sy 
74 
BOURKE. ] CEREMONIAL CORDS. HDI 
Padre Sahagun speaks of the Aztec priests who cast lots with little 
cords knotted together: “Que hechan suertes con unas cordezuelas que 
atan unas con otros que llaman Mecatlapouhque.”'! Some such method 
of divining by casting cords must have existed among the Lettons, as 
we are informed by Grimm.? ‘* 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.” * 
In the religious ceremonies of the Peruvians vague mention is made of 
‘a very long eable,” woven in four colours, black, white, red, and yel- 
low.”* The Inca wore a ‘“Mautu.” “This was ared 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.”° In another place, Garcilaso says: 
“Tt was of many colours, about a finger in width and a little less in 
thickness. They twisted this fringe three or four times around the 
head and let it hang after the manner of agarland.”® ‘*The Ynea 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.”? 
The investiture was attended with imposing ceremonies. ‘* 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” is the vague 
description to be gathered from Herrera. 
Knotted cords were in use among the Carib; ‘ce qui revient aux 
Quippos des Péruviens.”? The accompanying citation from Montfaucon 
would seem to show that among the Romans were to be found sacred 
baldries in use by the war priests; such baldries are to be seen also 
among the American aborigines, and correspond very closely to the 
medicine cords. Montfaucon describes the Saliens, who among the 
Romans were the priests of Mars, the god of war; these priests in 
the month of March had a festival which was probably nothing but a 
war dance, as that month would be most favorable in that climate for 
getting ready to attack their neighbors and enemies. He says that these 
Saliens ‘‘sont vétus de robes de diverses couleurs, ceints de baudriers 
W@airain.” These would seem to have been a sort of medicine cord with 
plates of brass affixed which would rattle when shaken by the dancer.’ 
' Kingsborough, vol. 7, chap. 4. 
2 Tentonic Mythology, vol. 3, p. 1283. 
*Thid. 
4 Fables and Rites of the Incas, Padre Christoval de Molina (Cuzco, 1570-1584), transl. by Clements 
R. Markham, Hakluyt Society trans., vol. 48, London, 1873, p. 48. 
5 The common people wore a black ‘‘llanutu.’ See Gareilaso, Comentarios, Markham’s transl., Hak. 
Soc., vol. 41, pp. 88, 89. 
§Ibid., p. 85. 
7Tbid., p. 89. 
8“ Quando van & sembrar las Tierras del Sol, van solos los Principales a trabajar, i van con insignias 
blaneas, i en las espaldas unos Cordones tendidos blancos, 4 modo de Ministros del Altar.’’—Herrera, 
dec. 5, lib. 4, cap. 6, pp. 94-95. 
* Picart, Cerémonies et Cohtumes, etc., Amsterdam, 1735, vol. 6, p. 92. 
10 Montfaucon, L’antiquité expliquée, tome 2, pt. 1, p. 33. 
