_St. Joachim_, father of the "ever-blessed Virgin Mary," had a long fast, which was also continued for a period of _forty days and forty nights_. The story is to be found in the apocryphal gospel _Protevangelion_.[178:5] The ancient _Persians_ had a religious festival which they annually celebrated, and which they called the "Salutation of Mithras." During this festival, _forty days_ were set apart for thanksgiving and sacrifice.[178:6] The _forty days' fast_ was found in the New World. Godfrey Higgins tells us that: "The ancient _Mexicans_ had a _forty days' fast_, in memory of one of their sacred persons (Quetzalcoatle) who was tempted (and fasted) _forty days_ on a mountain."[178:7] Lord Kingsborough says: "The temptation of Quetzalcoatle, and _the fast of forty days, . . . are very curious and mysterious_."[178:8] The ancient Mexicans were also in the habit of making their prisoners of war fast for a term of _forty days_ before they were put to death.[179:1] Mr. Bonwick says: "The Spaniards were surprised to see the _Mexicans_ keep the vernal _forty days' fast_. The Tammuz month of Syria was in the spring. The _forty days_ were kept for Proserpine. Thus does history repeat itself."[179:2] The Spanish monks accounted for what Lord Kingsborough calls "very curious and mysterious" circumstances, by the agency of the devil, and burned all the books containing them, whenever it was in their power. The forty days' fast was also found among some of the Indian tribes in the New World. Dr. Daniel Brinton tells us that "the females of the _Orinoco_ tribes _fasted forty days_ before marriage,"[179:3] and Prof. Max Müller informs us that it was customary for some of the females of the South American tribes of Indians "to fast before and after the birth of a child," and that, among the _Carib-Coudave_ tribe, in the West Indies, "when a child is born the mother goes presently to work, but the father begins to complain, and takes to his hammock, and there he is visited as though he were sick. _He then fasts for forty days._"[179:4] The females belonging to the tribes of the Upper Mississippi, were held unclean for _forty days_ after childbirth.[179:5] The prince of the Tezcuca tribes _fasted forty days_ when he wished an heir to his throne, and the Mandanas supposed it required _forty days and forty nights_ to wash clean the earth at the deluge.[179:6]