Aztec mythology; Indian mythology -- Mexico; Mexico -- Religion
Acosta, describing Tezcatlipocâ, says [116]: “They called this idol
Tezcallipuca, he was made of black, shining stone like to Jayel, being
attired with some Gentile devises after their manner. It had ear-rings
of gold and silver, and through the nether lip a small canon of
christall, in length half a foote, in the which they sometimes put a
greene feather, and sometimes an azure, which made it resemble
sometimes an emerald and sometimes a turquois. It had the haire broided
and bound up with a haire-lace of gold burnished, at the end whereof
did hang an eare of gold, with two fire-brands of smoke painted therein
which did signify the praires of the afflicted and sinners that he
heard, when they recommended themselves to him. Betwixt the two eares
hanged a number of small herons. He had a jewell hanging at his neck so
great that it covered all his stomake. Upon his armes bracelets of
gold, upon his navill a rich, green stone, and in his left hand a fanne
of precious feathers, of greene, azure and yellow, which came forth of
a looking-glasse of gold, shining and well-burnished, and that
signified, that within this looking-glasse he saw whatever was done in
the world. They called this glasse or chaston of gold irlacheaya, [117]
which signifies his glass for to look in. In his right hand he held
foure darts which signified the chastisement he gave to the wicked for
their sins.... They held this idoll Tescatlipuca for the god of
drought, of famine, barrenness and pestilence. And therefore they
painted him in another form, being set in great majesty upon a stoole,
compassed in with a red curtin, painted and wrought with the heads and
bones of dead men. In the left hand it had a target with five pines,
like unto pine apples of cotton, and in the right a little dart with a
threatening countenance, and the arm stretched out as if he would cast
it and from the target came foure darts. It had the countenance of an
angry man and in choller, the body all painted blacke and the head full
of quailes feathers.”
Bernal Diaz says of him (bk. vi. c. 91): “Then we saw on the other side
on the left hand there stood the other great image the same height as
Huichilobos, and it had a face like a bear [118] and eyes that shone,
made of their mirrors which they call Tezcat, and the body plastered
with precious stones like that of Huichilobos, for they say that the
two are brothers; and this Tezcatepuca was the god of Hell and had
charge of the souls of the Mexicans, and his body was girt with figures
like little devils with snakes’ tails.”
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