LONDON:
PRINTED BY C. GREEN AND SON,
178, STRAND.

CONTENTS.

[Lecture I.]
INTRODUCTION.—CENTRAL AMERICA AND MEXICO.THEIR COMMON BASES OF CIVILIZATIONAND RELIGION.
PAGE
Importance of the history of Religion[1]
The religions of Mexico and Peru, and the special importanceof studying them[7]
Journey to another planet[8]
Parallelism of religious history in the New World and inthe Old[9]
Central America and Mexico, and the authorities as to theirhistory and religion[14]
Area and general character of this civilization[18]
The Mayas[20]
Toltecs, Chichimecs and Aztecs[24]
The Aztec empire[29]
Character of the religious conceptions common to CentralAmerica and Mexico[35]
The serpent-god and the American cross[38]
Estimate of the character and significance of the parallelismsobserved[39]
[Lecture II.]
THE DEITIES AND MYTHS OF MEXICO.
PAGE
The Sun and Moon[45]
The pyramidal Mexican temples[47]
The great temple of the city of Mexico[48]
The narrative of Bernal Diaz; and the two great Aztec deities,Uitzilopochtli and Tezcatlipoca[51]
Mythical significance of Uitzilopochtli[54]
Significance of Tezcatlipoca[60]
The serpent-god Quetzalcoatl, god of the east wind[62]
Netzalhuatcoyotl, the philosopher-king of Tezcuco[69]
Number of Mexican deities[70]
Tlaloc, god of rain[71]
Centeotl, goddess of maize[72]
Xiuhtecutli, god of fire[74]
The Mexican Venus[75]
Other deities[76]
The Tepitoton[77]
Mictlan, god of the dead[78]
Summary and reflections[79]
[Lecture III.]
THE SACRIFICES, SACERDOTAL AND MONASTICINSTITUTIONS, ESCHATOLOGY AND COSMOGONYOF MEXICO.
PAGE
Recapitulation[85]
Original meaning of sacrifice[86]
Human sacrifices and cannibalism[87]
Importance attached to the suffering of the victims[90]
Tragic and cruel character of the Mexican sacrifices[91]
The victims of Tezcatlipoca and Centeotl[93]
The children of Tlaloc[96]
The roasted victims of the god of fire[97]
Mexican asceticism[99]
Mexican "communion"[101]
Religious ethics[102]
The priesthood[106]
Convents, monks and nuns of ancient Mexico[109]
Mexican cosmogonies[112]
The great jubilee[116]
The future life[118]
Conversion of the Mexicans[121]
The Inquisition[122]
Conclusion[123]
[Lecture IV.]
PERU.—ITS CIVILIZATION AND CONSTITUTION.—THELEGEND OF THE INCAS: THEIR POLICYAND HISTORY
PAGE
The Peru of the Incas[127]
Cortes and Pizarro[131]
The Inca hierocracy[132]
The Quipos[134]
Authorities for the history and religion of Peru[136]
Garcilasso el Inca de la Vega[137]
Peruvian civilization[139]
Huayna Capac's taxation[142]
Social, political and military organization of Peru[143]
Education[152]
Material well-being[153]
The legend of the Incas: Manco Capac and Mama Ogllo[156]
Were the Incas really the sole civilizers of Peru?[159]
Succession of the Incas and character of their rule[160]
Free-thinking Incas[161]
Huayna Capac's departure from traditional maxims[166]
[Lecture V.]
THE FALL OF THE INCAS.—PERUVIAN MYTHOLOGYPRIESTHOOD.
PAGE
Recapitulation[171]
Atahualpa and Pizarro[172]
Father Valverde's discourse[174]
Atahualpa's imprisonment and death[176]
Inca pretenders[179]
Worship of the Sun and Moon[182]
Viracocha, god of fertilizing showers[184]
His consort, Mama Cocha[186]
Old Peruvian hymn[187]
Pachacamac, god of internal fire[188]
The myth of Pacari Tambo[191]
Cuycha, the rainbow[194]
Chasca, the planet Venus[194]
Worship of fire[195]
Worship of the thunder[196]
Worship of esculent plants[197]
Worship of animals[198]
The Huacas[199]
Peruvian priesthood[202]
The Virgins of the Sun[204]
Punishment of faithless nuns[206]
Independent parallelisms, illustrated by the "couvade"[208]
[Lecture VI.]
PERUVIAN CULTUS AND FESTIVALS.—MORALSAND THE FUTURE LIFE.—CONCLUSIONS.
PAGE
Peruvian temples[215]
Sacrifices[218]
Columns of the Sun[222]
Hymns[223]
Religious dances[224]
The four great festivals[225]
Chasing the evil spirit[227]
Occasional and minor festivals[229]
Eclipses[230]
Sorcerers and priests[230]
Moral significance of the Peruvian religion[232]
Communion, baptism and sacerdotal confession[233]
Various ideas as to the future life[235]
Supay, the god of the departed[237]
Conversion of the Peruvians[239]
Are the origins of the American civilizations to be sought inthe Old World?[241]
Real significance and importance of analogies observed[243]
Sacrifice[245]
Three stages of religious faith: animistic nature-worship,anthropomorphic polytheism and spiritual monotheism[246]
The genesis of the temple[249]
Primitive independence and subsequent mutual interpenetrationof religion and morals[250]
Human nature invincibly religious[252]
The guiding principle[254]
Farewell[255]

ADDENDA ET CORRIGENDA.

P. 16, note, under Acosta, add, "E[dward] G[rimstone]'s translation was edited, with notes, for the Hakluyt Society, by Clements R. Markham, in 1880."

P. 17, [note], lines 4 and 5, to "English translation" add "in epitome."