The Tree of the South.—This, too, is thorny, but painted red, and the trunk is sprinkled with symbols recalling that of the “spoken word” which in the Codices is frequently seen issuing from the mouths of gods and men. It may symbolize smoke or fire, thus alluding to the fiery nature of the region to which the tree belongs. A cloud of darkness and a stream of blood wind around the stem. It is surmounted by the arara bird.
These four trees have parallels in Maya mythology, as, for example, on the altar-pieces of the cross from Palenque (Temple II) and elsewhere.
The gods governing the five regions of the universe are[31]:
- Centre—Xiuhtecutli.
- East—Mixcoatl and Tlaloc.
- North—Itztli and Xochipilli.
- West—Iztac Mixcoatl and Quetzalcoatl.
- South—Macuilxochitl and Xipe.
We find from an examination of the codices that the Mexicans believed that the “world” or universe was divided into:
- Tlalxicco, the centre or “navel” of the Earth.
- Tlapcopa, “the region of the Dawn” (the East).
- Uitznauac, “Place of Thorns” (the South).
- Ciuatlampa, “Region of Women” (the West).
- Mictlampa, “Place of the Dead” (the North).
These several regions demand a brief description.
Tlalxicco was the dark interior of the earth, which was supposed to be inhabited by an animal-headed god or demon, resembling a badger, to whom no name has as yet been applied, but who seems to possess affinities with sorcery and the darker arts. A good representation of him is to be found on sheet 9 of Codex Vaticanus B.
Tlapcopa, the East, or “Region of the Dawn,” was regarded [[60]]as a region of prosperity, fertility, and abundant food-supplies. It was the house of the Sun, the region where sacrificed warriors dwelt in bliss, and will be further described when we come to deal with the subject of “heaven and hell.”
