210 MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA 
impersonate the patron goddess and to wear her charac- 
teristic dress and ornaments. With her was a retinue of 
women skilled in medicine and midwifery. For four 
days these persons divided in opposing ranks and 
pelted each other with leaves and flowers. While this 
harmless ceremony and others like it were being acted 
out, the greatest care was taken that the woman who 
played the réle of the goddess and who was marked for 
death should not suspect her fate. It was considered 
unlucky, indeed, if this victim wept or was sad. When 
her time to die had come she was clothed in rich gar- 
ments and given to understand that she should be that 
night the bride of a rich lord. And under such a be- 
guiling belief she was led silently to the temple of 
sacrifice. There without warning an attendant lifted 
her upon himself, back to back, and her head was 
instantly struck off. Without delay the skin was 
stripped from her warm body and a youth, wearing it 
as a garment, was conducted in the midst of captives 
to the temple of the War God, Huitzilopochtli. Here 
in the presence of this mighty god the youth himself 
tore out the hearts of four victims and then abandoned 
the rest to the knife of the head priest. Thus closed 
the terrible drama which began with an innocent battle 
of flowers and ended in an orgy of blood. 
The twelfth month passed under two names. It was 
called Pachtli after a plant with which the temples were 
decorated and Teotleco which signifies “‘the arrival of 
the gods.” The principal feast was held, as usual, on 
the twentieth day when the great company of gods was 
supposed to return from a far land. One god, very 
youthful and robust, arrived on the eighteenth day, 
being able to outwalk the others, while a few very old 
and infirm divinities were late in getting to the feast. 
