Rig Veda Americanus | Page 8

of all who dealt in fine colors. Her figure was that of a young woman with gay garments and jewelry (Duran, Historia, cap. 94). In the _Codex Telleriano-Remensis_ she is assigned as synonyms Ichpochtli, the Virgin, and Itzpapalotl, literally "the obsidian butterfly," but which was probably applied to a peculiar ornament of her idol.
On Tamoanchan see notes to Hymn IV.
The term atlayauican, which I have translated "the dancing place by the water," appears to refer to the "jar dance," baile de las jicaras, which took place at the festival of the goddess, in the month of October. Duran informs us this was executed at a spot by the shore of the lake. Ceremonial bathing was carried on at the same festival, and these baths were considered to cleanse from sin, as well as from physical pollution.
X. Amimitl icuic.
1. Cotiuana, cotiuana, cali totoch maca huiya yyalimanico, oquixanimanico, tlacochcalico, oua, yya yya, matonicaya, matonicalico, oua yya yo, ?ana, ?ana, ayoueca niuia, ?ana canoya, ueca niuia, yya, yya, yyeuaya, ?ana, ?ana, yeucua niuia.
2. Ye necuiliyaya, niuaya, niuaya, niuaya, ay ca nauh niuahuaya, niuaya, niuaya, ay ca nauh.
3. Tlaixtotoca ye ca nauhtzini, tlaixtotoca ye ca nauhtzini, ayoaya, yoaya, ye ca nauhtzini.
4. Aueya itzipana nomauilia, aueya itzipana nomauilia, aueya itzipana nomauilia.
Var. 1. Manca. Matinicaya.
Gloss.
In amimitl icuic yuh mitoa in ueli chichimeca cuic amo uel caquizti in quein quitoa in tonauatlatol ypa.
Hymn to Amimitl.
1. Join together your hands in the house, take hands in the sequent course, let them spread forth, spread forth in the hall of arrows. Join hands, join hands in the house, for this, for this have I come, have I come.
2. Yes, I have come, bringing four with me, yes I have come, four being with me.
3. Four noble ones, carefully selected, four noble ones, carefully selected, yes, four noble ones.
4. They personally appear before his face, they personally appear before his face, they personally appear before his face.
Notes.
The brief Gloss to this Hymn states that it is of ancient Chichimec origin and that it cannot well be rendered in Nahuatl. Its language is exceedingly obscure, but it is evidently a dancing song.
Amimitl, "the water-arrow," or "fish-spear," was, according to Torquemada, especially worshipped at Cuitlahuac. He was god of fishing, and visited the subjects of his displeasure with diseases of a dropsical or watery character (Monarquia Indiana, Lib. VI., cap. 29). On slender and questionable grounds Clavigero identifies him with Opochtli, the god of net makers and fishers with nets (Storia Antica del Messico, Tom. II., p. 20).
The four noble ones referred to in vv. 3 and 4 probably refer to those characters in the Mexican sacred dances called "the four auroras," four actors clothed respectively in white, green, yellow and red robes. See Diego Duran, Historia, cap. 87.
XI. Otontecutli icuic.
1. Onoalico, onoalico, pomaya, yyaya, ayyo, ayyo, aya, aya, ayyo.
2. Chimalocutitlana motlaqueuia auetzini nonoualico, quauinochitla, cacauatla motlaqueuia auetzini.
3. Ni tepanecatli aya cuecuexi, ni quetzallicoatli aya cuecuexi.
4. Cane ca ya itziueponi, cane ca ya itziueponi.
5. Otomico, noyoco, nauaco, mexicame ya yauilili, noyoco, nauaco, mexicame ya.
6. A chimalli aya, xa, xauino quiyauilili, noyoco, nauaco, mexicame ya.
Var. 2. Nonoualco.
Hymn of Olontecutli.
1. At Nonoalco he rules, at Nonoalco, Oho! Oho!
2. In the pine woods he prepares your destruction at Nonoalco, in the tuna woods, in the cacao woods he prepares your destruction.
3. I, dweller in the palace, shook them; I, Quetzalcoatl, shook them.
4. There was a splendor of spears, a splendor of spears.
5. With my captain, with my courage, with my skill, the Mexicans were put to flight; even the Mexicans, with my courage, with my skill.
6. Go forth, ye shield bearers, put the Mexicans to flight with my courage, with my skill.
Notes.
The absence of a Gloss to this hymn adds to the difficulty of a translation. Otontecutli was the chief deity of the Otomis, and the chant appears to be one of their war songs in their conflict with the Azteca. The name is a compound of otomitl_, an Otomi, and _tecutli, ruler or lord. He is slightly referred to by Sahagun as "the first ruler to govern the ancestors of the Otomis." (Historia, Lib. X, cap. 29, sec. 5.)
XII. Ayopechtli icuic.
1. Cane cana ichan, ayopechcatl cozcapantica mixiuhtoc.
2. Cane cana ichan ayopechcatl cozcapantica mixiuhtoc, cane ichan chacayoticaya.
3. Xiualmeuayauia, xiua xiualmeuayaauiaya yancuipilla, xiualmeuaya.
4. Auiya xiualmeuaya, ueya, xiua, xiualmeuaya, cozcapilla xiualmeuaya.
Gloss.
1. Q.n., in oncan ichan ayopechtli oncan mixiuiqui tlacatilia in cuzcatl quetzalli.
2. Cane cana ichan, q.n., in oncan ichan ayopechcatl oncan quitlacatilia in cozcatl quetzalli oncan yoliua, tlacatiua.
3. Q.n., ximeua, ximeua, in tipiltzintli xiualmeua in quinotitlacat tipiltzintli.
4. Q.n., xiualmeua, xiualmeua, in tipiltzintli in ti cuzcatl, in ti quetzalli.
Hymn to Ayopechcatl.
1. Truly in whatever house there is a lying-in, Ayopechcatl takes charge of the child.
2. Truly in whatever house there is a lying-in, Ayopechcatl takes charge of the child, there where it is weeping in the house.
3. Come along and cry out, cry out, cry out, you new comer, come along and cry out.
4. Come along and cry out, cry out, cry out, you little jewel, cry out.
Notes.
The name of