44. THE BOOK OF THE LIFE OF THE ANCIENT MEXICANS

[The following account and pictures are taken from an ancient manuscript or codex which bears on the original sheets the following caption: "Book of the life which was led by the Indians of former days, with an account of the superstitions and evil performances which they believed in and observed."" The manuscript consists of seventy-six colored pictures, apparently the work of native Aztec draughtsmen, accompanied by explanatory notes in Spanish. The manuscript in this form was known as the Codex Magliabecchi and was preserved in Florence. A facsimile of it, in color, edited by Zelia Nuttall, but not translated, was published by the University of California Press in 1903, under the title "The Book of the Life of the Ancient Mexicans, part I.' In the original manuscript no author is mentioned for the explanatory notes in Spanish, but these have been identified by Mrs. Nuttall with portions of a "Cronica de las Indias" or History of the Indies, that is America, written by Cervantes de Salazar.

Twelve of the illustrations in this work are here reproduced minus color. The Spanish text is given complete in translation or close paraphrase, except for the first sixteen pages of the manuscript which refer to blanket designs and the calendar. The numbers heading the sections of text refer to the paging of the pictures in the original. A few remarks as to pronunciation and order of the illustrations have been omitted from the translation; and occasional explanatory words or phrases supplied by the translator are enclosed in square brackets. The translation is the work of T. T. Waterman.]

17.

This festival the Indians call Xilomaniztli. The Mexicans [of Tenochtitlan] and certain others call it Alcavalo . . . ., for the reason that at this time the fishermen "leave off"; that is to say, leave the water. They call the festival Xilomaniztli because they paint it [the image of the god] with ears of maize in its fist. These ears before the grain hardens are called xilotl, from which is derived Xilomanistli, that is to say, "he holds xilotes in his hand." In this festival they sacrifice boys. The demon is called Tlaloc in Mexico. They drown these boys in canoes. . . .

18.

This figure represents the festival which the Indians call Tlacaxipeualiztli... which means "he skins me and you shall eat me'; because in this festival they kill one whom they call Totodeci or Xipeu. . . . He is tied to a wheel of stone, which they call tamalacatli. When tied to this, they give him a club in his hand, very bravely. Then another

Indian, covered with the skin of a tiger [ocelot] goes against him, also holding in his hand a club. This second club is set with pointed objects. Then they give it to each other until the one who is tied up is killed. Then he skins him, and later, dressed in the skin of the dead man, he dances before the demon, whom they call Tlacateu Texcatepocatl. He who has to fight fasts for four days, and exercises for many days previously to fighting with the tied-up person. He also offers many sacrifices to this demon, so that the demon may give him victory.

The date is the twenty-first of March, the feast of St. Benedict. It is a great festival.

19.

This is an illustration of the festival of a [female] demon which the Indians call Toçoztli. The demon for whom they celebrate this festival is named Chalchuite because they put around its neck a necklace of emeralds [jade or turquoise], which they call chalchuitl; and they call those whom they sacrificed in this festival tlacateteuitl. These were children. They offer much copal [incense] and [maguey] paper and stalks of maize. Moreover in this festival they sacrificed an Indian woman, and this woman tied a fillet around her hair in simulation of the demon, who is represented in the fashion shown on the opposite page. It is worthy of note that in this festival small children were sacrificed, and female children, and also newly born infants. They also bestow names on them, as we Christians do in baptism. This point is mentioned in regard to one of the festivals which are taken up in later pages, but the ceremony is restricted to these two occasions. They also gave food to their elders. He who was once offered in this way they never offered again. They called this festival Tlicoquepipiltontli, and they gave the demon, whom they call centeotl, tamales and other things to eat. . .

20.

This festival they call Gacitocoztli because they offer before the demon stalks with leaves (consisting entirely of maize) which among them is called tuctli. In this festival they offer to the demon a great deal of maize and tamales mixed with beans. In this festival boys at dawn place in their temples such loaves of maize. The demon to whom they celebrate this festival is called Ocenteutl, that is to say, deity of the maize. In this festival fathers offer to the demon children at the breast, as in the sacrifice. They invite their elders to feast. This is called tecoa which means in their language "sacrifice". . .

21.

This is the festival which the Indians call Toxcatl. . . It was a great festival, because the demon whose rites were celebrated in these ceremonies is Texcatepocatl that is, Smoking Mirror. He was the greatest of the greater gods whom they reverenced. They also give him as another name Titlacauan, that is to say, "of whom we are slaves." In his honor they perform dances and sing songs, and offer roses, and bring labrets and feathers, which are the things they value most. In this festival they cut their tongues and offer the flesh [blood] to the demon. They also make tamales of the seeds of the blite and of maize, which latter they call the body of their god. They eat these tamales with a grand celebration. . . .

22.

This is the festival which they call Eçalcoaliztli, that is, "eating eçatl,” which refers to a custom of eating some cooked maize. The demon who is honored in this performance is Queçalcoatl that is, "serpent with beautiful plumes." This demon was god of the breeze, and was said to be the friend or superior of another whom they called Tlaloc and brother of another whom they call Xubotl, he whom they set up either in a painted or a carved figure over their games of chance. He is also "Queçalcoatl' when he is invoked. In this feast the Indians cook much maize and beans (which they call poçole). In the paintings this god is represented standing on a mat of rushes. In this festival the Indians offered sacrifices of their sex organs, which rite they called motepulico; that is, "this filth sacrificed." Some say that they do this in order to induce their god to give them offspring. In this festival also the maçaguales [serfs] took coas (or sticks with which they used to dig their maize) at the foot of the wall and each one, great and little, placed on it several leaves of maize, that is, of poçole or cooked maize. In this festival they offered to the demon male children, recently born, which they call teyeoque. This is a ceremony which they have. In this ceremony they invite their elders to feast, as Christians do at the baptism of their children. . . .

23.

This festival is called Tecuilhuitl in which the young men carry on their shoulders the demon, dressed to represent a parrot and in a litter lined with leaves and stalks of maize, playing flutes and other different instruments before the demon. In his hand they place a scepter of feathers which they call yolotopili or "heart staff." The demon whose festival is represented here is called Tlacopilli, that is, "excellent lord'. . . .