Horoscopes · Systems of many cultures
Mayan (Tzolk'in) · Mayan day sign 20
Ajaw
Lord; the sun; the hunter · Ajpu (K'iche') · Ahau
The last and most honoured day: Ajaw, 'lord', the sun and the ruler. K'iche' Ajpu is the blowgun hunter of the Popol Vuh — the Hero Twin who became the sun — and the day of the ancestors' victory.
Ajaw means 'lord' or 'ruler', and it is the title of Classic Maya kings. Its glyph shows a stylised face. Period endings in the Long Count — including 13.0.0.0.0 in 2012, which fell on 4 Ajaw — always land on an Ajaw day, which made the sign central to Maya timekeeping.
In the K'iche' count the day is Ajpu, 'blowgunner' or 'hunter', the name of one of the Hero Twins of the Popol Vuh, who defeated the lords of the underworld and rose as the sun. Ajpu is therefore a day of the sun, of the ancestors and of victory over adversity, used for prayers for the dead and for strength. Those born on Ajpu are described as brave, artistic and spiritually gifted, with a sense of mission.
Personality
brave · artistic · spiritual · noble · victorious · purposeful
Among K'iche' Maya daykeepers, a person born on Ajpu (Yucatec Ajaw) is described as brave, artistic and spiritually gifted, with a sense of mission. Ajpu, 'blowgunner' or 'hunter', is the name of one of the Hero Twins of the Popol Vuh, who defeated the lords of the underworld and rose as the sun, while the Yucatec Ajaw, 'lord', was the title of Classic Maya kings.
Daykeepers credit Ajpu people with courage, leadership, creativity and an instinct for overcoming adversity; they are said to have a strong connection with the sun, with the ancestors and with the spiritual life, and to be talented in art, music and sport. The challenges traditionally named are pride, a tendency to take on battles that need not be fought, and the burden of feeling responsible for others' fortunes.
In love and friendship Ajpu people are portrayed as generous, loyal and inspiring, though their sense of purpose may take them away. In work they are suited to leadership, the arts, sport, spiritual and ceremonial roles, and any calling with a mission. Ajpu days are used for prayers for the dead and for strength; the number of the birth day, as always, shapes the reading.
Sources and further reading
- Time and the Highland Maya — Barbara Tedlock, 1982
- The Code of Kings — Linda Schele and Peter Mathews, 1998
- Maya Calendar Origins — Prudence M. Rice, 2007