THoMAsi FESTIVALS HELD IN THE DIFFEllENT MONTHS. 'J'lC) 



On another day, which came on the seventh Ahan, they celebrated a 

 very grand festival, which continued for three days, with incense-burning-, 

 offerings, and a very respectable orgy; but as it was a movable feast the 

 priest took care to publish it in advance, in order that each one might keep 

 a fast according to his duty. 



M. — The month 3fac. On another day in the month of 3£ac, the old 

 people, and especially the old men, celebrated a feast in honor of the Chacs, 

 the gods of abundance, and also to Yzamna. Some days before, they per- 

 formed the following ceremony, called in their language Tupphak. Having 

 gathered together all the animals, such as I'eptiles and beasts of the fields 

 which they could find in the country, they assembled in the court of the tem- 

 ple, the Chacs, and the priests placing themselves in the corners in order to 

 expel the evil spirit, according to the custom, each of them having beside him 

 a pitcher filled with water, which was brought to him. Standing upright, in 

 the center, was an enormous bundle of small dry wood, with which they 

 kindled a fire after having thrown the incense into the brazier;- while the 

 wood was burning, they tore out, with emulation, the hearts of the animals 

 and birds and cast them into the fire. If it had been impossible to obtain 

 large animals, such as tigers, lions, and alligators, they represented the 

 hearts of these by incense; but if they had them, they tore out their hearts 

 also and put them in the fire. As soon as all the hearts were consumed, 

 the Chacs extinguished the fire with the water in the pitcher. 



The object of this sacrifice and of the feast following was, also, to 

 obtain an abundance of water for their crops during the year. .They cele- 

 brated this feast, however, in a different manner from the others; for in 

 this they did not fast, with the exception of the beadle of the confraternity, 

 who performed penance. On the day fixed upon for the celebration, all 

 the people assembled with the priest and the officers in the court of the 

 temple, where they had erected a stone platform, with steps for mounting, 

 suitably ornamented with leaves. The priest gave the incense, previously 

 prepared, to the beadle who burned in the brazier enough of it to dispel 

 the evil spirit. This done, with the accustomed devotion, they smeared the 

 first step of the ])latform with mire from a well or cistern, and the others 



15 M T 



