T.IOMAB] FESTIVALS HELD IN THE DIFFERENT MONTHS. 223 



One of the things that these wretched people regarded as the most 

 difficult and arduous was the fabrication of their idols of wood, which they 

 called making the gods. They had for this a particular time, which was this 

 month of Mol, or any other if the pi-iest judged it proper to change it. 



Those who wished to have it done consulted first the priest, and after 

 his advice went to seek the artists who occupied themselves with this pro- 

 fession; but, to whatever they said, these artists always excused themselves, 

 because they were persuaded that one or another of their house might die, 

 or that it would suddenly bring upon them some disease of the heart. When 

 they had accepted, the Chacs whom they chose for this purpose, also the 

 priest and the artist, commenced to fast. In the mean time those who had 

 ordered the idols went in person or sent a trusty person into the wood to 

 cut down the tree of which they must be sculptured, and which was always 

 cedar. When the wood was obtained they built a cabin of stubble well 

 closed, where they put the wood, with a large urn for inclosing the idols 

 during the time that they worked on them. They offered incense to four 

 gods, called Acantun, the images of which they placed at the four cardinal 

 points; they took also that which they used for scarifying their ears and 

 drawing blood from them, and also the instruments which they needed for 

 sculpturing their black divinities. Prepared in this manner, the priest, the 

 Chacs, and the artist shut themselves up in the hut and commenced the 

 sacred work, frequently cutting themselves, and smearing the idols with 

 their blood, and burning incense before them. They continued thus until 

 the work was finished, the members of their families carrying food to them 

 with whetever was necessary to them; but they could not during this time 

 approach their wives, and no one was admitted into the place where they 

 were incarcerated. 



I. — Month Chen. According to what they said, they worked in great 

 fear while sculpturing the gods. As soon as the idols were completed and 

 perfected, those who owned them gave to those who had made them the 

 most valuable presents possible, of birds, of venison, and of money, in order 

 to pay them for their work. They took the idols from the cabin where they 

 had been made and carried them into another cabin made of leaves, erected 



