[288] 'La cual decian que habia venido con el ídolo pequeño, de un pueblo que se dice Tollan, y de otro que se dice Poyauhtlan, de donde se afirma que fué natural el mismo ídolo.' Motolinia, Hist. Indios, in Icazbalceta, Col. de Doc., tom. i., pp. 58-9.
[289] See also Torquemada, Monarq. Ind., tom. ii., pp. 288-90, 252-3, 296.
[290] 'Echaban por el pueblo cierto pecho ó derrama recogiendo tanto haber que pudiesen comprar cuatro niños esclavos de cinco á seis años. Estos comprados ponianlos en una cueva y cerrabanla hasta otro año que hacian otro tanto.' Las Casas, Hist. Apologética, MS., cap. clxx.
[291] Duran adds that all male children under twelve years of age were punctured in the ears, tongue, and leg, and kept on short allowance on the day of festival, but this is not very probable, for other authors name the fifth month for the scarification of infants. Hist. Indias, MS., tom. iii., appendix, cap. iii. For particulars of the feast see Sahagun, Hist. Gen., tom. i., lib. ii., pp. 52-4, 95-7; Torquemada, Monarq. Ind., tom. ii., pp. 253-5, 296; Boturini, Idea, pp. 51-2.
[292] Boturini, Idea, p. 52, translates this name as 'the great bleeding,' referring to the scarifications in expiation of sins.
[293] Torquemada, Monarq. Ind., tom. ii., pp. 255-6; Sahagun, Hist. Gen., tom. i., lib. ii., pp. 97-100. According to Duran, Hist. Indias, MS., tom. iii., appendix, cap. iii., the Tlalocs were worshiped this month also, and this involved bloody rites. Kingsborough's Mex. Antiq., vol. vii., pp. 43-4. Motolinia states that food was offered to the stalks: 'delante de aquellas cañas ofrecian comida y atolli.' Hist. Indios, in Icazbalceta, Col. de Doc., tom. i., p. 46. For a more detailed description of this feast see Vol. III. of this work, pp. 360-2.
[294] 'Le Tlacochcalco, ou maison d'armes, était un arsenal, consacré à Huitzilopochtli, dans l'enceinte du grand temple. Il se trouvait à côté un teocalli où l'on offrait des sacrifices spéciaux à ce dieu et à Tetzcatlipoca.' Brasseur de Bourbourg, Hist. Nat. Civ., tom. iii., p. 510. This sanctuary outside the town was also dependent on the great temple, and, as the fate of the youth was to illustrate the miserable end to which riches and pleasures may come, it is, perhaps, more likely that this poor and lonely edifice was the place of sacrifice. Clavigero, Storia Ant. del Messico, tom. ii., p. 70, says 'conducevanlo ... al tempio di Tezcatlipoca.'
[295] Brasseur de Bourbourg indicates that the race in the temple, and the liberation of the marriageable took place in leap-years only, but he evidently misunderstands his authority. Prescott, Mex., vol. i., pp. 75-7, gives an account of this festival.
[296] Contrary to the statement of others, Brasseur de Bourbourg says that the stage was borne by temple officers; surely, warriors were the fit persons to attend the god of war.
[297] 'Llevábanle entablado con unas saetas que ellos llamaban teumitl, las cuales tenían plumas en tres partes junto el casquillo, y en el medio, y el cabo, iban estas saetas una debajo, y otra encima del papel; tomábanlas dos, uno de una parte, y otro de otra, llevándolas asidas ambas juntas con las manos, y con ellas apretaban el papelon una por encima, y otra por debajo.' Sahagun, Hist. Gen., tom. i., lib. ii., pp. 105-6.