	13

It is interesting that the last square of this ritual calendar ends on day 13 corresponding to a full count of moons.

There is another viewpoint for the same calendar, organized in columns of 13 sequential number/day names
and rows of 20 trecenas. Each complete row ( a trecena) is then given the name of the first day of this row. The first row is 1 Cipactli, second row 1 Ocelotl, third row 1 Mazatl, etc to the 20th row which is 1 Tochtli. This table contains 260 named days. The name of each day is a combination of the number heading a column and a word from a trecena. This chart can be mounted on wall and each day can be marked as complete at sunset. At the end of 260 days another identical page can be used starting again with 1 Cipactli. My intuition tells me that some prehistoric timekeepers used exactly this technique for recording days. New pages may be added as long as a sequence of timekeepers keep the record.

This serves me s an example for further examination of calendar construction. There may have been competing timekeepers that used another type of page or even piles of stones, marks on boards, or marked rocks, etc.

THIS CHART IS TRUNCATED ON RIGHT MARGIN BY BLOGGER

I often want to know how the date on my kitchen calendar relates to the sacred calendar. This format of the sacred calendar is useful for observing the relationship because nahuatl day names always have a number followed by a name. I can look down any column headed by the number until finding the name to find the exact location in the 260 day sequence of the sacred calendar. This calendar format is published in my documents at:

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=d7b4c3p_68f4jp6qz9

Cipactli

Ehecatl

Calli

Cuetzpallin

Coatl

Miquiztli

Mazatl

Tochtli

Atl

Itzquintli

Ozomatli

Malinalli

Acatl

Ocelotl

Cuauhtli

Cozcacauhtli

Ollin

Tecpatl

Quiahuitl

Xochitl

Cipactli

Ehecatl

Calli

Cuetzpallin

Coatl

Miquizlti

Mazatl

Tochtli

Atl

Itzqintli

Ozomatli

Malinalli

Acatl

Ocelotl

Cuauhtli

Cozcacauhtli

Ollin

Tecpatl

Quiahuitl

Xochitl

Cipactli

Ehecatl

Calli

Cuetzpallin

Coatl

Miquiztli

Mazatl

Tochtli

Atl

Itzquintli

Ozomatli

Malinalli

Acatl

Ocelotl

Cuauhtli

Cozcacauhtli

Ollin

Tecpatl

Quiahuitl

Xochitl

Cipactli

Ehecatl

Calli

Cuetzpallin

Coatl

Mizquiztli

Mazatl

Tochtli

Atl

Itzquintli

Ozomatli

Malinalli

Acatl

Ocelotl

Cucahtli

Cozcacauhtli

Ollin

Tecpatl

Quiahuitl

Xochitl

Cipactli

Ehecatl

Calli

Cuetpallin

Coatl

Mizquiztli

Mazatl

Tochtli

Atl

Itzqquintlitli

Ozomati

Malinalli

Acatl

Ocelotl

Cuauhtli

Cozcacauhtli

Ollin

Tecpatl

Quiahuitl

Xochtli

Cipactli

Ehecatl

Calli

Cuetzpallin

Coatl

Mizquiztli

Mazatl

Tochtli

Atl

Itzquintli

Ozomatli

Malinalli

Acatl

Ocelotl

Cuauhtli

Cozcauhtli

Ollin

Tecpatl

Quiahuitl

Xochtli

Cipactli

Ehecatl

Calli

Cuetzpallin

Coatl

Mizquiztli

Mazatl

Tochtli

Atl

Itzquintli

Ozomatli

Malinalli

Acatl

Ocelotl

Cuauhtli

Cozcacauhtli

Ollin

Tecpatl

Quiahuitl

Xochtli

Cipactli

Ehecatl

Calli

Cuetzpallin

Coatl

Mizquiztli

Mazatl

Tochtli

Atl

Itzquintli

Ozomatli

Malinalli

Acatl

Ocelotl

Cuauhtli

Cozcacauhtli

Ollin

Tecpatl

Quiahuitl

Xochtli

Cipactli

Ehecatl

Calli

Cuetzpallin

Coatl

Mizquiztli

Mazatl

Tochtli

Atl

Itzcuintli

Ozomati

Malinalli

Acatl

Ocelotl

Cuauhtli

Cozcacauhtli

Ollin

Tecpatl

Quiahuitl

Xochtli

Cipactli

Ehecatl

Calli

Cuetzpallin

Coatl

Mizquiztli

Mazatl

Tochtli

Atl

Itzquintli

Ozomatli

Malinalli

Acatl

Ocelotl

Cuauhtli

Cozcacuauhtli

Ollin

Tecpatl

Quiahuitl

Xochtli

Cipactli

Ehecatl

Calli

Cuetzpallin

Coatl

Mizquiztli

Mazatl

Tochtli

Atl

Itzquintli

Ozomati

Malinalli

Acatl

Ocelotl

Cuautli

Cozcacauhtli

Ollin

Tecpatl

Quiahuitl

Xoctli

Cipactli

Ehecatl

Calli

Cuetzpallin

Coatl

Mizquiztli

Mzatl

Tochtli

Atl

Itzquintli

Ozomati

Malinalli

Acatl

Ocelotl

Cuauhtli

Cozcacauhtli

Ollin

Tecpatl

Quiahuitl

Xochtli

Cipactli

Ehecatl

Calli

Cuetzpallin

Coatl

Mizquiztli

Mazatl

Tochtli

Atl

Itzquintli

Ozomatli

Malinalli

Acatl

Ocelotl

Cuauhtli

Cozcacauhtli

Ollin

Tecpatl

Quiahuitl

Xochtli

Iqualoca in metzli, Eclipse of the moon, Eclipse de la luna.

2008-02-21T11:13:00.006-06:00

Nahuatl, Moon being eaten,
as predicted by those who keep calendars.

Literal translations;
Spanish, mordida Luna,
English, bitten Moon.

The Calendar data for this day 20 February 2008 or 9 ollin, was copied from the website:
http://www.azteccalendar.com/calendar-calculator.html

Calendar day 20 February 2008 is correlated with 9 ollin by use of the correlation established by Francisco Rodriguez Cortes.

Francisco is a current day keeper calendar keeper, who lives in Chiapas, Mexico.

The days were counted by more than one method. the day 9 ollin is from the count of days known as the tonalpohualli, the sacred calendar.

I will soon publish a demonstration of the calendar of the entire sacred year. It becomes complicated when the details are described.

Tonatiuh iquizayan, Sun comes out,

2008-02-20T11:39:00.006-06:00

Picture that is called 'sunrise' in English.

Foto del Legada del sol in Spanish.

Tonatiuh iquizayan in Nahuatl, 'place where sun comes out' in literal English.

The camera was pointed toward the rising sun from my home on the edge of a decline into the valley of the Rio Laja. By pointing the camera away from the sun I captured a picture of the valley below.

This second picture is to the west in English,

to the 'poniente' in Spanish,

and 'Tonatiuh icalaquian' in Nahuatl, 'place where the sun goes in' in literal English.

This is an interesting pair of pictures in Nahuatl as they are described exactly in the native language. There are alternate dictionary translations of the English words East and West but I provide these more pictorial translations.

This is the beginning of an interesting day where the calendar keepers predict that there will be a total eclipse of the moon soon after it rises tonight in the East. This sort of prediction has been used to claim that they possess magical powers. I do not claim magical power but I do claim that the understanding of differing languages is improved when I can be somewhat intuitive in using a camera for producing instructive pictures.

Calaqui in Tonatiuh; puesta del sol, sunset.

2008-02-18T16:57:00.008-06:00

Nahatl books were pictures which were 'read' by those trained in the schools. Spanish Friars wrote, in Spanish letters, what they heard from those who survived the armies of Cortez. The words were utilized by the Friars for sending explanations to Carlos V in Spain.

I have several books that serve as Dictionaries of the Nahuatl language and several more books that explain various aspects of the culture. Think of this picture as a part of a picture dictionary. Word translations follow. This is a 'sunset' in the English language. One dictionary translates the English word 'sunset' into Nahuatl 'calaqui in tonatiuh' by those who recorded the sounds of the native language. A Spanish speaker here would call this a picture of 'la puesta del sol'. We therefore have three sound descriptions for the same picture; 'sunset', 'calaqui in tonatiuh', and 'puesta del sol.'.

I will attempt to explain more; the sounds of Nahuatl have many associations. I am using the Nahuatl sounds associated to the photograph taken from my window in San Miguel de Allende, GTO, Mx. toward the West across the Rio Laja valley. This is an example of a daily vista which could have been seen by a native here two thousand years ago and it is an example of the sounds which may have made by the Nahuatl observer. I record my intuitive impressions of the meaning of the sounds.

The similar daily views were very impressive to a Nahuatl observer who had no means to control the repetitions. He observed that the solar body was a source of annual growth of his corn. This highly respected source had been assigned a sound, 'Tonatiuh'. There was another pair of sounds 'cal-aqui' associated with a picture of someone going into a house. The sound 'in' was used to show a connection between two pictures. The entire picture association was placed into sound as 'calaqui in Tonatiuh'.

This sound represented the sun going into a house.

The entire mythology of ancient picture makers relates to the passage of the sun through the underworld at night and its emergence a dawn of the next day.

My next pictures will show the emergence of Tonaiuh from the underworld.

3 Coatl (22-ene-2008)

2008-01-22T21:12:00.002-06:00

Jan 22 2008 was recorded by my digital camera as my home in San Miguel de Allende rotated with the Earth around its axis into position where I could no longer see the full moon.

Another calendar at

http://www.aztec calendar.com/calendar-calculator.html

says the Solar year is 9 Tecpatl, the 365 day calendar gives trecena as 1 Calli and gives tonalli as 3 Coatl these days used the calendar coordination which was designated by Leon-Portilla.

The Mayan long count was 12.19.15.0.8 but was reported as 12.19.15.0.5 by the Leon-Portilla coordination.

There may be small comfort in the fact that the Leon-Portilla coordination says 23 Jan 2008 calls the Tonalli 4 Mizquitli and says the Maya long count is 12.19.15.0.6; after all, when does the day start and end? An uncertaunty of 1 is not so terrible in a digital system

There are three days difference in the coordination between views of the two authorities and the Mexica coordination is between the two. Well, after all this study I am happy to report that we have the picture well identified by three calendar systems. I wonder how the astronomers would have given the time of a telescopic picture from Earth .

Mexica web site does not quote the authority for their calendar.

I then attempted to release my mind from all this earth centered counting system. This is what happened.

I thought about how this scene would appear from a camera position on the surface of the moon facing toward San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
I thought that the sun would be rather stationary in the zenith of the sky. Reason: the moon is fully illuminated at time of a full moon.
I thought that the earth was rotating in the lunar sky in a rather fixed position and that San Miguel de Allende would be at the center longitude at the same time that the moon appeared at the zenith of the San Miguel sky. This was an interesting time, when San Miguel faced the moon and the Moon faced the Sun; a time when the solar light reflected directly from surface of the moon to San Miguel.

This date may have been confusing and I have edited the post after it was originated. I will continue to post on this blog site as I explore the uses of the calendar.

THE MAYAN PROPHECIES FOR 2012

2008-01-16T11:28:00.000-06:00

Tuesday I heard a statement, passed on from an elder, quoted by Maria Teresa Valenzuela. She will speak here in San Miguel de Allende on 21 January regarding what she was told. She is what I consider to be a reliable woman, born in the copper canyon o Mexico from indigenous Raramuri parents. She migrated to USA and served in the US Navy as a Nurse. She then retired as a Commander and returned to her native land to learn more of the native wisdom which she can pass to us in English. Maria Teresa has traveled to meet the leadership of elders in Mayan and Peruvian sites. She wants to share what she has learned.

Maria Teresa was at a meeting called "Philosophy of Life Dialogs" where she spoke what she has heard regarding the Maya calendar ending date of 2012. Her statement was the first that I have heard which contains a ring of TRUTH.

The elders do not know when the industrial nations will learn the truth. 2012 ends a a major astronomical cycle recorded by the Mayan Calendar but is just another date that was selected by those who wish to frighted the gullible with predictions of disaster. There have been a multitude of predictions of the end of our world. It has not ended yet. Cyclic events are noticed by human observers that notice repeating events but the cycles have not ended yet.

They say "WE DO NOT KNOW WHEN THE CHANGE WILL HAPPEN."

I trust what I heard today but I do not trust any of the people who publish books telling us what will happen and when it will happen. We do not know the timetable but there are many who publish reliable studies about how we might end our ability to live here. There are many dangers to our planetary environment that come from human carelessness.

My sincere hope is that we will learn to respect the Mother Earth before we pass the point of no return and destroy the productivity that is given to us on this fertile planet. The Sun is our reliable source of power and the Earth is our reliable place to walk and cultivate the necessary food. The indigenous elders know that is a truth. They worshiped the Sun and Earth instead of creating Gods in the image of man. Listen to the elders as they explain the important lessons that have been passed through wisdom of all nations. We are one people and must live together live in harmony on this planet

There is an interesting commentary on the rumors about 2012 here;
http://alignment2012.com/fap6.html

2008-01-10T08:58:00.000-06:00

CONTENTS OF MY GOURD

I have purchased a new gourd, a guaje, from Oaxaca. There is now a question; how to utilize it. There is another meaning for gourd, a slang term for the contents of my mind. I will distinguish the two meanings by using guaje for the new purchase and gourd for the less physical container, the brain, in a physical skull but with contents that are controversial; are they physical or non-physical?

My new guaje can be used to hold the physical things that I normally carry in my pockets, a woman might think my guaje should be called a pocketbook.

I am now considering what I should keep in my guaje and also considering what I should keep in my gourd. It is much easier to decide what to put in the guaje. I will start with all the things that were in my pockets and I hope that I can find the wanted objects when they are needed. I used four pockets in my pants but the guaje only has one compartment. That explains why women spend so much time searching for what they want from their pocketbook! Some pocketbooks have been designed with several compartments but women still search in all parts for desired items.

I will need to carry something larger than my guaje from Oaxaca if I want to carry a thing that will not fit the remaining empty space in the guaje. The space in my gourd seems to be infinite.

That seems to be a satisfactory solution for the guaje;'pro tem.' It is not so simple to organize the contents of my gourd; the contents keep increasing as I write about them and the access becomes much more confusing. I may not even remember what I was thinking unless I think slowly enough to record all my thoughts so I can read them to remember what I thought. This may not be possible. I quit. There is a big problem here. The physical contents of my guaje are so blessedly simple compared to the stuff that goes into my gourd!

This all leads me to describe what I call physical reality versus metaphysical, spiritual, reality. My education in Engineering Sciences allowed me to earn a pension which I now enjoy. My wife has not retired; she still teaches what she calls spititual reality and now enjoys her portion of my pension which came via application of physical reality. Her physical income is still smaller than mine. Her pay seems to be intangible, coming via those who express their love for her. I guess that pay comes back to each person in the currency that they spent in their work.

My gourd is full of more stuff than my guaje. I can manage my guaje better than my gourd because I need to simplify the contents of my gourd. I still do not know how my wife manages her guaje or her gourd but we are both happy.

AND SO IT IS!

2008-01-06T21:27:00.000-06:00

TWIN CITY TALES

is the name of a book by Lindsay Jones which explores another lure. There is a pyramid in Tula, Hidalgo which has strong similarities to another pyramid in Chichen Itza on the yucatan penninsula.

The similarity has been a lure for many generations of those who want to understand the meaning of Toltequity. I have a copy of the book that I am attempting to read again since releasing my extreme attachment to the lure of wisdom which I explained in the previous posting on this blog. It is difficult to read because it was written as a doctoral thesis and it contains a multitude of footnotes which interrupt the flow of the text many times. I have been diligent and have continued reading the book even though it does not answer my questions about the meaning of life. It does not even pretend to be a complete analysis of Toltec culture. It does provide references to a multitude of interesting source documents throughout the footnotes.

The lures continue to attract my attention but I have released any expectation that any study will reveal the wisdom of the Toltec culture. The book does often mention that the lure is related to the wisdom of the Toltec culture. Many foootnotes refer to the wisdom but they do not reveal the wisdom in the books referenced. The books that are referenced report on their searches of othes but do not disclose details of the objective of their search.

Any lure which promises a simple answer is very likely to present a new problem. I have lost any expectation that there are simple answers. The search is the answer itself, for itself. I enjoy the search but do not know the object of the search!

2008-01-04T09:18:00.000-06:00

THE LURE

I became a member of Rotary International many years ago at the club in Rosarito Beach, Mexico. Initiation into the club included selecting a nickname. As a new member I was allowed 30 seconds to choose a nickname before the club decided for me.
I had read that the Toltecs were wise. I have always been attracted by wisdom, so I quickly choose to be called Tolteca.
Tolteca became the name of my lure.
The lure has ruled my life by many names but it may be that Tolteca is the final lure. Not because it has caught me with a hidden hook. I have followed the lure with diligence and have discovered that wisdom was not recorded there either in the form that would satisfy all my desires for knowledge. I was attracted to the lure because a book told me that the Aztecs of Mexico wrote that the Toltecs were an ancient wise people. After searching through many books I became certain that there was nothing but legends to support any existence of Toltec people.
The lure disappeared before my studies could be completed!
I will not reject the nickname of "Tolteca" because it has served a very important purpose that has directed my entire life.
I now hope to be free of "Words of Wisdom" from any source other than my own personal experience. Teachers may sometimes offer me guidance in creating my own experience and even help me understand what causes my experiences. I now have an increased state of alert in following any lure.
The next lure may have a hook which was hidden by a clever predator!

2007-12-24T12:48:00.000-06:00

VALUE; WHAT YOU CAN GIVE

Open a window of value. http://www.kiva.org

Christmas, the Christian celebration that follows the longest night of
each year. The extreme excursion of the sun into the southern shies
comes every December 21. It is so important that people have
celebrated the time of returning day for as long as man has made a
record of his history.

More Sun comes back to a cooling northern hemisphere and we celebrate.
Value returns to provide for the life of mankind.

Part of the celebration comes by many people giving something of value
to their friends and family during this season. There is an
organization which makes it easy to give something of value to those
in the less wealthy parts of the earth.

The window on kiva will show you a world of worthy small enterprises
who can use something of value for improving their efforts to produce
or distribute the wealth of this planet.

You can easily give something of value during this season. All you
need to do is provide a loan which will enable another person to be
productive in his/her own country.

This is one way you can personally assist in bringing peace to a world
that has such extreme differences of capital resources. A small loan
will give a boost to another individual and together we can promote
peaceful lives.

2007-12-23T17:42:00.000-06:00

COMMUNITY COUNCIL IN VALLLE DE MAIZ
23 DECEMBER 2007

Owen went downstairs to encourage Heidi, some sort of Fox terrier, to go play with Camellia, some sort of scruffy brown dog. As Owen descended toward the garden he saw Louis ascending toward his end of the row of houses. He had been visiting with Antonio, weekend guard of the garden and interior houses. They exchanged hand gestures of greeting one another and both proceeded to the patio table. Heidi did not go to the garden until Antonio appeared from his guard house with Camellia. Owen gestured to Antonio to join the other elders at the table. Camellia and Heidi exchanged doggy greetings and the meeting began with discussion of the family Posadas which Louis was invited to attend.

Gustavo invites Louis to the entire week of Posadas every year but Louis explained that he is not comfortable with a Catholic celebration where he is expected to kiss the ceramic representation of a baby Jesus before he receives his candy as a reward. Louis is a determined person, he is not Catholic. Antonio attempted to explain that the Posada is for companionship and is followed by friendly talking and drinking of Tequila. Owen enlisted Antonio in explaining that the celebration did not come from Rome but the inverse is true; Rome adopted the ceremony of winter companionship as celebrated in Mexico. Antonio finally was bored by the attempt to unify three viewpoints and he retired. He had remained long enough for the two dogs to play throughout the garden during the council deliberations. Camelia went with him and Heidi remained with the council which was reduced to only two intellects proceeding in friendship to find compatible points of view.

Nancy finally located the missing husband after her Internet communications were completed. She shouted from above and then joined the council meeting. She reviewed the memories of the meeting but could not produce a consensus so the meeting was continued after a couple of hours of deliberations. All ended on a friendly basis with future meetings to be scheduled by telephone as necessary. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and Owen expects Louis to report sometimes on the last day of the Posada with the entire family of Gustavo.

learning to read Nahuatl sources of Mexican Culture

2007-08-09T12:00:00.000-05:00

I am convinced that Mexican Culture is founded in the Nahuatl heritage, but I still do not have a personal contact with anyone who reads the preserved cultural record.

I have finally found a readable book after many months of frustration in books that focus on terminology of linguistics or grammar.

"Compendium of Nahuatl Grammar" is the readable book. Thelma D. Sullivan ia the author but she died before finishing her task. The translation to English was finished and published in 1988 as ISBN 0-87480-282-2.

There may be another book which explains the Nahuatl Culture but this book will serve me for now. It contains numerous examples from the earliest written records of Nahuatl Culture.

The bibliography contains extensive references to published source documents which I hope to read as my education continues.