Brinton.] Olo [Nov. 4, 



the Fox. It is certain that cunning and astuteness in small things are 

 traits of character exceedingly admired by the vulgar and uneducated 

 everywhere, and it is quite possible that they came to be looked upon as 

 appropriate attributes of the highest conceivable divinity, as, indeed, there 

 is no doubt but that they were among the Algonkin and other hunting 

 tribes of the North. 



But while, as I say, I am inclined to accept the rendering of VugJi as 

 the tlacuatzin, it has not this meaning only, but several others, some of 

 which are so suggestive that I shall quote what Father Goto has to say 

 on the subject under the word Baposo, so that the reader may adopt 

 another meaning if he chooses. 



'• Raposo : xican ; estos son los mas parescidos a los de Espana. * * * ; 

 ''otro genero que come gallinas, el Mexicano le llama tacuatqln ; a este 

 "Uaman Vugli ; y nota que este mesmo nombre tiene un genero de baile 

 "en que con los pies dan bueltas a un palo ; tambien significa el temblor 

 "de cuerpo que da con la terciana, o la misma fission; significa asi 

 "mesmo quando quiere ya anxanescer aquel ponerse escuro el ciclo ; 

 "tambien quando suele estar el agua del rio o laguna, por antiparastas- 

 "sis, calieute, al tal calorsillo llaman Vugh.'" 



Of these various meanings one is tempted to take that which applies 

 the word to "the darkness that comes before the dawn," and connect 

 Huu-ahpu-vuch with the auroral gods, tl>e forerunners of the light, like 

 the "Kichigouai, those who make the daj%" of Algonkin mythology. 



There is a curious passage in the Popol Vuli which might be brought up 

 in support of such an opinion. It occurs at a certain period of the history 

 of the mythical hero Hunahpu. The text reads : 



" Are cut ta chi r'uh zakiric, "And now it was about to become 



■white, 

 " Chi z iktarin, And the dawn came, 



"U xecah ca xaqninuchlo. The day opened. 



" Ama x-u ch'ux ri vach? 'Is ihe fox about to be ?' 



" Ve, x-clia ri mama. Yes, answered the old mati. 



"Ta clii Xiifjuinlc; Then lie spread apart his legs ; 



" Qate tc\ clii geliiumar chic ; Again the darkness appeared ; 



" Cahmul xaquin ri mama. ' Four times the old man spread his legs. 



" Ca xaquiii-Vuch," ea cha vinals va- " Now the Fox spread liis legs," say the 

 camic. people yet (meaning that the day ap- 



proaches). 



This passage, says the Abbe Brasseur in his note to the page, "conceals 

 a mys'erj' having relation to the ancient genesiac theories of Mexico and 

 Central America." 



The double meaning in this text depends partly on i'lxe Yerb xaquinucMc, 

 The Abbe says : " Xaquin signifie ouvrir les jambes, et ueh ou vuch est le 

 sarigue. Pour exprimer que le jour parut, on dit textuellement, le 

 sarigue entr'ouvre les jambes." This word is from the same root as the 

 Maya XacTi, to spread the feet apart, xacunah, to spread the legs (Pio 

 Perez, Diccionario) : Cakchiquel, tin xacaba va, I spread my legs ( To ahro 



