The Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters THE MYSTERY OF TIME Maya Astronomy and Concept of Time Skrifter nr. 1-2019 Johan Aarnes THE ROYAL NORWEGIAN SOCIETY OF SCIENCES AND LETTERS Editor Kristian Overskaug, The Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters, Elvegata 17, 7012 Trondheim Co-editor Helge Holden, Dept. of Mathematics, NTNU, 7491 Trondheim e-mail:
[email protected] URL: http://www.dknvs.no Editorial Board Medicine/Biology – Helge Reinertsen Chemistry/Geology – Tore Prestvik Physics/Mathematics – Helge Holden Technology – Harald Øye Philosophy/Religion/Psychology – Peder Borgen History/Social sciences – Asbjørn Aase Litterature/Languages/Art – Jan Ragnar Hagland Comments regarding accepted manuscripts, order of reprints, subscriptions etc. should be sent to the Publisher. THE MYSTERY OF TIME Maya Astronomy and Concept of Time Johan Aarnes Editor DKNVS Skrifter Kristian Overskaug © DKNVS, Trondheim 2019 ISBN 978-82-93175-52-0 Printed ISBN 978-82-93175-53-7 Web ISSN 0368-6310 Layout and production: Skipnes Kommunikasjon AS It must not be copied from this book beyond what is permitted under the provisions of law on copyright to intellectual property and agreements concerning copying signed with Kopinor. Transactions of The Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters, (Trans. R. Norw. Soc. Sci. Lett. 2019(1) 1–21) THE MYSTERY OF TIME — MAYA ASTRONOMY AND CONCEPT OF TIME JOHAN AARNES Abstract. As no other people in history the Maya sought to unite imaginations of time, space and gods in what we may call an astronomic-religious system. To understand the basic order of the Universe was an obsession which drove them through centuries.