MEXICAN CULTURE. 



69 



Many of the vanquished nations, such as that of the Totonacs, groaned under 

 the burden of having to supply human victims to the Mexican gods, while their 

 own divinity, " Mother of Men," demanded only seeds and flowers. Even in the 

 Aztec temple of Texcoco, raised by Nezahualcoyotl to the " unknown god," public 

 worship was confined to the burning of incense at the altar of the deity. But 

 elsewhere wars, and the practice of adding captives to the other offerings, had 



Fig. 28. — Artificial Pyramid of Chollla. 







gradually imposed a religion of blood on the whole Nahua nation. Not the 

 symbol of life, represented by the first-fruits of the earth, but life itself has now to 

 be incessantly offered on the altars of the gods. Even when corn was presented 

 it had first to be reduced to a paste, kneaded with the blood of children and 

 maidens ; a dough was also prepared from the ashes of the fathers mingled with 

 the flesh of their offspring. 



To appease the wrath of the wicked gods, to avert the evil machinations of the 



