[CAMPBELL] THE ANCIENT LITERATURE OF AMERICA 61 



Nezahual-coyotl, who became king of Acolhuucaii in Mexico in 1431 

 and who crowned the first Montezuma, was a poet and a Cassandra-like 

 prophet of evil. At the dedication of a temple in 1467 he sang sorrowfully : 

 " When will the temple be destroyed that we consecrate to-day ? 



Who will be present at its downfall ? 



Shall it be my children or my grandchildren ? 



Then the country will decay and princes come to an end. 



The maguey will be cut before it attains its full growth ; 



Trees will cast their prenaature fruits, and the ground will become barren. 



From early years men and women will give themselves up to vice and sensuality ; 



They will take pleasure in plundering one another." 



In another similar poem we find him saying : 



" Listen to what Nezahual-coyotl says concerning the evils yet to afflict his kingdom. 

 O King Yoyontzin, when thou shalt have quitted this life for another. 

 The time will come when thy vassals shall be conquered and wretched. 

 Then, indeed, the power will cease to be in thy hands; for ic will be in those of God. 

 Then thy children and thy grandchildren will experience a thousand calamities, 



and weeping will think of thee : 

 For they shall be orphans and shall serve strangers in their own land. 

 Thus empires come to an end ; for power here below lasts but a little while. 

 All we possess in this life is only lent to us, and we must give it up at the moment 



least expected. 

 Thus so many others have relinquished before us. 

 O Nezualcoyotzin, thou shalt no longer see 

 Zihuapantzin, Acoluahuacatzin and QuauJitzontezoma, 

 From whom thou wcrt at one time inseparable." 



Yoyontzin and Nezual-coyotzin are other names of Nezahual-coyotl 

 who throughout the piece apostrophizes himself. The prophetic antici- 

 pation of the advent of the Spaniards was common to all the kingdoms 

 of Mexico and Central America. 



The most ancient poetical compositions of the wild Indian are his 

 religious songs, which are often full of archaic words unintelligible some- 

 times even to the priest or medicine man. They are painfully monotonous, 

 but not half as much so as the Old Grimes of University students, A 

 Cherokee charm for a bear, in hunting, is : 



" He ! hayuya haniwa. hayuya haniwa, hayuya haniwa, hayuya haniwa. 

 In rabbit place you were born — Yoho ! 

 In mulberry place you were born — Yoho ! 

 In Uyaj'e you were born — Yoho ! 

 In the great swamp you were born — Yoho ! 



And now surely we and the good black things, the best of all, shall see each 

 other." 



The Navajo corn dance is accompanied with the chant : 

 " From below my com comes ; 

 I walk with you. 

 From al>ove, young water ; 



I walk with you. 

 From above, vegetation ; 



I walk with you. 

 From below the earth corn pollen comes ; 

 I walk with you." 



It is the divinity or corn-giver with whom the dancer walks. 



