The Mayan Calendar, Solar - Agricultural Year, and Correlation Questions

Appendix 6:   Julian versus Gregorian Calendars and the Correlation Question

There is the correlation question as it relates to the question of Julian versus Gregorian calendars. In 1582 the Catholic church, under the guidance of Pope Gregory, updated the intercalary system of the calendar in order to keep the Christian calendar in sync with the solar year. It was determined that there was a ten day difference between what the Julian calendar showed and what it should show. Not only was the intercalary system reformed, but the calendar was also readjusted to realign the solstices and equinoxes of Christian calendar with what were considered to be the correct dates. Thus, for example, the day July 16th in the Julian calendar became July 26th in the Gregorian calendar.

The fact that the Books of Chilam Balam equate July 16th with 1 Poop would show that the origin of this idea is pre-Gregorian, since this correlation agrees with Landa. However, as one works with the various works which have survived from the colonial era, it is very apparent that scribes generally put very little thought into what it is that they are transcribing, and thus if they were working on a text which equated July 16th Julian with 1 Poop even though they are working in the Gregorian era, it apparently did not have occurred to them to make the proper adjustment and rewrite the text to show July 26th = 1 Poop.

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