Mr, Ranking on the Ruins of Palenque^ 15l 



Cabrera, (p. 54.)- represents the expulsion of the Chiehemacas 

 from Amaquemacan, which is the city of Palenque, and not in tho 

 north of Mexico, or in Asia, as others have described. Ths 

 seven trees represent the seven tribes*. The large tree is cieba, 

 or wild cotton, with a snake twisted round it, which shows Votan 

 to be a Hivite and the principal posterity of Cadmus. Votan 

 had brought the first settlers, seven families, from Hispaniolia. 

 Having visited Tripoli, he was surprised on his return to find that 

 seven more tribes had arrived and blended themselves with thq 

 others who were of the same origin : and that they were named 

 Nahuatlacas or Tzequiles, the latter being the name by which the 

 Mexicans are known by the natives of Chiapa. (p. 95t.) 



Remark. — This medal is, without any doubt, of Calmuc ori- 

 gin. The destroying beast is exactly the same that appears in the 

 representation of the idols of Sungore, or Zungore, Calmucs* 

 In that of lamandaga, this beast is running, with a condemned 

 Calmuc upon^his back. In another, of Erlik Han +, he is tramp- 

 ling upon a wretched criminal. lamandaga § is a destroyer, and 

 is enveloped by a monstrous serpent, many yards long, the 

 skin and claws of a tiger and other beasts, an elephanf s head, 

 and human limbs ; he is crowned with skulls, and holds in one 

 of his left hands, for he has six arms, and has upon his hea(j[ 

 likewise, a sceptre with a skull upon it, adorned with flowers, 

 and a profusion of jewels, and a snake twisted about it ||. (Dr. 

 Cabrera says, that Captain del Rio discovered in the Temple 

 at Palenque, a figure of Isis, with a cap similar to that of 

 Osiris, holding with both hands a twisted stick, adorned with 

 flowers, having at one end a human head. — Page 44.) Erlil; 

 Han is sovereign of the infernal regions ; he has the human 

 body, with a hideous face, and bulls' horns, and there are three 

 divinities above him, to represent the sun, moon, and stars, 



* If the conjecture of Dr. Cabrera, that the trees relate to the seven tribes, bo 

 allowed, this medal is of the twelfth century. But it does not appear to the 

 writer that the trees have any reference to the seven tribes. Medals were a part of 

 the dress of a Tartar general. — Conquest by Mongols, p. 216. 



t See Baron Humboldt's remarks on Votan, Wodan, Odin, of the Goths and Celts. 

 ^Researches, Vol. i. 173, 319. 



+ See the plate, B. § See the plate, A. 



11 This is, in many respects, similar to the Mexican God of Terror, Tetzauhteotl, 

 whose " body was girt with a large golden snake, and adorned with various lesser 

 figures of animals, made of gold and precious stones. They never made war without 

 Trnploring the protection of this god with prayers, and oflercd up to him a greater 

 ftmnber of human victims than to any other of the gods."--Clavigero, i. 256. 



