224 A STUDY OF THE MANUSCRIPT TROANO. 



for this purpose in the court, where the priest consecrated them with much 

 solemnity and fervent prayers, the artists having previously washed theni- 

 selves from the soot with which they were covered as a sign of fasting, they 

 said, for all the time that they were at work. Having accordingly driven 

 away the evil spirit and burnt the consecrated incense, they placed the new 

 images in a flat basket, wrapped in linen, and carried them back to tlieir 

 owner, who received them with much devotion. 



The priest then addressed the artists for some time on the excellence of 

 their profession, that of making the now gods, and on the danger they in- 

 curred by working without regarding the rules of abstinence and fasting. 

 After this, they partook together of an abundant repast and drank more 

 freely than usual. 



K. — The month Tax. In one of the two months Chen and Tax, which- 

 ever was selected by the ^^riest, they celebrated a feast called Ocna, which 

 means the renovation of the temple in honor of the Chacs, whom they 

 regarded as the gods of the fields. In this feast they consulted the prog- 

 nostics of the Bacabs, which is spoken of more at length in chajDters CXIII, 

 CXIV, CXV, and CXVI, and after the manner already mentioned. This 

 feast was celebrated every year. Besides, they renovated the idols of baked 

 earth and their braziers; for it was the custom that each idol should have its 

 little brazier, in which was burned their incense, and, if it was found neces- 

 sary, the}^ built a new house or repaired the old one, taking care to place on 

 the wall an inscription commemorating these things, written in their char- 

 acters. 



L. — The month Zac. On one of the days of the month Zac, designated 

 by the priest, the hunters celebrated another feast similar to that which they 

 had celebrated in the month Zip. This took place at this time for the pur- 

 pose of appeasing the anger of the gods against themselves and their de- 

 scendants, on account of the blood they had shed during the chase; for 

 they regarded as abominable all shedding of blood except in their sacri- 

 fices; also they never went to hunt without first invoking their idols and 

 burning incense before them; and if they afterwards succeeded, they 

 smeared their faces with the blood of their srame. 



