538 MEDICINE-MEN OF THE APACHE. 



be found only iu myths. The Aztec devotee picked up a pinch of clay- 

 in the temple of Tezcatlipoca and ate it with the greatest reverenceT^ 



Sahagun is quoted by Squier 2 assaying that the Mexicans swore by 

 the sun and &quot;by our sovereign mother, the Earth,&quot; and ate a piece of 

 earth. 



Bnt the use of clay by the Mexicans was not merely a matter of cer 

 emony; clay seems to have been an edible in quite common use. 



Edibleearth was sold openly in the markets of Mexico; &quot; y ami tierra,&quot; 

 says (roinara in the list of foods given by him. 3 



The eating of clay was forbidden to Mexican women during preg- \ 

 nancy. 



Diego Duran describes the ceremonial eating of clay in the temples 

 of Mexico; &quot; Llego el dedo al suelo, y cogiendo tierra en el lo metio en 

 la boca; a la cual ceremonia llamaban coiner tierra santa.&quot; 4 And again 

 he says that in their sacrifices the Mexican nobles ate earth from the 

 _Jeet of the idols. &quot; Comian tierradela que estaba a los pies del Ydolo.&quot; 5 

 But the Mexicans did not limit themselves to a ceremonial clay-eating 

 alone. Thomas Gage relates th,t they ate a kind of earth, for at one 

 season in the yeer they had nets of niayle, with the which they raked up 

 a certaine dust that is bred upon the water of the Lake of Mexico, and 

 that is kneaded together like unto oas of the sea.&quot; 6 



Diego Duran 7 mentions the ceremonial clay-eating at the feast of 

 Tezcatlipoca agreeing with the note already taken from Kingsborongh. 



There is reference to clay-eating in one of the myths given in the 

 Popol-Vuh. The Quiche deities Hunahpu and Xbalanque, desiring to 

 overcome the god Cabrakan, fed him upon roasted birds, but they took 

 care to rub one of the birds with &quot; tizate&quot; and to put white powder 

 around it. The circle of white powder was, no doubt, a circle of hod- 

 dentin or something analogous thereto, intended to prevent any bale 

 ful influence being exercised by Cabrakan. &quot; Mais ils frotterent 1 un 

 des oiseaux avec du tizate et lui mirent de la poussiere blanche a 1 en- 

 tour.&quot; &quot; 



In a footnote the word &quot;tizate&quot; is explained to be a very friable 

 whitish earth, used in polishing metals, making cement, etc. : &quot; Terre 

 blauchatre fort friable, et dout ils se servent pour polir les metaux, 

 faire du ciment, etc.&quot; 



Cabeza de Vaca says that the Indians of Florida ate clay &quot;de la 

 terre.&quot; 9 He says also 10 that the natives offered him many mesquite 

 beans, which they ate mixed with earth &quot; mele avec de la terre.&quot; &quot; 



Kingsborough, vol. 5, p. 198. 

 2 Serpent Symbols, p. 55. 



3 Hist, de Mejieo p. 348. 



4 Lib. 2, cup. 47. ]&amp;gt;. 490. 

 6 Lib. 1, cap. 18, ]&amp;gt;. 208. 



6 New Survey of the West Indies, London, 1648, p. 51. 



7 Op. cit., vol. 3, cap. 4. 



spopol-Vuli (Brasseur de Bourbourg), ]&amp;gt;. 65. 



9 Ternaux-Compaus, Voy., vol. 7, p. 14 {. 



&quot;Ibid., p. 202. 



11 I urclias, vol. 4. lib. 8. cap. 1, p. 1519; also, Davis, Conquest of Xew Mexico, p. 84. 



