Rig Veda Americanus: Sacred Songs of the Ancient Mexicans, With a Gloss in Nahuatl
Religion
Rig Veda Americanus: Sacred Songs of the Ancient Mexicans, With a Gloss in Nahuatl
Nahuatl poetry
The goddess Chimalipan is not mentioned by the authorities at my
command; but from the tenor of the hymn it is evident that the name is
a synonym for the virgin mother of Huitzilopochtli, who is distinctly
referred to by his title _Yautlatoani_ (see _ante_, p. 18). In the myth,
she dwelt upon the Coatepetl, the Serpent Mountain, on the site of
Tulan. For a full discussion of this myth I refer to my inquiry, "_Were
the Toltecs an Historic Nationality?_" in _Proceedings of the Amer.
Phil. Soc._ for Sept. 1887, and _American Hero-Myths_, chap. 11.
(Phila., 1881).
The Gloss distinctly states that the mother of Huitzilopochtli is
referred to in the hymn. We must regard Chimalipan therefore as
identical with _Chimalman_, who, according to another myth dwelt in Tula
as a virgin, and was divinely impregnated by the descending spirit of
the All-father in the shape of a bunch of feathers.
In other myths she is mentioned as also the mother of the Huitznahua,
the enemies and the brothers of Huitzilopochtli, referred to in the
second of this collection of chants.
VI. _Ixcocauhqui icuic._
1. Huiya tzonimolco notauane ye namech maya pinauhtiz, tetemoca ye
namech maya pinauhtiz.
2. Xonca mecatla notecua iccotl mimilcatoc chicueyocan naualcalli
nauali temoquetlaya.
3. Huiya tzonimolco cuicotipeuhque, aya tzonimolco cuicotipeuhque, aya
iztleica naual moquizcauia, iztlauan naual moquizca.
4. Huia tzonimolco maceualli maya temacouia, oya tonaqui, oya tonaqui
maceualli, maya temacouiya.
5. Huiya tzonimolco xoxolcuicatl cacauantoc ya ayouica mocuiltonoaci
tontecuitl moteicnelil mauiztli.
6. Huiya ciuatontla xatenonotza, ayyauhcalcatl quiyauatla,
xatenonotza.
_Var._ 2. Xoncan mecatlan notechoan. 3. Iztleica (for iztlauan). 6. Ia
ayiauhcalcatl.
_Gloss._
1. _Q.n._, yn itzonmolcatl notauane ye nemechpinauhtiz nachcan nochan
tetemoan, ye nemechpinauhtiz.
2. _Q.n._, yn mecatla amo tecuhuan in oncan iccotl mimilcatoc
ueyaquixtoc iccotl uncan in temoc in chicueyocan.
3. _Q.n._, yn tzonmolco otipeuhque macuico yn tzonmolco macuico
otipeuhque tleica in amo anualquica tleica yn ayaualquica.
4. _Q.n._, yn tzonmolco otonac auh in omaceualhoan xinechinacaqui
notechpouizque yn enetoltiloyan.
5. _Q.n._, yn cuicatl tzomolco ca ye cauani in aic necuiltonollo
netotilo in tetecuti yeua moteicnelil ca mauiztic.
6. _Q.n._, yn ciuatontli xitenonotza in quiauat ayauhcalcatl, _id
est_, in ticiuatontli xitenonotza.
_Hymn to Ixcocauhqui._
1. In the Hall of Flames let me not put to shame my ancestors;
descending there, let me not put you to shame.
2. I fasten a rope to the sacred tree, I twist it in eight folds, that
by it I, a magician, may descend to the magical house.
3. Begin your song in the Hall of Flames; begin your song in the Hall
of Flames; why does the magician not come forth? Why does he not rise
up?
4. Let his subjects assist in the Hall of Flames; he appears, he
appears, let his subjects assist.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account