1881.] ^^'^ [Brinton. 



Toliil is supposed by Ximenez to be the same as Toh, which is the 9tli 

 day of the calendar, and is the sign of rain. Brasseur thinks the orthog- 

 raphy should be TohoMl, which is from a verb tohoh, meaning to sound, 

 resound, make a loud noise, and has relation to the thunder, the legend 

 saying that Tohil produced fire for men by striking his shoe. This deriva- - 

 tion he bases on a passage in the Records from Tecpan Atitlan where there 

 is apparent reference to this divinity, with a derivation from tolioh. It is 

 as follows : After an important battle in the early days of their history, 

 the tribes gathered together on a great mountain, Tepeu Oloman, and 

 there consulted as to measures of safety. The Records read : 

 "Tok xka qutubeh qa ki, ha xa colovi avi, xoh cha chi re 

 "When we asked one another whence our comfort, to us then spoke 

 "Qeche vinak : Xaqui tohoh quihilil xibe chi cah, xa chi cah xhe 

 "the Kiche men : It has sounded loudly above in the sky, from in the sky 

 "nu colo vivi Xcha quere qa xubinaah vi 



"our comfort will be. Thus was said (and thus) came the name 

 "Tohohil ri. 



''the Loud- Sounding to them. 



The derivations of a number of other tribal names are given in the same 

 passage, but it is probable, like many in other ancient records, the deriva- 

 tions were altogether an afterthought, and were attached at a late date 

 to the ancient legend. 



It is impossible, however, to obtain Tohil from tolioh without straining 

 the rules of derivation in their language. On the other hand, it may be 

 very correctly explained as the determinative form of the verb toh, a root 

 common to this whole linguistic family. The primitive meaning of this 

 monosyllable seems to have been to give what is due, to pay what is owed. 

 In one sense, we do this in paying debts, in another in punishing an 

 enemy, in yet another in telling the truth where it is properly expected of 

 us. The man who does all this does right, he is just, he causes strife to 

 cease, and pacifies his neighbors ; as such, he is a good, sound, healthy 

 man, free from infirmities. That this was the course of thought in the de- 

 velopment of this root will be clearly seen by the following extracts from 

 that admirable monu.ment of linguistic industry, the Dkcionario de Motul : 



"Tob: V. pagar deudas. 



"Toll : s. la verdad ; lo que es verdad 6 verdadero. 



"Tob: s. venganza. 



"Tobil: derechura, 6 lo derecho y justicia. 



"Tobalol: estar bueno 6 consolado. 



" Tobaiicilol : estar bueno de salud ; descuidarse, asegurarse. 



"Tobcinabol: consolar 8 quietar y pacificar : y asegurar deuda. 



"Tohol: sano, sin enfermedad. 



Such is the group of ideas which were associated in the native mind 

 with the name and character of Tohil. He was the Just one, he distributed 

 equitably to men their rewards and their punishments, he was the Com- 



