Brinton.l ^'^ [Jan. 5, 



from it) ; "the rabbit willi its mouth upward " (the rabbit, in opposition 

 to tlie one they see in the moon ; wilh its mouth upward, because of tlie 

 mists which rise from it like the breatli exhaled from the mouth) ; "the 

 flower which contains everything" (as all fruit proceeds from flowers, so 

 does all vegetable life proceed from the earth, which is therefore spoken 

 of as a flower) ; "the flower which bites the mouths" (a flower, for the 

 reason given ; it eats the mouths, because all things necessarily return to 

 it, and are swallowed by it). 



Fingers. — "The five fates," or "the five works," or "the five fields" 

 (because by the use of his fingers man w^orks out his own destiny. Hence 

 also the worship of the Hand among the Nahuas as the god Mail], and 

 among the Mayas as the g,od Kab, both which words mean "hand "). 



Fire. — "Our Father of the Four Reeds" (because tlie ceremony of 

 making the new fire w^as held on the day Four Heeds, 4 Acall) ; " the 

 shining rose ;" " the yellow fl3'er ;" " the red-haired one ;" "the yellow 

 spirit." 



A Knife of Copper. — "The yellow Chichimec" (because the Chichi- 

 mecs were alleged to tear out the bowels of their enemies). 



The Maguey Plant. — " My sister, the eight in a row" (because it was 

 planted in this manner). 



A Road. — "That which is divided in two, and yet has neither begin- 

 ning, middle nor end " (because it always lies in two directions from a 

 person, and yet all roads lead into others and thus never end). 



Sickness. — "The red woman;" "the breath of the flame;" "our 

 mother the comet" (all referring to the fever) ; "the Chichimec" (be- 

 cause it aims to destroy life, like these savage warriors) ; "the spider" 

 (because of its venomous nature). 



Smoke. — "The old wife" {i. e., of the fire). 



The Sun. — "Our holy and pockified Uncle" (referring to the myth of 

 Nanahuatl, who was syphilitic, and leaping into the flames of a fire rose as 

 the sun). 



Tobacco. — " The nine, (or seven) times beaten " (because for sacred pur- 

 poses it was rubbed up this number of times) ; " the enchanted gray one" 

 (from its color and use in conjuring). 



Water. — "The Green Woman" (from the greenness which follows 

 moisture) ; "our Mother, whose robe is of precious stones" (from the 

 green or vegetable life resembling the turquoise, emerald, jade, etc.). 



36. It might be asked how the dark arts and secret cere- 

 monies of the Nagualists escaped the prying eyes of the officers 

 of the Holy Inquisition, which was established in Mexico in 

 1571. The answer is, that the inquisitors were instructed by- 

 Cardinal Diego de Espinosa, who at that time was Inquisitor 

 General and President of the Council of the Indies, " to abstain 

 from proceedings against Indians, because of their stupidity and 



