BOI-HKE.] TZOALLI. 523 



show that the bledos meant a definite kind of plant, although exactly 

 what this plant was they fail to inform us. It can not be intended for 

 the sunflower, which is mentioned distinctly by a number of writers as 

 an article of diet among the Indians of the Southwest. 1 



TZOALLI. 



An examination of the Spanish writers who most carefully transmit 

 ted their observations upon, the religious ceremonies of the Aztecs and 

 other nations in Mexico and South America brings out two most inter 

 esting features in this connection. The first is that there were 

 commemorative feasts of prehistoric foods, and the second that one or 

 more of these foods has played an important part in the religion of 

 tribes farther north. Tlie first of these foods is the &quot; tzoalli,&quot; which was 

 the same as &quot; bledos,&quot; which latter would seem beyond question to have 

 been hoddentin or yiauhtli. Brasseur de Bourbourg s definition sim 

 ply states that the tzoalli was a compound of leguminous grains pecul 

 iar to Mexico and eaten in different ways: &quot;Le Tzohualli etait un 

 compose de graines legumineuses particulieres an Mexique, qu on man- 

 geait de diverses manieres.&quot; 2 



In the month called Tepeilhuitl the Aztecs made snakes of twigs and 

 covered them with dough of bledos (a kind of grain or haj seed). 

 Upon these they placed figures, representing mountains, but shaped 

 like young children/ This month was the thirteenth on the Mexican 

 calendar, which began on our February 1. This would put it Octo 

 ber 1, or thereabout. 



Squier cites Torquemada s description of the sacrifices called Ecato- 

 tontin, otf ered to the mountains by the Mexicans. In these they made 

 figures of serpents and children and covered them with &quot; dough,&quot; 

 named by them tzoalli, composed of the seeds of bledos. 4 



A dramatic representation strongly resembling those described in 

 the two preceding paragraphs was noted among the Tusayan of Ari 

 zona by Mr. Taylor, a missionary, in 1881, and has been mentioned at 

 length in The Snake Dance of the Moquis. Clavigero relates that 

 the Mexican priests &quot; all eat a certain kind of gruel which they call 

 EtzaUi:^ 



Torquemada relates that the Mexicans once each year made an idol 

 or statue of Tluitzlipotchli of many grains and the seeds of bledos and 

 other vegetables which they kneaded with the blood of boys who were 

 sacrified for the purpose. &quot; Juutaban muchos granos y semilla de 



1 Among others consult Cronioa Serafica y Apostolira of Espinosa, Mexico, 1746, p. 419, speaking 

 of the Asinai of Texas in 1700: &quot; Siembran tumbicn cantidart &amp;lt;le Gyrasoles que se dan muy corpa- 

 lentos y la flor muy grande que en el centre tieneu l=i at-milla como de pifioues y de ella mixturada con 

 el mai/. h; en un l&amp;gt;ollo que es de mucho aabor y suslancia.&quot; 



r de Bourbourg, Hint. Nations Civilisees. quoted by Bancroft. Native Races, vol. 3, p. 421. 



a Brasse 

 3 Sabag 

 4 Squier 



i. in book 7. Kingsborough. p. 71. 



Serpent Symbol, p. 193, quoting Torquemada, lib. 7, cap. 8. 



r*|uier DBEpmi oymiKii. p. iy.i, quoiing Luiquenimiit, uu. i, uji, o. 



1 Histor of Mexico. Philadelphia, 1817, vol. 2, p. 79. See the additional note from Clavigero, which 

 would seem to show that this etzalli was related to the espadaua or rush. 



