Ahau

Ahau, also spelled Ajaw, is the 20th day sign in the Maya Tzolk'in calendar. In classical Maya inscriptions the sign conveys the idea of lordship or rulership and is frequently rendered as a crowned or regal head. The term Ajaw is commonly translated as lord, ruler, or king, reflecting its association with authority and leadership.

The Tzolk'in combines 20 day signs with numbers 1 through 13 to form a 260-day cycle. Each day in a date is read as a number plus sign; Ahau can appear with any number from 1 to 13. In inscriptions, dates that bear Ahau are often references to rulers, ceremonial occasions, or noble kinship.

Glyphs of Ahau typically depict a high status figure wearing a distinctive headdress or crown, sometimes with a sun disk. The sign is tied to themes of sovereignty, divinity, and cosmic order, and it is frequently linked to the sun and royal power in Maya iconography.

In modern contexts Ahau is encountered as a transcription of the ancient sign in scholarship and at times as a given name or title among Maya communities. The form Ajaw appears in recorded royal names and titles across the Maya world.

Related topics include the Maya calendar, the Tzolk'in, and Classic Maya inscriptions.