Aztec mythology; Indian mythology -- Mexico; Mexico -- Religion
Sahagun’s account of Quetzalcoatl may be summarized as follows: The
arts had their inception with Quetzalcoatl. His houses were made of
chalchiuites, silver, white, and red shells, and rich feathers. His
folk were nimble and swift in passage from one place to another, and
were called tlanquacemilhiyme. [148] He gave his commands to the
people for a hundred leagues round by means of a crier stationed on the
mountain Tzotzitepetl. [149] He had wealth in abundance, provision in
plenty, and in his time maize was so large in the head that a man might
not carry more than one stalk in his clasped arms. Pumpkins were in
circumference as great as a man is high, and the stalks of the wild
amaranth grew like trees. Cotton grew in all colours—red, scarlet,
yellow, violet, white, green, blue, black, grey, orange, and tawny. In
the city of Tollan, where Quetzalcoatl dwelt, were many birds of rich
plumage and sweet song. The servants of Quetzalcoatl were wealthy and
had abundance of all things, and food was plentiful with them. Their
master did penance by pricking his legs and drawing blood with the
spines of the maguey and by washing at midnight in a fountain. But
sorcerers came against Quetzalcoatl and his people, the Toltecs, and
these, we are told, were the gods Tezcatlipocâ, Uitzilopochtli, and
Tlacuepan. Tezcatlipocâ visited the house of Quetzalcoatl in the guise
of an old man, but was told that he was sick, and was at first refused
entrance. Later, however, he was admitted, Quetzalcoatl observing that
he had waited for him for many days. Tezcatlipocâ then produced a
draught of medicine which, he assured the sick king, would intoxicate
him, ease his heart, and carry his thoughts away from the trials and
fatigues of death and departure. [150] This latter phrase roused
Quetzalcoatl to ask where he must go, for that he had a premonition of
departure seems clear. “To Tollantlapallan,” replied Tezcatlipocâ,
“where another old man awaits thee. He and you shall speak together,
and on thy return thou shalt be as a youth, yea as a boy.” With little
goodwill Quetzalcoatl quaffed the medicine, and having once tasted of
it he drank more deeply, so that at last he became intoxicated and
maudlin. That which he had drunk was the wine made from the
maguey-plant, called teoncetl (“drink of the gods”). And so great a
longing to depart came upon him that at length he arose and went from
Tollan. [151] Ere departing, Quetzalcoatl burned his houses of shells
and silver and buried many precious things in the mountains and
ravines. He turned the cocoa-trees into mezquites and dispatched all
the birds of brilliant plumage in Anahuac, three hundred miles away. On
his journey to the coast he came to the hill Quauhtitlan, where he
found a great tree, under which he rested. Gazing into a mirror, as he
reclined under its shade, he said, “I am very old,” named the place
Ueuequauhtitlan after his saying, [152] and stoned the tree. The stones
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.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account