The Dresden Codex

How did a pre-Columbian Mayan book of theA transit of Venus across the Sun takes place
eleventh or twelfth century of the Yucatan Mayawhen the planet Venus passes directly between
in Chichén Itzá wind up in Vienna? The Mayathe Sun and Earth, obscuring a small portion of
codex is believed to be a copy of an original textthe solar disk. During a transit, Venus can be seen
of some three or four hundred years earlier. It isfrom Earth as a small black disk moving across
said to be the earliest known book written in thethe face of the Sun. A transit is similar to a solar
Americas holding great insights to the Decembereclipse by the Moon, but, although the diameter of
21, 2012 date. Venus is almost 4 times that of the Moon, Venus
The Dresden Codex is considered the mostappears smaller because it is much farther away
complete of only four remaining American codices.from Earth. .
The Dresden Codex was written by eightTransits of Venus are among the rarest of
different scribes using both sides. They all hadpredictable astronomical phenomena and currently
their own particular writing style, glyphs andoccur in a pattern that repeats every 243 years,
subject matter. The codex totals 74 pages inwith pairs of transits eight years apart. The first
length. Its images were painted with extraordinaryof a pair of transits of Venus in the beginning of
clarity using very fine brushes. The basic colorsthe 21st century took place on 8 June 2004 and
used from vegetable dyes for the codex werethe next will be on 6 June 2012. How that works
red, black and the so-called Mayan blue.into December 21, 2012 no one seems to know-
The Dresden Codex contains astronomical tablesif it does.
of outstanding accuracy.The natives adored and made more sacrifices to
How did they know then what we're just nowVenus than any other celestial or terrestrial
discovering? Contained in the codex are almanacs,creatures: next to the sun of course. The reason
astronomical and astrological tables, and religiousVenus was held in such esteem by the lords and
references. Specific references tell of a 260 daypeople, and the reason why they counted their
ritual count divided up in several ways. Thedays by this star and yielded reverence and
Dresden Codex contains predictions foroffered sacrifices to it, was because the natives
agriculturally-favorable timing, etc. It hasbelieved that when one of their principal gods,
information on rainy seasons, floods, illness andnamed Quetzalcoatl, died and left this world, he
medicine. It also seems to show conjunctions oftransformed himself into Venus.
constellations, planets and the Moon. A regularAs we become smarter the ancient Dresden
original Farmer’s Almanac.Codex makes more sense. Who knows, maybe
Central to the Dresden Codex is the Venuswe'll completely understand it by 12.21.2012!
Transit!