1S94.] OJ [Brinton. 



la Vega, and I can add an interesting example of it which has 

 not heretofore been published. I take it from the MSS. of 

 Father Vicente Hernandez Spina, cura of Ixtlavacan, in Guate- 

 mala, a remote village of the Quiches. He wrote it down in the 

 native tongue about forty years ago, as recited by an ahkih, 

 " reader of days," a native master of the genethliac art, who had 

 composed it in favor of a client who had asked his intercession. 



Prayer of an Ah-Kih. 



"O Jesus Christ my God : thou God the Son, with the Father and the 

 Holy Spirit, art my only God. Today, on this day, at this hour, on this 

 day Tihax, I call upon the holy souls which accompany the sun-risin<!: 

 and the sun-setting of the day : with these holy souls I call upon tliee, O 

 chief of the genii, thou who dwellest in this mountain of Silia Raxquin ; 

 come, ye holy spirits of Juan Yachiac, of Don Domingo Yachiac, of Juan 

 Ixquiaptap, the holy souls of Francisco Excoquieh, of Diego Sooni, of 

 Juau Fay, of Alonzo Tzep ; I call the holy souls of Diego Tziquin and of 

 Don Pedro Noh : you, () priests, to whom all things are revealed, and 

 thou, chief of the genii, you, lords of the mountains, lords of the plains, 

 thou, Don Purupeto Martin, conic, accept this incense, accept to-day this 

 candle.* 



"Come also, my mother Holy Mary, the Lord of Esquipulas, the Lord 

 of Capelagua, the heloved Mary of Chiantia, with her who dwells at San 

 Lorenzo, and also Mary of Sorrows, Mary Saint Anna, Mary Tibureia, 

 ^lary of Carmen, with Saint IMichael the Archangel, the captain St. 

 James, St. Christoval, St. Sebastian, St. Nicolas, St. Bonaventura, St. 

 Bernardin, St. Andrew, St. Thomas, St. Bartholomew, and thou my be- 

 loved mother St. Catherine, thou beloved Mary of the Conception, Mary 

 of the Rosary, thou lord and king Pascual, be here present. 



" And thou, Frost, and thou, excellent Wind, thou, God of the plain, 

 thou, God of Quiac-Basulup, thou, God of Retal-Uleu, thou, lord of San 

 Gregorio, thou, lord of Chii-Masa. [These are mountains and localities, 

 and in the original there follow the names of more than a hundred others. 

 The prayer concludes as follows :] 



" .... I who appoint myself godfather and godmother, I who ask, I 

 the witness and brother of this man who asks, of this man who makes 

 himself your son, O holy souls, I ask, do not let any evil happen unto 

 him, nor let him be unhappy for any cause. 



" I the priest, I who speak, I who burn this incense, I who light this 

 candle, I who pray for him, I who take him under my protection, I ask 

 you that he may obtain his subsistence with facility. Thou, God, canst 

 provide him with mouej'^ ; let him not fall ill of fever ; I ask that he shall 



* Tlie " holy souls" wlio are here appealed to by name are those of deceased ah-kih, or 

 priests of the native cult. 



