Star gods of the Maya: astronomy in art, folklore, and calendars

Introduction

The Mesoamerican Calendar

Decipherment of Maya Glyphs

Archaeoastronomy and Ethnoastronomy

Overview of Contents

Contemporary Maya Images of the Heavens

The Seasonal Cycle

The Solar Calendar

Modern Maya Cosmic Diagrams

How the Sun Moves and Transforms

The Sun God

Images of Eclipses

The Lunar Rhythms

Lunar Agriculture

The Celestial Pair

The Moon Goddess

Venus among the Contemporary Maya

The Planets among the Contemporary Maya

Stars and Constellations

The Milky Way

Other Celestial Phenomena

Contemporary Maya Astronomy in Cultural Context

Naked-Eye Astronomy

Tracking the Solar Seasons

Lunar Positions and Phases

Eclipses

The Planets

The Stars and the Seasons

Precolumbian and Colonial Period Maya Solar Images

The Seasonal Cycle and the Solar Calendar

Solar Orientations in Architecture

The Sun in Precolumbian Maya Cosmic Diagrams

Concepts of the Sun's Motion

The Precolumbian Kin Glyph

The Sun God in the Colonial and Postclassic Periods

The Sun God at Chichen Itza

The Sun King

Classic Maya Images of the Sun God and Earlier Prototypes

The Monkey's Sun

The Solar Bird and Solar Fire

The Sun and Felines

Hunahpu and Hun Ahau

GIII: The Sun as the Middle Brother

The Sun in the Precolumbian Maya Worldview

Precolumbian and Colonial Period Lunar Images and Deities

Lunar Calendars

Colonial and Postclassic Eclipse Imagery

The Dresden Codex Eclipse Table

Classic Period Eclipse Imagery and Events

Maya Moon Glyphs and Symbols

Lunar Symbolism of Fish, Frogs, Toads, and Shells

The Moon and Rabbits

The Water-lily Jaguar

The Jaguar War God

The Jaguar Paddler: The Moon Paired with the Sun

The Lunar Twin: Xbalanque

The Classic Period Moon God in Monumental Art

The Young Moon Goddess in Colonial and Postclassic Times

The Aged Moon in Colonial and Postclassic Times

The Moon in the Postclassic Murals at Tulum

Lunar Deities at Chichen Itza

The Classic Maya Moon Goddess

The Ever-changing Moon

Venus and Mercury: The Body Doubles

Venus Observations among the Precolumbian Maya

Venus in the Popol Vuh

Colonial and Postclassic Images of Venus

The Dresden Codex Venus Pages

The Layout of

The Seasonal Aspects of Venus

Regents and Victims in the Venus Pages

Quetzalcoatl-Kukulcan: The Venus God from Central Mexico

Central Mexican Venus Symbols in the Maya Area

Maya Glyphs and Symbols Representing Venus

Venus Warfare

Lineage Founders and the Venus Cult

Tlaloc and the Storm God

Chac and God B in Colonial and Postclassic Yucatan

Classic Period Images of Chac

Chac and GI in the Classic Period

The Sidereal Position of Venus

Venus and the Moon

Mercury in Maya Imagery and Calendrics

The Inferior Planets in the Maya Worldview

The Celestial Wanderers

Colonial Period Images of the Superior Planets

Mars among the Precolumbian Maya

Monkey Deities and the Planets

God K in the Colonial and Postclassic Periods

The Classic Period God K and GII

Jupiter Events and God K on Classic Maya Monuments

Classic Period Calendar Records Relating to the Superior Planets

Assembly of the Gods

The Celestial Wanderers as Planetary Gods

Stars, the Milky Way, Comets, and Meteors

Comets, Meteors, and Supernovas

Images of Stars

The Maya Zodiac

The Pleiades

The Scorpion and Skeletal Snake Constellations

Orion and Gemini

The Peccary Constellation

Bird Constellations

Cross Constellations and Stellar Trees

The North Star and the "Dippers"

Central Mexican Images of the Milky Way

The Cosmic Monster and the Milky Way

Serpent Forms of the Milky Way

Roads in the Sky and Four Itzamnas

Classic Period Monuments with Images of the Milky Way

Rotating the Milky Way

The Maya in the History of World Astronomy

Appendix 1. Guide to Astronomical Identities

Appendix 2. Table of Classic Period Dates and Associated Astronomical Events

Appendix 3. Table for Calculating the Tzolkin Intervals

Glossary.