556 SCULPTURES OF SANTA LUCIA COZUMAHUALPA. 



the sign of discourse, though not curved, but of ti broken form. It 

 very likelj'^ merely expresses the close connection of the symbolic 

 fiouT-c with the priest. Whether the furrowed, pointed, elongated 

 form which, starting from the priest's nose, arches backward, is 

 equivalent to the flame-like shape which in other compositions shoots 

 out fi'om the girdle, must remain an open question. Over the head of 

 the priest are two disks with raised rims, upon each of which is tigured 

 the head of a dog or some beast. According to the Mexican emblems, 

 this would read ""tw^o dogs," which is a date, but may also be a name. 

 Near these disks and over the skeleton we see a stand on which is 

 placed the cut-ott' head of a victim, the type of which, except for a 

 ditl'erent earring, agrees exactly with that of the victim carried by the 

 lower left-hand assistant in No. 1. 



No. 3. This ))linth is provided with a border. The di\inity wears 

 the hail" bound up with snakes whose ends writh(> upward. The 

 necklace, too, is wound round with a snake. The l)()W('d arms are 

 surrounded with flames and the hands hold a peculiar o])ject which 

 V)ears a disk, from which something like feathers stick up, and from 

 which hangs a thre(^-cornered thing with a cross cut in it and with an 

 excision at the end shaped like a stile ))etween two flelds. This hanging 

 ol)ject is very nuuh like certain feet of vessels which are frequently 

 found upon the high plateau of Mexico; l)ut this throws no light u{)on 

 the object now considered. From the head of the divinity spring 

 three boughs with leaves, flowers, and fruit, as well as other uninter- 

 pretable pendants, and two similar boughs proceed downward from 

 the arms. We have here evidently an earth divinity, and, according 

 to S(der. an early conception of such a divinity as causing drought, 

 hunger, and earth([uakes. The flames which sui'round the upper 

 objects involve a rcfi'rence to flres or to the sun, and justify Seler's 

 view. In regard to the priest, it is to be noticed that the left hand is 

 covered with a human mask. In what seems to be a mantle falling 

 over the back, a death's head is introduced, precisely' like that upon 

 the tire l)asin that we shall notice })elow. The wooden girdle is also 

 adorned with a death's head. The crooked incisions which we noticed 

 on the left knee of No. '2 are here seen on both. 



No. 4. The plinth has a smooth border. The divinity exceptionally 

 weai-s a nose ornament in the shape of a clasp with enlarged ends. 

 The hair appears to be intertwined with snakes, and from the orna- 

 ments of the head and neck proceed, above and below, branching 

 boughs, exacth' as in No. 8, except that here the upper part forms 

 three teeth or rays, which lead Seler to suspect that this divinity is 

 the goddess of night. Since other characteristics are wanting to that 

 interpretation, such as are used in picture writings to signify the 

 heavens of night, I can not entireh' assent to it, and opine that there 

 is onlv a reference to fruitfulness, and this time without the addition 



