46 



ed heads of two monsters ; and we find in each 

 face (Fig*. 1 and 3) two eyes, and a large mouth 

 with four teeth. These hideous figures are 

 perhaps only masks ; for among the Mexicans 

 they were accustomed to mask their idols on the 

 indisposition of a king', or any other public cala- 

 mity. The arms and feet are hidden under a 

 drapery surrounded by enormous serpents, which 

 the Mexicans denoted by the name of cohuatli- 

 cuye, garment of serpents. The whole of these 

 accessories, especially the fringes in form of fea- 

 thers, are sculptured with the greatest care. 

 Mr. Gama, in a separate treatise, has rendered 

 it very probable, that this idol represents (Fig. 3) 

 the god of war, Huitzilopochtli or Tlacahue- 

 pancuexcotzin ; and (Fig. 1) his wife, called Teo- 

 yamiqui* (from miqui to die, and teoyao, divine 

 war), because she conducted the souls of war- 

 riors, who died in the defence of the gods, to the 

 house of the Sun, the Elysium of the Mexicans-}-, 

 where she transformed them into humming-birds. 

 The death's heads and mutilated hands, four 

 of which surround the bosom of the goddess, re- 

 call to mind the horrible sacrifices (teoquauhquet- 

 -zoliztli) celebrated in the fifteenth period of thir- 

 teen days after the summer solstice, in honor of the 

 god of war, and his female companion, Teoya- 



* Boturini, Idea de una nueva Historia general, p. 27 and 

 66. 



t Torquemada, lib. xiii, c. 48 (torn. 2, p. 569). 



