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HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



In the feventeenth month, which began upon the 

 1 2th of January, they celebrated the feftival of the 

 goddefs Hamateu&li. A female prifoner was felected 

 to reprefent her, and was clothed in the habit of her 

 idol. They made her dance alone to a tune which fome 

 old priefts fung to her, and (he was permitted to ex- 

 prefs her affliction at her approaching death, which, 

 however, was efteemed a bad omen from other victims . 

 At fun-fet, on the day of the feftival, the priefls 

 adorned with the enfigns of various gods, facrificed her 

 in the ufual manner, and afterwards cut off her head, 

 when one of the priefts, taking it in his hand, began 

 a dance, in which he was joined by the reft. The 

 priefts, during this feftival, made a race down the 

 flairs of the temple ; and the following day the popu- 

 lace entertained themfelves with a game fimilar to the 

 Lupercalia of the Romans ; for running through the 

 flreets, they beat all the women they met with little 

 bags of hay. In this fame month they kept the feftival 

 of Mictlanteu&li, god of hell, on which they made a 

 nocturnal facrifice of a prifoner, and alfo the fecond 

 feftival of Jacateudtli, god of the merchants. The 

 name tiiffl, which they gave to this month, lignifies 

 the conftringent power of the feafon which the cold 

 occafions (b). 



In the eighteenth and laft month, which began on 

 the firft of February, the fecond feftival of the god of 

 fire was held. On the tenth day of this month, the 

 whole of the Mexican youth went out to the chace, 

 not only of wild beafts in the woods, but alfo to 

 catch the birds of the lake. On the fixteenth, the fire 

 of the temple and private houfes was extinguiftied, and 



they 



{h) The above author fays, that Tititl fignifies our belly; but all thofe who , 

 tonderitand the Mexican language know that fuch a name would be a folecifm* 



