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Rios 5 (15v) Third Trecena: Tepeyolotli (which is the same as the echo)
They considered this Tepeyolotli (Tepeyolotl) the lord of these thirteen signs, in which they
celebrated his festival; during the four last of which they fasted, out of reverence, on
account of the earth's having remained after the deluge. But as its condition was disordered
and filthy, they did not consider the sacrifices of these signs as good or clean, but on the
contrary as unclean; and they applied to them an appellation which in common phraseology
we might explain by the term of "sacrifices of filth". These last four signs in which they
fasted, were likewise out of reverence and in honor of Suguiquizal (Xochiquetzal) the wife
of Tonacatecotl, whose name signifies the Lifting or Raising up of Roses, for they say that
the goddess caused the earth to flourish. This proper name might be written Tesciulutli,
which is the Heart of the Mountain, which means that echo or reverberation of the voice
which resounds in a mountain. Click to view this page.
Rios 11 (18v) Sixth Trecena: Naollin (Nahui Ollin), that is to say, the tremulous action and
motions of the Sun caused by the reflection of its rays.
Naollin they say is the Sun in its tremulent action and motions, to which they attribute the
production of all ordinary things. When this figure entered in the sign of One Skull (Death),
they esteemed that sign as very unlucky; and they believed that whoever was born on it
would be a sorcerer, and devoted to the study of a certain sort of magic in great repute
amongst them, whereby they transformed themselves into the figures of various animals.
This figure presided over these thirteen signs, and they believed that whoever was born on
any one of them, would be a person of great consideration. Click to view this page.
which are the Pentateuch, were written by Moses, and were only found amongst the
Hebrew people, there are very strong grounds for supposing that this nation proceeds from
them: the manner in which they came to this country is unknown. Further proofs of this fact
may be found in their frequent sacrifices and ceremonies: one amongst others was that
which took place on one of the following signs of this month, called Seven Apes (Monkey).
Click to view this page.
The second sign was much celebrated amongst them, on account of its being applied to
nativities; and they celebrated a very great festival on it, which touches and alludes to the
ceremonies of the old law: on which occasion certain old men attended in the temples like
priests, whose business it was, performing some ceremonies, to baptize children. They took
some Picotle (Piciete-Tobacco); and having a large vessel of water near them, they made
leaves of the Picotle into a bunch, and dipped it into the water, with which they sprinkled
the child; and after fumigating it with incense they gave it a name, taken from the sign on
which it was born; and they put into its hand a shield and an arrow, if it was a boy, which is
what the figure of Xiuatlatl (Xiuhtecuhtli) denotes, who here represents the god of war:
they also uttered over the child certain prayers in the manner of deprecations, that he might
become a brave, intrepid, and courageous man.
The offering, which his parents carried to the temple, the elder priests took and divided
with the other children who were in the temple, who ran it through the whole city. They say
that this offering resembled the purification of the mother and her son mentioned in
Leviticus. This ceremony took place four signs after the birth of the child, if the sign was
fortunate; for if this was not the case, or if any other unlucky sign ruled in this sign, they
waited till it had passed by, and performed the ceremony on the next sign. At the time in
which this offering or purification was made, one of the old men held the child in his arms;
whence it is plain, that either these people descend from the Hebrews, or that the Devil
gave them these rites and ceremonies, to imitate those with which God was honored by his
people. Certain however, that greater would have been the triumph of the accursed demon,
if he had selected out of the same people a chosen people to sacrifice to him. This short
digression from our narration for which the occasion was furnished by this figure,
respecting which nothing more remains to be observed. Click to view this page.
them. He presided over these thirteen signs. They believed that those who were born on the
first sign of Flint would be expert huntsmen and very illustrious persons, and that he who
was born on the fifth sign of Air (Wind) would be an excellent jester. Click to view this
page.
(her) surrounded with knives, and wings of butterflies. They represent him with the feet of
an eagle; because they say that he (she) occasionally appears to them, and that they only see
the feet of an eagle. They further add, that being in a garden of delight he (she) pulled some
roses, but that suddenly the tree broke, and blood streamed from it; and that in consequence
of this they were deprived of that place of enjoyment, and were cast into this world,
because Tonacatecutli and his wife became incensed; and accordingly they came some of
them to the earth, and others went to hell.
He (she) presided over these thirteen signs; the first of which, the House, they considered
unfortunate, because they said that demons came through the air on that sign, in the figure
of women such as we designate witches, who usually went to the highways where they met
in the form of a cross, and to solitary places; and accordingly, that when any bad woman
wished to absolve herself or her sins and to do penance, she went alone by night to these
places, and took off her garments, and sacrificed there with her tongue, and left the clothes
which she carried, and returned home naked, as a sign of the confession of her sins. He was
called, before he sinned Xomunco, and afterwards, Yxpapalotl, which signifies a knife of
razors. Click to view this page.
man, with the sun over his shoulders and darkness and death beneath his feet; denoting that
when the sun sets, it goes to warm and give light to the dead. Click to view this page.
Opposite to Cantico they placed Quetzalcoatl, in a golden house, arrayed in precious gems,
and seated as a pontiff, with a bag of incense in his hand; intending to show that as the
other had been punished for his gluttony, so he was honored for his abstinence and
sacrifices. Click to view this page.
was born on Five Herbs (Grass) would be a rich merchant. Click to view this page.