26 ANTIQUITIES IN TENNESSEE- 



to pass without hurt through the sharp wind; for they pretended that it was neces- 

 sary to pass a place called Itzehecajan, where a wuid blew so violently as to tear 

 up rocks, and so sharply that it cut like a knife; on which account they burned all 

 the clothing which the deceased had worn during life, his arms and some household 

 goods, in order that the heat of this fire might defend him from the cold of that 

 terrible wind. 



One of the chief ceremonies at funerals was the killing a techichi, a domestic 

 quadruped resembling a dog, to accompany the deceased. They fixed a string 

 about its neck, believing that necessary to enable it to pass the deep river Chiiih- 

 nahuapan, or New Waters. They buried the fecJiichi or burned it along with the 

 body of its master, according to the kind of death which he died. While tlie 

 masters of the ceremonies were lighting up the fire in which the body was to be 

 burned, the other priests kept singing in a melancholy strain. After burning the 

 body, they gathered the ashes in an earthen vase, among which, according to the 

 circumstances of the deceased, they put a gem of more or less value, which they 

 said would serve him in place of a lieart in the other world. They buried this 

 earthen pot in a deep ditch, and fourscore days after, made oblations of bread and 

 wine over it. 



Such were the funeral rites of the common people; but at the death of kings, 

 or lords, or persons of high rank, some peculiar forms were observed that are 

 worthy to be mentioned. When the king fell sick, they put a mask on the idol 

 of Huitzilopochtli, and also one on the idol of Tezcatlipoca, which they never took 

 off until the king was either dead or recovered; but it is certain that the idol of 

 Huitzilopochtli had always two masks, not one. As soon as a king of Mexico had 

 expired, his death was published in great form, and all the lords who resided at 

 court, and also those who were but a little distance from it, were informed of the 

 event, in order that they might be present at the funeral. In the mean time they 

 laid the corpse upon elaborately wrought mats, which was attended and watched 

 by his domestics. Upon the fourth or fifth day after, when the lords had arrived, 

 bringing with them rich dresses, beautiful feathers, and slaves to add to the pomp 

 of the funeral, they clothed the corpse in fifteen or more very fine cotton garments 

 of various colors, ornamented with gold, silver, and gems ; they hung an emerald 

 upon the under lip, which was to serve in place of a heart, covered the face with 

 a mask, and over the panoply placed the ensigns of that god in whose temple 

 or area the ashes were to be buried. They cut off some of the hair, which they 

 preserved in a little box, together with some more which had been cut off in the 

 infancy of the king, in order to perpetuate, as they said, the memory of the de- 

 ceased. Upon the box they laid an image of the dead king, made of wood or of 

 stone. Then they killed the slave who had been his chaplain, and had taken care 

 of his oratory and all that belonged to the private worship of his gods, in order 

 that he might serve him in the same office in the other world. 



The funeral procession came next, attended by all the relatives of the deceased, 

 the members of the nobility, and the wives of the late king, who testified their 

 sorrow by tears and other demonstrations of grief The nobles carried a great 

 standard of paper, and the royal arms and ensigns. The priests continued singing. 



