214 MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA 



Sahagun gives details of a terrible drama that was 

 enacted during this twenty-day month. For the first 

 eight days there was dancing without song and without 

 the drum. After this prologue a woman was chosen to 

 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 role 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 



