by Spence,Lewis
THE MYTHS OF
MEXICO & PERU
LEWIS SPENCE
AUTHOR OF “THE MYTHOLOGIES OF ANCIENT MEXICO AND PERU” “THE POPOL VUH” “THE CIVILIZATION OF ANCIENT MEXICO” “A DICTIONARY OF MYTHOLOGY” ETC. ETC.
WITH SIXTY FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS MAINLY BY GILBERT JAMES AND WILLIAM SEWELL AND OTHER DRAWINGS AND MAPS
CONTENTS
PREFACE v
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xi
MAPS xiii
I. CHAPTER I: THE CIVILISATION OF MEXICO 1
The Civilisations of the New World 1
Evidence of Animal and Plant Life 2
Origin of American Man 2
Traditions of Intercourse with Asia 3
Legends of European Intercourse 4
The Legend of Madoc 5
American Myths of the Discovery 6
A Peruvian Prophecy 7
The Prophecy of Chilan Balam 8
The Type of Mexican Civilisation 9
The Mexican Race 10
Legends of Mexican Migration 11
The Toltec Upheaval 12
Artificial Nature of the Migration Myths 13
Myths of the Toltecs 13
Legends of Toltec Artistry 14
The House of Feathers 15
Huemac the Wicked 15
The Plagues of the Toltecs 17
King Acxitl 17
A Terrible Visitation 18
Fall of the Toltec State 19
The Chichimec Exodus 19
The Disappearance of the Toltecs 20
Did the Toltecs Exist? 20
A Persistent Tradition 22
A Nameless People 22
Toltec Art 23
Other Aboriginal Peoples 23
The Cliff-dwellers 24
The Nahua Race 25
The Aculhuaque 26
The Tecpanecs 26
The Aztecs 27
The Aztec Character 27
Legends of the Foundation of Mexico 28
Mexico at the Conquest 29
A Pyramid of Skulls 31
Nahua Architecture and Ruins 31
Cyclopean Remains 31
Teotihuacan 32
The Hill of Flowers 33
Tollan 34
Picture-Writing 34
Interpretation of the Hieroglyphs 35
Native Manuscripts 36
The Interpretative Codices 36
The Mexican “Book of the Dead” 37
The Calendar System 38
The Mexican Year 39
Lunar Reckoning 39
Groups of Years 40
The Dread of the Last Day 41
The Birth-Cycle 41
Language of the Nahua 42
Aztec Science 43
Nahua Government 43
Domestic Life 44
A Mysterious Toltec Book 45
A Native Historian 46
Nahua Topography 47
Distribution of the Nahua Tribes 47
Nahua History 48
Bloodless Battles 48
The Lake Cities 49
Tezcuco 49
The Tecpanecs 50
The Aztecs 50
The Aztecs as Allies 51
New Powers 52
II. CHAPTER II: MEXICAN MYTHOLOGY 54
Nahua Religion 54
Cosmology 55
The Sources of Mexican Mythology 56
The Romance of the Lost “Sahagun” 57
Torquemada 57
The Worship of One God 58
Tezcatlipoca 59
Tezcatlipoca, Overthrower of the Toltecs 60
Myths of Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca 60
Tezcatlipoca and the Toltecs 61
The Departure of Quetzalcoatl 64
Tezcatlipoca as Doomster 66
The Teotleco Festival 68
The Toxcatl Festival 69
Huitzilopochtli, the War-God 70
The War-God as Fertiliser 74
Tlaloc, the Rain-God 75
Sacrifices to Tlaloc 77
Quetzalcoatl 78
The Man of the Sun 81
Various Forms of Quetzalcoatl 82
Quetzalcoatl’s Northern Origin 83
The Worship of Quetzalcoatl 84
The Maize-Gods of Mexico 85
The Sacrifice of the Dancer 86
An Antiquarian Mare’s-Nest 88
The Offering to Centeotl 90
Importance of the Food-Gods 91
Xipe 91
Nanahuatl, or Nanauatzin 93
Xolotl 93
The Fire-God 95
Mictlan 95
Worship of the Planet Venus 96
Sun-Worship 97
Sustaining the Sun 98
A Mexican Valhalla 101
The Feast of Totec 101
Tepeyollotl 102
Macuilxochitl, or Xochipilli 103
Father and Mother Gods 103
The Pulque-Gods 104
The Goddesses of Mexico: Metztli 106
Tlazolteotl 106
Chalchihuitlicue 110
Mixcoatl 110
Camaxtli 111
Iztlilton 112
Omacatl 112
Opochtli 113
Yacatecutli 114
The Aztec Priesthood 114
Priestly Revenues 115
Education 115
Orders of the Priesthood 116
An Exacting Ritual 116
III. CHAPTER III: MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE ANCIENT MEXICANS 118
The Mexican Idea of the Creation 118
Ixtlilxochitl’s Legend of the Creation 119
Creation-Story of the Mixtecs 120
Zapotec Creation-Myth 121
The Mexican Noah 122
The Myth of the Seven Caverns 123
The Sacrificed Princess 123
The Fugitive Prince 124
Maxtla the Fierce 125
A Romantic Escape 126
A Thrilling Pursuit 126
The Defeat of Maxtla 127
The Solon of Anahuac 128
Nezahualcoyotl’s Theology 128
The Poet Prince 129
The Queen with a Hundred Lovers 129
The Golden Age of Tezcuco 132
A Fairy Villa 133
Disillusionment 134
The Noble Tlascalan 136
The Haunting Mothers 138
The Return of Papantzin 139
Papantzin’s Story 141
IV. CHAPTER IV: THE MAYA RACE AND MYTHOLOGY 143
The Maya 143
Were the Maya Toltecs? 143
The Maya Kingdom 144
The Maya Dialects 145
Whence Came the Maya? 145
Civilisation of the Maya 146
The Zapotecs 147
The Huasteca 147
The Type of Maya Civilisation 148
Maya History 148
The Nucleus of Maya Power 149
Early Race Movements 150
The Settlement of Yucatan 151
The Septs of Yucatan 153
The Cocomes 153
Flight of the Tutul Xius 153
The Revolution in Mayapan 155
Hunac Eel 155
The Last of the Cocomes 156
The Maya Peoples of Guatemala 157
The Maya Tulan 157
Doubtful Dynasties 158
The Coming of the Spaniards 159
The Riddle of Ancient Maya Writing 159
The Maya Manuscripts 160
The System of the Writing 161
Clever Elucidations 162
Methods of Study 164
The Maya Numeral System 165
Mythology of the Maya 166
Quetzalcoatl among the Maya 167
An Alphabet of Gods 168
Difficulties of Comparison 168
The Conflict between Light and Darkness 169
The Calendar 169
Traditional Knowledge of the Gods 170
Maya Polytheism 171
The Bat-God 171
Modern Research 172
God A 172
The Maize-God 174
The Sun-God 174
“The God with the Ornamented Nose” 175
The Old Black God 176
The Travellers’ God 176
The God of Unlucky Days 177
The Frog-God 177
Maya Architecture 178
Methods of Building 178
No Knowledge of the Arch 179
Pyramidal Structures 180
Definiteness of Design 180
Architectural Districts 181
Fascination of the Subject 181
Mysterious Palenque 182
An Architectural Curiosity 185
The Temple of Inscriptions 185
Aké and Itzamal 186
The House of Darkness 186
The Palace of Owls 186
Itzamna’s Fane 187
Bearded Gods 187
A Colossal Head 188
Chichen-Itza 188
The Nunnery 189
The “Writing in the Dark” 190
Kabah 190
Uxmal 191
The Dwarf’s House 191
The Legend of the Dwarf 192
The Mound of Sacrifice 194
The Phantom City 195
The Horse-God 195
Copan 196
Mitla 197
A Place of Sepulture 197
An Old Description of Mitla 199
Human Sacrifice at Mitla 201
Living Sacrifices 203
The Cavern of Death 204
Palace of the High-Priest 205
Furniture of the Temples 206
V. CHAPTER V: MYTHS OF THE MAYA 207
Mythology of the Maya 207
The Lost “Popol Vuh” 207
Genuine Character of the Work 208
Likeness to other Pseudo-Histories 208
The Creation-Story 209
Vukub-Cakix, the Great Macaw 210
The Earth-Giants 213
The Undoing of Zipacna 215
The Discomfiture of Cabrakan 216
The Second Book 220
A Challenge from Hades 220
The Fooling of the Brethren 221
The Princess Xquiq 222
The Birth of Hun-Apu and Xbalanque 222
The Divine Children 223
The Magic Tools 223
The Second Challenge 224
The Tricksters Tricked 225
The Houses of the Ordeals 226
The Reality of Myth 228
The Xibalbans 229
The Third Book 229
The Granting of Fire 230
The Kiche Babel 231
The Last Days of the First Men 231
Death of the First Men 232
American Migrations 233
Cosmogony of the “Popol Vuh” 235
Antiquity of the “Popol Vuh” 236
The Father-Mother Gods 236
Gucumatz 236
Hurakan 237
Hun-Apu and Xbalanque 237
Vukub-Cakix and his Sons 237
Metrical Origin of the “Popol Vuh” 237
Pseudo-History of the Kiche 238
Queen Móo 239
The Funeral Chamber 240
The Frescoes 241
The Soothsayers 241
The Royal Bride 242
Móo’s Refusal 242
The Rejected Suitor 243
Aac’s Fierce Wooing 244
Prince Coh 244
The Murder of Coh 245
The Widowhood of Móo 246
The Manuscript Troano 246
VI. CHAPTER VI: THE CIVILISATION OF OLD PERU 248
Old Peru 248
The Country 248
The Andeans 249
A Strange Site 250
Sacsahuaman and Ollantay 250
The Drama-Legend of Ollantay 251
The Love-Story of Curi-Coyllur 252
Mother and Child 253
The Races of Peru 253
The Coming of the Incas 254
The Quichua-Aymara 254
The Four Peoples 255
The Coming of Manco Ccapac 255
The Peruvian Creation-Story 257
Local Creation-Myths 258
The Character of Inca Civilisation 259
An Absolute Theocracy 259
A Golden Temple 260
The Great Altar 261
Planetary Temples 261
The Mummies of Peru 262
Laws and Customs 264
The Peruvian Calendar 265
The Festivals 267
The Llama 268
Architecture of the Incas 268
Unsurpassed Workmanship 269
The Temple of Viracocha 270
Titicaca 270
Coati 270
Mysterious Chimu 271
The Palace 271
The Civilisation of Chimu 272
Pachacamac 273
Irrigation Works 273
A Singular Discovery 273
The Chibchas 275
A Severe Legal Code 277
A Strange Mnemonic System 278
Practical Use of the Quipos 278
The Incas as Craftsmen 279
Pottery 280
Historical Sketch of the Incan Peruvians 281
The Inca Monarchs 282
The First Incas 283
Viracocha the Great 284
The Plain of Blood 284
The Conquest of Middle Peru 285
Fusion of Races 285
Two Branches of the Incas 286
The Laws of Pachacutic 286
Tupac-Yupanqui 287
Huaina Ccapac 288
The Inca Civil War 289
A Dramatic Situation 290
A Worthless Despotism 290
VII. CHAPTER VII: THE MYTHOLOGY OF PERU 291
The Religion of Ancient Peru 291
Totemism 291
Paccariscas 292
Worship of Stones 292
Huacas 294
The Mamas 295
The Huamantantac 296
Huaris 296
Huillcas 296
The Oracles of the Andes 297
Lake-Worship in Peru 298
The Lost Island 299
The Thunder-God of Peru 299
The Great God Pachacamac 303
Peruvian Creation-Stories 303
Pachayachachic 304
Ideas of Creation 305
Pacari Tampu 305
Worship of the Sea 306
Viracocha 307
Sun-Worship in Peru 307
The Sun’s Possessions 308
Inca Occupation of Titicaca 309
Pilgrimages to Titicaca 310
Sacrifices to the New Sun 311
The Citoc Raymi 312
Human Sacrifice in Peru 313
Methods of Medicine-Men 314
Death by Suffocation 315
The Obsequies of a Chief 317
Peruvian Myths 317
The Vision of Yupanqui 317
The Bird Bride 318
Thonapa 319
A Myth of Manco Ccapac Inca 320
Coniraya Viracocha 321
The Llama’s Warning 323
The Myth of Huathiacuri 324
Paricaca 326
Conclusion 328
BIBLIOGRAPHY 335
Mexico 335
Central America 337
Peru 337
INDEX AND GLOSSARY 341
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
The Princess is given a Vision Frontispiece
The Descent of Quetzalcoatl xiv
Toveyo and the Magic Drum 16
The Altar of Skulls 26
The Guardian of the Sacred Fire 30
Pyramid of the Moon: Pyramid of the Sun 32
Ruins of the Pyramid of Xochicalco 34
The Spirit of the dead Aztec is attacked by an Evil Spirit who scatters Clouds of Ashes 38
The Demon Izpuzteque 40
The Aztec Calendar Stone 44
A Prisoner fighting for his Life 48
Combat between Mexican and Bilimec Warriors 53
Priest making an Incantation over an Aztec Lady 54
The Princess sees a Strange Man before the Palace 62
Tezcatlipoca, Lord of the Night Winds 66
The Infant War-God drives his Brethren into a Lake and slays them 70
Statue of Tlaloc, the Rain-God 76
The Aged Quetzalcoatl leaves Mexico on a Raft of Serpents 80
Ritual Masks of Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca; and Sacrificial Knife 84
The so-called Teoyaominqui 88
Statue of a Male Divinity 90
Xolotl 94
The Quauhxicalli, or Solar Altar of Sacrifice 98
Macuilxochitl 102
The Penitent addressing the Fire 106
Cloud Serpent, the Hunter-God 110
Mexican Goddess 114
Tezcatlipoca 117
“Place where the Heavens Stood” 120
A Flood-Myth of the Nahua 122
The Prince who fled for his Life 126
The Princess and the Statues 130
The King’s Sister is shown the Valley of Dry Bones 140
Mexican Deity 142
The Prince who went to Found a City 156
“The Tablet of the Cross” 160
Design on a Vase from Chamá representing Maya Deities 166
The House of Bats 172
Part of the Palace and Tower, Palenque 182
The King who loved a Princess 186
Teocalli or Pyramid of Papantla: The Nunnery, Chichen-Itza 188
Details of the Nunnery at Chichen-Itza 190
The Old Woman who took an Egg home 192
Great Palace of Mitla: Interior of an Apartment in the Palace of Mitla 198
Hall of the Columns, Palace of Mitla 202
The Twins make an Imitation Crab 214
The Princess and the Gourds 220
The Princess who made Friends of the Owls 222
In the House of Bats 226
How the Sun appeared like the Moon 230
Queen Móo has her Destiny foretold 240
The Rejected Suitor 242
Piece of Pottery representing a Tapir 247
Doorway of Tiahuanaco 248
Fortress at Ollantay-tampu 250
“Mother and child are united” 252
The Inca Fortress of Pissac 254
“Making one of each nation out of the clay of the earth” 258
Painted and Black Terra-cotta Vases 280
Conducting the White Llama to the Sacrifice 312
“The birdlike beings were in reality women” 318
“A beautiful youth appeared to Thonapa” 320