They seem to have been connected in a measure with the cult of fire. Vetancurt states that the natives in his day, when they had brewed the new octli, and it was ready to be drunk, first built a fire, walked round it in procession, and threw some of the new liquor into the flames, chanting the while an invocation to Tezcatzoncatl to descend and be present with them. [309] Duran says that “the octli was a favourite offering to the gods, and especially to the god of fire.” Sometimes it was placed before a fire in vases, sometimes it was scattered upon the flames with a brush, at other times it was poured out around the fireplace. [310] Sahagun also states that the liquor was poured on the hearth at four separate points. [311] Jacinto de la Serna describes the same ceremony as current in his day. [312] The invocation ran: “Shining Rose, light-giving Rose, receive and rejoice my heart.” May not this connection with fire have arisen out of some such train of thought as connected the lightning with the sacred oak of Zeus? In his Ascent of Olympus, Dr. Rendel Harris has shown that the oak was regarded as the “animistic repository of the thunder,” and therefore of the heavenly fire. May not the ubiquitous and overshadowing maguey-plant, from which the octli sap was taken, have had a like significance for the Mexicans? The principal octli-gods may now be examined more particularly. TEZCATZONCATL = “MIRROR COVERED WITH STRAW” Area of Worship: Chichimec territory. Relationship: Husband of Coatlicue. ASPECT AND INSIGNIA A stone figure of this god from Tacubaya shows him in the recumbent position often observed in the statues of the octli-gods, and holding a large octli jar on his stomach. A headdress resembling that of an Arab covers the head, and from underneath it descend the strands of what seems to be a wig. What appears to be a serpent motif, the ends of which are square in form, encircles the eyes almost like a pair of spectacles, and he wears the usual lunar nose-plug of the octli deities. An elaborate necklace, wristlets, and leg-pieces of precious stones are worn, and the underside of the statue is incised to represent the ripples of water and is covered with representations of marine animals and shells. MYTH A passage in a report on the Huaxtec territory, dated 1579, states that Tezcatzoncatl was killed and revived by Tezcatlipocâ, by which act the drunkard’s sleep became harmless in the future for men. The passage runs: “They related that the idol Tezcatlipocâ had killed the god of wine with his consent and concurrence, giving out that in this way he gave him eternal life, and that if he did not die, all persons drinking wine must die; but that the death of this Ometochtli was only like the sleep of one drunk, that he afterwards recovered and again became fresh and well.” FESTIVALS Allusion is made to Vetancurt’s mention of a special ceremony to Tezcatzoncatl on the preceding page. PRIESTHOOD