Chapter 110 Mathematics and Calendar, the Lost Maya
The setting sun immerses the vast world, and also immerses the tequila in the ceramic cup, leaving the last brilliant color, just like the lost civilization.
Shulot took a sip of salt and drank a glass of silver-white pure fermented wine. The slight bitterness made the tip of his tongue numb, and a warm current rose from his stomach. The young man smiled, tasted it silently, and recalled it for a long time.
Tikalo added some tomatoes to the wine and the red datura he brought with him, then took a sip of chili pepper and drank it in a big gulp. Mayan nobles are users of hallucinogenic plants with a longer tradition. Soon,
He rotated his slender head, his eyes were slightly distracted, and he couldn't help but chant in a low voice.
"The life of a descendant of God is like a base wine. He has withstood the test of many gods. He has tasted the bitterness, sweetness, saltiness, and spicyness before he can get the taste... So he drank all the wine, like a dream, and finally went to the kingdom of God."
Hearing this, Shulot laughed. When he was drunk and bold, he asked the question that had been hidden for a long time.
"Tikallo, you Mayan nobles claim to be descendants of the gods. Have you really inherited the knowledge of the gods?"
Tikalo looked proud. He opened his mouth without hesitation.
"Of course! We, the Corn God Clan, are the wisest in the world..."
Having said this, the Mayan businessman suddenly felt a chill in his heart. Then he remembered that the person he was drinking with was not a Mayan compatriot from the business group, but the Mexica ruler who claimed to be a descendant of the gods. He quickly drank and stopped talking, and then said calmly
Change your words.
"We corn people are the friendliest people in the world and are the eternal friends of the Mexica people. We are good at mathematics and astronomy. We can revise the calendars of the moon, the sun and Venus, and we can also help the Mexica people build magnificent wonders."
Xiulote nodded in approval, his thoughts flowing. The Mayan nobles were proud of the glory of their great ancestors, and it seemed extremely difficult to assimilate them. He looked at Tikalo calmly, and patted his shoulder affectionately.
"Tell me more about it! I have heard about Mayan mathematics and calendar for a long time."
Tikalo thought for a moment, then went straight to the treasure box he brought today and took out a shell, a handful of rubies, and three gold bars.
"Your Highness, please take a look." He first put the shell on the table and pointed with his hand, "This is 0, which means it does not exist, and it is also before the beginning of the era."
Shulot was slightly surprised. The Mayans seemed to have known "0" much earlier than the Europeans.
"In our Mayan mathematics, every 20 numbers are one digit. The minimum digit is 0 and the maximum is 19."
As he spoke, Ticaro took out three gold bars and placed them vertically in front of him. Then he took out four rubies and arranged them neatly at the back. They made a "|||...."
"This is 19. In each digit, a '|' represents five, and a '.' represents one. Every five '.'s are represented as a '|'. Adding 1 to 19 gives the next
Add a '.' to the bit, which is a carry of 1."
Shulot thought for a moment and realized that this is the decimal number of 0-19. And 0-20 follows the carry method of the Chinese abacus, so there must be addition, subtraction, multiplication and division similar to the abacus.
He thought for a while and asked.
"So the addition and subtraction of each digit is to process the '|' and '.' of each digit separately. The former accumulates 4 digits and advances to one, while the latter accumulates 5 digits and advances to one. Then you have a method for multiplication and division of each digit.
Or a formula?"
Ti Carlo was a little surprised. He looked at Hulot with wide eyes. The Mexicans were also so good at mathematics? Then he nodded proudly.
"Within 20, we have 190 formulas for 19*19, and there are hundreds of formulas for 1-19. Divine nobles need to learn to memorize it from an early age, and then directly recite calculations within 800. Back then, in order to learn mathematics
, I’ve been counting all day long since I was six years old!”
Hearing this, Shulot was sweating in his heart, and silently sympathized with the Mayan schoolchildren for a few seconds.
There are only 45 multiplication formulas for the decimal system 9*9, and there are only 61 abacus-based division methods for 1-9. With the difficulty of starting to learn Mayan mathematics, it is no wonder that the inheritance is extremely difficult. During the long Mayan civil war, no one knows
How much knowledge has been lost forever.
Next, Tikalo took out a ruby and a shell and arranged them into a ".,0".
"This is 20. It has two digits. The first digit is 1 and the second digit is 0. This is the number of days in the month."
Immediately, he took out two gold bars and two gems, opened the shells, and arranged them into "..,||..".
"This is 52. The same two numbers, 40 in the front and 12 in the back. '|' will be the beginning of each digit. This is a small reincarnation of 52 years."
Then, the Mayan merchant took out four gems and placed them straight into ".,.,.,."
He looked at the young man slightly proudly.
"Your Highness, what do you think this number is?"
"8421."
Shulot counted several seconds orally and came up with the result quickly.
Tikalo spared his head. He was surprised for a moment and decided to increase the difficulty. The Mayans never give in on mathematics! He took out six more gems and divided them into two groups. Each group is ".,.,."
"Your Highness, what do you think the multiplication of these two groups is?"
Shulot was stunned for a moment, 421*421? He took out the obsidian knife and carved it on the ground for a while before giving the answer.
"."
After hearing the correct answer, Ti Carlo was shocked. The words he had prepared were no longer needed! It took him a long while before he answered.
"Okay, Your Highness's calculation is correct. But the speed is too slow."
As he spoke, he multiplied the gems "1,1,1" on each digit, from the end to the beginning. The last digit accumulated once to become "1", the next digit accumulated twice to become "2", and the next three digits
It's "3,2,1". In just a few seconds, you get the decimal "" which is also in decimal.
Seeing the Mayan merchant's quick calculations, Shulot sighed inwardly, such a simple and efficient number system!
Maya's base-20 mathematics, the more it goes into the fields of big numbers and astronomy, the more superior it is in recording and calculation. This kind of mathematical system should not appear in ancient civilizations in the Stone Age, but is more suitable for the universe that travels through the stars.
civilization.
This chapter is not over, please click on the next page to continue reading! "The Great Decline took away too many mysteries of the gods! I also did not have the opportunity to accept the complete secrets of the gods. It is said that in the golden age when the gods came and went, that was the corn
The pinnacle of human glory!
The three thousand pyramids in the royal capital of Tikal observe every star in the sky. Thousands of priests calculate the trajectory of each star and map the star map for thousands of years. They judge the footsteps of the gods.
Waiting for the return of the gods!"
Tikalo recited the poems of his ancestors sentimentally, describing the magnificent royal capital in his imagination, and then decisively changed the subject.
"Your Highness, in fact, the Mexica calendar comes from our Mayan heritage."
The Mayan merchant's round face smiled with pride from the bottom of his heart. Shulot listened quietly.
At this time, a guard came and responded. The young man nodded and the guard left. After a while, "Monkey" Kuruka had a respectful smile on his face. He came quickly and knelt down from a distance.
salute.
"Dear Lord, I have fulfilled all your orders!"
Shulot nodded majestically and pointed to the seat next to him.
Kuruca was flattered and received another big gift, and then he carefully sat down next to the king, staggering half his body.
"Monkey, there has been no war recently. Originally, I planned to summon you after the New Year."
Shulot smiled slightly.
"But you are proficient in calculations, from a commoner, and understand practical matters. Now there is an important task for you. In the next few months, you will accompany the Mayan merchant Tikalo to handle the affairs of the caravan. I need to do my best.
Possibly more Tarasco copper mines!”
Kuruca nodded seriously. He looked at the long-headed Maya opposite, and Maya looked at him with a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks. The two of them looked at each other and smiled politely.
Then, Shulot signaled the Mayan merchant to continue.
The aristocratic businessman Tikalo glanced at Kuruca indifferently. He did not meet the Mayan aesthetics and was just an uneducated commoner. He spoke with pride.
"There are two Mayan calendars, the divine calendar and the solar calendar. Plus the long-term calendar that symbolizes the era."
"The Tzolkin calendar has 260 days, which conform to the cycle of Venus and the rainy season, and is used to guide the planting of corn. The divine calendar has 13 months, with 20 days in each month, symbolizing different gods.
They are: 1 Crocodile Sun, 2 Wind Sun, 3 Dark Sun, Land of Death, 4 Corn Sun, Corn God, 5 Snake Sun, 6 Death Sun, 7 Deer Sun, God of Hunting, 8 Rabbit Sun, Venus, and 9 Water Sun.
, Jade, 10 Dog Days, Death, Guarding the Sun.”
Having said this, Ti Carlo glanced at the boy quietly, and then chanted loudly.
"11 Days of the Monkey, God of Art and Knowledge, 12 Days of Herbs, Precipitation and Salvation, 13 Days of Reeds, Growing Corn, 14 Days of Jaguars, Night Sun, 15 Days of Eagles, Sages, 16 Days of Owls, Birds of Death, 17
Earthquake day, 18th knife day, sacrificial blade, 19th storm day, rain, 20th sun day, sun god.”
Xiulote nodded in understanding. The Aztec calendar was derived from the Mayan calendar, but the symbols were changed, such as replacing the owl with a vulture that is more common on the plateau, and adding more war significance to the 20th.
"The first day of the divine calendar is the Crocodile Day in January, and the last day is the Sun Day in the 13th month. Each month is governed by different gods. Being born on the 'July Rainy Day' is an auspicious day and is the most loved by the gods.
Sacrifice, and being born on the 'February Rabbit Day' is an unlucky day and should not be left in the world."
Hearing this, Shulot shook his head slightly. The consequences of being born on an auspicious day are the same as those of being born on an unlucky day, both of which lead to death. Fortunately, he is neither lucky nor unlucky.
"The Haab solar calendar has 365 days, 18 months, and each month has the same 20 days. There are also five unlucky days at the end of the year. However, there are differences between the solar calendar and the steps of the sun god, and the seasons overlap every day. Therefore, the true number of days per year is different.
A little more than 365, it should be...um...that..."
"365.242 days." Shulot added with a smile.
"Yes, Your Highness is wise!" Ti Carlo finally showed his admiration. He is really a great "divine enlightener" who can compare with the Corn Man in mathematics!
"The divine calendar and the solar calendar coincide every 52 years. The first circle of records is 1-13, and the second circle is rabbits, reeds, flints and houses. This year is the Year of the Rabbit. No, the bad days have passed. It should be
It’s the 4th year of the reed.”
Xiuluo nodded. The 52-year reincarnation calendar is similar to the Chinese stem and branch calendar. The first circle 1-13 are the heavenly stems, and the four symbols in the second circle are the earthly branches. The year 1483 is the 4 reed years. Wait until the 13th house year in 1505
, the end of the 52-year reincarnation is the era of holding large-scale sacrifices, which also means the beginning of a mighty war dedicated to the gods.
The last 52 years ended in 1453, which also happened to be the fall of Constantinople and the demise of the Eastern Roman Empire in two thousand years. 1454 was the beginning of a new cycle, and the great Moctezuma I officially ended the 13-year alliance.
Farming and peace. Under the call of the calendar and the gods, the warriors of Mexica mobilized feverishly, treating war and death as daily life. A whole generation passed in the battle.
The long war of conquest lasted from 1454 to 1469. It was not until the Huastecs, Mixtecs, and Zapotecs surrendered and the conqueror Moctezuma I died during the southern expedition that the Mexica warriors put away their weapons.
, looking west to Tarasco.
Shulot's eyes were deep. The calendar had such a profound impact on the beliefs, lives and wars of Mesoamerican civilizations. An important part of the religious reform was to redefine the symbolic meaning of the calendar.
"In addition to the divine calendar and the solar calendar, the sacred corn people also used the long-term almanac given by the gods!"
Tikal's face showed deep nostalgia and distant longing.
"The world was created in the origin year of '0,0,0,0,0'. The last digit is the day number in hexadecimal system, the penultimate digit is the month in hexadecimal system, and the others are all years in hexadecimal system. One
There is a day in the Long Era Calendar. And when the world completes 13 Long Era Calendars, it will usher in the end of the entire era. Death will bring about the rebirth of the next era, and everything will change! Maybe the gods will return and rebuild the city of Gods.
Tikal!”
Hearing this, Shulot shook his head slightly. We can't wait until 2012. With the introduction of European diseases, the end of America will soon come. Mortals will die, but no one knows where to rebirth.
He calculated secretly and carved complicated formulas on the ground. 13 days is 5126 solar years. The Mayan end was December 23, 2012. So, the Mayan world originated on August 11, 3114 BC?
"What day was that? The first blaze of civilization? Or the first arrival of an alien spacecraft?"
With hundreds of years of curiosity, the young man sighed and imagined the truth buried in history.
The three of them continued to drink. Shulot remained restrained, smiling and thoughtful.
Kuruca laughed and chatted with the Mayan businessman and frequently encouraged him to drink. The two soon became like brothers.
Tikalo was immersed in the glory of the Mayan past. He refused to refuse, and soon his face turned red. Then, he loudly recited the inherited sacrificial poems, praising the golden age of the Maya, and praising the gathering.
The capital of the gods with millions of people. Then, he prostrated on the ground again, weeping and sighing at the lost glory, grieving the tragic fate of the Holy Family, swearing to be loyal to His Majesty, and to regain the glory of his ancestors!
Time passed quietly like this, and before you knew it, it was late at night.
Xuelote nodded with satisfaction. After drinking and talking a lot, the Mayan merchant seemed to have explained almost everything. The world of Maya was also taking shape in his mind.
So, the young man looked at Kuruca with a smile. He had other important arrangements tomorrow.
Kuruca lowered his head. He bowed deeply to Shulot, then supported the drunken Tikalo and staggered away.
"Brother Kuruca! From now on, we will be friends of life and death!"
The Mayan businessman didn't know whether he was really drunk or pretending to be drunk. Not long after he walked out of the mansion, he took Kuruca's arm and whispered with a smile.
"Gold and silver, spices and gems, gorgeous clothes and crowns, wine and beauties! Whatever you want, brother, I can give it to you. As long as you and I stand together and help each other. From now on, we brothers will work together to share blessings and hardships.
Let’s serve His Highness together!”
Kuruca did not answer. He let go of his hand and looked at Tikalo with a half-smile. The businessman also stood firm and looked at him with a sincere smile.
After a moment, Kuruca grinned like a happy ape.
"You are right. Let us cooperate and serve His Highness together!"
Then, he waved to the guard and asked for a tightly tied black cloth bag. Then he stuffed the bag into Ti Carlo's hand.
"This is my meeting gift to you. I wish you sincerely do all your tasks well!"
After saying that, Kuruca nodded to the businessman, turned around and left.
Tikalo stood there, his smile slowly fading. He lowered his slender head and thought for a moment. Then he cut the tie with a bronze dagger, and a fresh bloody smell gushes out from the opening of the bag.
Under the bright moonlight, the Mayan merchant looked at the clay pot in the bag and the vague shape in the pot. After recognizing the face for a while, he tied the bag up again and continued to raise his head, looking at the deep moonlight.
.
"The free turtles will eventually have to deal with the ferocious crocodiles."
Tikalo sighed quietly.
"I hope that the soaring eagle can dominate the sky of Yucatan and let the old turtles return to their hometown!"
After that, he shook his wise head and walked towards Beicheng Market with steady steps. Under his feet was the unpredictable starlight.
