Phillips.] ', 648 {Oct. 19, 
The story of the falling down of the heavens appears among the myths of 
Samoa, where two trees are reported to have grown up and pushed them into 
proper place. The natives of Vaitupu have a tradition in which two of the sons 
of the first couple “ distinguished themselves by raising the heaven higher,”’ In 4 
Nikundu, the legend runs of an universal da rknessin the beginning ofall things H 
and that the heavens were down and resting upon the earth until raised by two 
brothers. (Samoa, by George Turner, pp, 198, 283, 291.) A 
21The two trees into which the gods changed themselves; more properly, Tez- 
caquahuitl, the tree of the warrior, Quetzalveixochitl, the beautiful rose tree. 
—A. H. M., 75. 
“%Mixcoatl,a name of Tezcatlipoca, Brinton, A, H. M., 84, Iztac Mixcoatl 
(A. H, M. 92), white-cloud, twin. 
23 Four hundred men created. Brinton considers them to be the stars, espe- 
cially as they later were translated to the sky. Codex Chimalpopoca (Myths, 
New World, 207). Four birds devoured the antediluvian dwellers on earth, 
4 They drew blood from their ears, &c, Inch, 8 (seq.) Camaxtli takes a maguey 
thorn and draws blood from his tongue and ears, The Persians drew blood from 
ears, arms and face, Cf. Garcia, iv, 801. | 
% Talocatecli threw his son into the cinders, Should be Zlaloe, (Cf. Abraham [ 
and Isaac.) . 
% Chichimecas (Garcia, V, 2, 822), offered no let or hindrance to the immigrants 
who drove them away, but were filled with fright and astonishment, and hid 
themselves among the most inaccessible rocks, 
But the C.on the other side of the Sierra Nevada, where the Tlascaltecans 
came, did not behave in this manner, but valiantly resisted the invaders, being 
of gigantic stature, endeavored to drive them out of the land, but were ulti- 4 
mately overcome by the force of the Tlascaltecans, Then they had resort to it 
stratagem, and feigning peace and submission invited their conquerors to a | 
banquet at which concealed men precipitated themselves upon the Tlascalte- 
sans when they had become drunken and helpless, However, the Tlascaltecans 
rallied to the assistance of their comrades, and being better armed and disci- 
plined, ultimately defeated the giants, leaving not one man alive, After many 
generations the barbarous Chichimecas became civilized, wore clothes and be- 
came as other people, forming themselves a state. (Cf. Garcia, V, 802,) 
Chichimeca, (Clavigero tr, Cullen, I, 91), according to some from Techichiani, my 
sucking, because they sucked the blood of the animals which they hunted, ©, 
‘calls them Chechemecatl, (Betancourt), from Chichimi, dogs’ beans, If the name 
had been one of contempt they would not huve prided themselves upon it, as 
‘they did, Another point to show it was an indigenous word. 
A number of conjectural etymologies have been assigned for this name, but 
all unsatisfactory, As this people appear to have been aboriginal it seems to 
me that any attempt to explain its name by means of the language of the con- 
querors must be futile, Those who speak an alien tongue have always been } 
looked upon by their neighbors as barbarians, and even as not possessed of i 
‘rational speech, but as using only an unintelligible jargon, The Latin dramatist 
expresses the feeling in his lines, Barbarus hic ego, quid non intelligor nulli, 
According to Garcia (V, 8,821), the word Nahuatl means the people that speaks 
distinetly and makes itself understood (Cf. Sahagun X, 29.) (Buschman, 685), 
“well sounding, clear, distinct.” 
Boturini, 78. Chichimécatl, el que’ chupa, from their sucking the blood of 
‘animals. Ohichimeans mamar, to nurse. Anales 3, 2, 60, 
27 Camasale, more properly, Camaatli, qu.,a name of Tezcatlipoca (A. H. M., 
90) 3 la faja noturna (Anales 8, 863). He was worshiped by the Tlascallans, being 
there the same as Huitzilopochtli. Clavigero 1, 2, 111. (Cf. Note 38.) 
28 Co acatl, one reed, the day of Quetzalcoatl’s birth, and by which he was often 
ealled. It was a day of evil omen, and no one born on it could hope for success, 
This year which returns but once in the Mexican cycle of fifty-two years, was 
