4 $ 
ed heads of two monsters t 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- 
celebrated in the fifteenth period of thir- 
I 
teen days after the summer solstice, in honor of the 
god of war, and his female companion, Teoya- 
* Boturini, Idea de una nuem Historia general, p. 27 and 
66 . 
t Torquemada, lib. xiii, c. 4B (tom. 2, p..569). 
