20 



first victory over Ravana, king of the giants of 

 the Island of Ceylon. 



The year over which the sign ce acatl presided 

 was a year of famine, that destroyed the first 

 generation of men. This catastrophe began on 

 the day 4 tiger ( nahui ocelotl) ; and it is proba- 

 bly on account of the hieroglyphic of this day, 

 that, according to other traditions, the giants, 

 who did not perish by famine, were devoured 

 by those tigers (tequanesj, the appearance of 

 which was dreaded by the Mexicans at the end 

 of every cycle. The hieroglyphic painting re- 

 presents a malignant spirit descending on the 

 earth to root up the grass and the flowers. Three 

 human figures, among which we easily recog- 

 nise a woman, by her headdress formed of two 

 small tresses resembling horns # , hold in their 

 right hands a sharp-edged instrument, and in 

 their left, fruit, or ears of corn. The spirit, 

 that announces famine, wears one of those rosa- 

 ries -f, which, from time immemorial, have been 

 in use in Thibet, China, Canada, and Mexico ; 

 and which have passed from the east to the 

 Christians of the west. Though among all the 

 nations of the Earth the fiction of the giants, of 

 the Titans, and of the Cyclops, appears to in- 

 dicate the conflict of the elements, or the state of 



* Plate XV, No. 3-7, 3. 

 t Plate XIV, No. 8. 



