Brinton.J ^"^^ ' [Nov. 4, 



"cogen pequenos, y trauiesos muclio, y de aqueste animal toman el decir 

 "quanclo vn muchacho es travleso, qisulah aqual, etc." 



These are the translations given hy Ximenez : " grandemente agudo 

 pizote, " "very active pizote, " and "bianco pizote," "Vv^hite pizote." But 

 Brasseur derives Uyiz from tzizo, to sew, and, in a religious sense, to 

 draw blood by pricking, a sacrificial custom of those countries, for which 

 ■ he adduces the authority of the MSS. Kiche vocabulary of Basseta ; " San- 

 grarse para sacrificar a los idolos." He therefore translates: "Grand 

 Blanc Piqueur ; " but this seems inadmissible, as "the one who sews or 

 pricks" is expi-essed hj tsizom or tzizonel {Coto, s. v. Coser), We must 

 therefore include this among the animal names. 



Although not contained in the paragraph quoted, I here bring under 

 consideration another animal name which elsewhere in the Popol Vuh is 

 used as synonymous with tlie above. Thus (p. 20) we have this invoca- 

 tion : 



'' Make known your name, Hun-akpu-vucli, Hun-akpn-iitin, 

 " twice over bearer of cliiklren, twice over begetter of ckiklren, 

 " Nim-ak, Nim-tzjiz, master of the emerald," etc. 



•The name Nlm-alc is elsewhere given ZaJci-nim-aJc. The former means 

 "Great Hog," the latter -'White, Great Hog." Brasseur translates «/<; as 

 wild boar (sanglier), but it is the common generic name for the hog, with- 

 out distinction of sex. In a later passage (p. 40), we are informed that it 

 ,was the name of an old man with white hair, and that Zaki-nima-tzj'iz was 

 the nauie of an old Avoman, his wife, all bent and doubled up with age, 

 but both beings of marvelous magic power. Thus we find here an almost 

 unique example of the deification of the hog ; for once, this useful animal, 

 generally despised in mythology and anathematized in I'eligion, is given 

 the liighest pedestal in the Pantheon. 



We should probably understand these and similar brute gods to be relics 

 of a primitive form of totemic worship, such as was found in vigor among 

 some of the northern tribes. Various other indications of this can be dis- 

 covered among the branches of the Maya family. The Cakchiquels were 

 called "the people of the bat " (zoq'), that animal being their national sign 

 or token, and also the symbol of their god (Popol Vuh, p. 225, 249). The 

 tucur owl, chan or cumatz serpent, balam tiger, and geli deei', are other 

 animals whose names are applied to prominent families or ti'ibes in these 

 nearly related myths. 



The priests and rulers also assumed frequently the names of animals, 

 and some pretended to be able to transform themselves into them at will. 

 Thus it is said of Gucumatz Cotuha, fifth king of the Kiches, that he trans- 

 formed himself into an eagle, into a tiger, into a serpent, and into coagu- 

 lated blood (p. 314). In their dances and other sacred ceremonies they 

 used hideous masks, carved, painted and ornamented to represent the 

 heads of eagles, tigers, etc. These were called goJi, as cohbal ruvi cot, 



