Rig Veda Americanus | Page 7

spreading from the head of the statue of the god representing flames (Sahagun).
The reference in v. 6 seems to be to one of the women who were sacrificed at the festival, as related by Sahagun (Lib. II., App.).
VII. Mimixcoa icuic.
1. Chicomoztoc quinexaqui, ?ani aueponi, ?ani, ?ani, teyomi.
2. Tziuactitlan quinexaqui, ?ani a aueponi, ?ani, ?ani, teyomi.
3. Oya nitemoc, oya nitemoc, aya ica nitemoc notziuaquimiuh, aya ica nitemoc notziuaquimiuh.
4. Oya nitemoc, oya nitemoc, ayayca nitemoc nomatlauacal.
5. Ni quimacui, ni quimacui, yuaya niquimacui, niquimacui, yuanya ayo macuiui.
6. Tlachtli icpacaya, uel incuicaya, quetzalcuxcuxaya, quinanquilia ?inteutla, aay.
Var. 1. Quinehoaqui. 2. Quineuaqui. 6. Ipac.
Gloss.
1. Q.n., chicomoztoc oniualleuac ?ani aueponi, ichichimecatlatol, ?ani aueponi, ?ani, ?ani teyomi.
2. Q.n., tziuactli in itlan oniualleuac ?ani aueponi, ?ani, ?ani teyomi.
3. Oya nitemoc, q.n., onitemoc onitlacatl ipan ynotziuacmiuh; onitemoc ipan ynotziuacmiuh ?a niman ipan nitlacat ynotlauitol ynomiuh.
4. Q.n., onitemoc onitlacat inipan nomatlauacal ?a niman ipan nitlacat.
5. Y yacatlatol. Yc a a inya in chichimeca in chichimecatlatol.
6. Q.n., yn tlata?ica tictecazque totlach uncan ticuicazque noyehuatl in quetzalcocox.
Hymn of Mixcoatl.
1. I come forth from Chicomoztoc, only to you, my friends, to you, honored ones.
2. I come forth from Tziuactitlan, only to you my friends, only to you honored ones.
3. I sought, I sought, in all directions I sought with my pack; in all directions I sought with my pack.
4. I sought, I sought, in all directions I sought with my traveling net.
5. I took them in hand, I took them in hand; yes, I took them in hand; yes, I took them in hand.
6. In the ball ground I sang well and strong, like to the quetzal bird; I answered back to the god.
Notes.
"The Chichimecs," says Sahagun (Hist., Lib. VI., cap. 7), "worshipped only one god, called Mixcoatl_." The _Anales de Cuauhtitlan speaks of Mixcoatl as one of the leaders of the ancient Nahuas from their primitive home Chicomoztoc, the land of the Seven Caves. This is what is referred to in the above hymn. In later times Mixcoatl became god of hunting and of the tornado, and his worship extended to the Otomis.
Tzihuactitlan, "the land of the tzihuac bushes," I have not found mentioned by any of the Spanish authorities, but it is named in connection with Chicomoztoc in an ancient war-song given in my _Ancient Nahuatl Poetry_, pp. 88 and 140.
The hymn appears to be in memory of the leadership of Mixcoatl in conducting the ancestors of the Nahua on their long wanderings after leaving their pristine seats. It should be read in connection with the earlier pages of the Annals of Cuauhtitlan.
The reduplicated form of the name, Mimixcoatl, is not found elsewhere, and appears to be a poetic license.
VIII. Xochipilli icuic.
1. Ye cuicaya tocniuaya ouaya yeo, ye cuicaya ye quetzalcoxcuxa yoaltica tlao ?inteutla, oay.
2. ?an quicaquiz nocuic ocoyoalle teumechaue, oquicaquiz nocuica in cipactonalla atilili, ouayya.
3. Ayao, ayao, ayao, ayao, nitlanauati ay tlalocan tlamacazque, ayao, ayao, ayao.
4. Ayao, ayao, ayao, tlalocan tlamacazque nitlanauati, aya, ayao, ayyao.
5. Ao ?ani ualla?ic, otli nepaniuia, cani ?inteutla campa ye noyaz, campa otli nicyatoca ?a oay.
6. Ayao, aya, ayao, tlalocan tlamacazque, quiauiteteu, ayyao, aya, ayao.
Gloss.
1. Q.n., ca otonac, ca otlatuic ca ye cuico ca ye cuica centeotl in quetzalcocox.
2. Q.n., macaco in tocuic ynican maquicaquican yn nican tlaca.
3. Q.n., in tlaloque tlamacazque niquinnauatia ye niauh in nochan.
4. Q.n., yn tlaloque tlamacazque niquinnauatia ye niauh in nochan.
5. Q.n., ca onitlanauati ni tlaloca catli ye nictocaz utli.
6. Q.n., yn antlaloque yn antlamacazque catli nictocaz yn anteteuh.
Hymn to Xochipilli.
1. O friends, the quetzal bird sings, it sings its song at midnight to Cinteotl.
2. The god will surely hear my song by night, he will hear my song as the day begins to break.
3. I send forth the priests to the house of Tlaloc.
4. The priests to the house of Tlaloc do I send forth.
5. I shall go forth, I shall join myself unto them, I shall go where is Cinteotl, I shall follow the path to him.
6. The priests go forth to the house of Tlaloc, to the home of the gods of the plain.
Notes.
Xochipilli_, "lord of flowers," otherwise named _Macuilxochitl, "five flowers" (the name of a small odorous plant), was the deity who gave and protected all flowering plants. As one of the gods of fertility and production, he was associated with Tlaloc, god of rains, and Cinteotl, god of maize. His festival is described in Sahagun (Historia, Lib. I., cap. 14).
2. Cipactonalla_, from _cipactli_, and _tonalli, may refer to Cipactonal, the reputed discoverer of the Aztec calendar. See Sahagun_, _Historia, Lib. IV., cap. I.
IX. Xochiquetzal icuic.
1. Atlayauican ni xochiquetzalli tlacya niuitza ya motencaliuan tamoanchan oay.
2. Ye quitichocaya tlamacazecatla piltzintecutlo quiyatemoaya ye xochinquetzalla xoyauia ay topa niaz, oay.
Var. 2. Icotochiquetzalla.
Gloss.
1. Q.n., ompa niuitz ynixochiquetzal tamoanchan.
2. Q.n., choca piltzintecutli quitemoa in xochiquetzal xoyauia no umpa niaz.
Hymn to Xochiquetzal.
1. I, Xochiquetzal, go forth willingly to the dancing place by the water, going forth to the houses in Tamoanchan.
2. Ye noble youths, ye priests who wept, seeking Xochiquetzal, go forth there where I am going.
Notes.
Xochiquetzal, "plumage of flowers," was the deity of the artists, the painters, weavers, engravers on metal, silver and goldsmiths, and