BOURKE.] CEKEMONIAL CORDS. 559 



Padre Sahagun speaks of the Aztec priests who cast lots with little 

 cords knotted together: &quot;Quo hechan suertes con nnas cordezuelas quo 

 atan nnas con otros que Hainan Mecatlapouhque.&quot; Some such method 

 of divining l&amp;gt;y casting cords must have existed among the Lettons, as 

 we are informed l&amp;gt;y Grimm. 2 Among the Lettons, the bride on her 

 way to church, must throw a bunch of colored threads and a coin into 

 every ditch and pond she sees.&quot; 3 



In the religious ceremonies of the Peruvians vajjue mention is made of 

 &quot;a very long cable,&quot; -woven in four colours, black, white, red, and yel 

 low.&quot; 4 The Inca wore a &quot; llautu.&quot; &quot; This was a red fringe in the fashion 

 of a border, which he wore across his forehead from one temple to the 

 other. The prince, who was heir apparent, wore a yellow fringe, which 

 was smaller than that of his father.&quot; 5 In another place, Garcilaso says: 

 &quot;It was of many colours, about a finger in width and a little less iu 

 thickness. They twisted this fringe three or four times around the 

 head and let it hang after the manner of agarland.&quot; 6 &quot; The Ynca made 

 them believe that they were granted by order of the Sun, according to the 

 merits of each tribe, and for this reason they valued them exceedingly.&quot; 7 

 The investiture was attended with imposing ceremonies. &quot;When the 

 Grounds of the Sun were to be tilled [by the Peruvians], the principal 

 men went about the task wearing white cords stretched across the 

 shoulders after the manner of ministers of the altar &quot; 8 is the vague 

 description to be gathered from Herrera. 



Knotted cords were in use among the Oarib; &quot;ce qtii revient aux 

 Quippos des Peruviens. &quot; 3 The accompanying citation from Mon tfaucon 

 would seem to show that among the Romans were to be found sacred 

 baldrics in use by the war priests; such baldrics are to be seen also 

 among the American aborigines, and correspond very closely to the 

 medicine cords. Montfaucoii describes the Saliens, who among the 

 Romans were the priests of Mars, the god of war; these priests in 

 the mouth of March had a festival which was probably nothing but a 

 war dance, as that mouth would be most favorable in that climate for 

 getting ready to attack their neighbors and enemies. lie says that these 

 Saliens &quot;sont vetus de robes de diverses couleurs, ceints de baudriers 

 d airaiu.&quot; These would seem to have been a sort of medicine cord with 

 plates of brass affixed which would rattle when shaken by the dancer. 10 



1 Kingsborough, vol. 7, chap. 4. 



* Teutonic Mythology, vol. 3, p. 1233. 

 3 Ibid. 



1 Fables and Rites of the Inoas, Padre (JhrisUival de Molina (Cuzco, 1570-1584), transl. by Clements 

 E. Markham, Hakluyt Society trans., vol. 48, London, 1873, p. 48. 



s The common people wore a black &quot;llautu.&quot; See Garcilaso, Oomentarios, Markhain s transl., Hak. 

 Soc., vol. 41, pp. 88, 89. 



&quot;Ibid., p. 85. 



Ibid., p. 89. 



&quot; Quando van a sembrar las Tierras del Sol, van solos los Principals a trabajar. i van con innignuu 

 blancas. i en las espaldas nnos Cordouoa tendidos blanfos. a modo de Ministros del Altar.&quot; Herrera, 

 dec. 5, lib. 4. cap. 6, pp. 94-95. 



9 Picart, Ceremonies et Coutumes, etc., Amsterdam, 1735, vol. 6, p. 92. 

 &quot;Moutfaucon, I/ antiquite expliquee, tome 2, pt. 1, p. 33. 



