Aztec mythology; Indian mythology -- Mexico; Mexico -- Religion
“Then, behold, all the Toltecs, being filled with jealousy and
offended, spake injurious and insulting words against King Vemac,
saying among themselves, ‘Of all the Toltecs can there not be found a
man, that this Vemac marries his daughter to a peddler?’ Now when the
king heard all the injurious and insulting words that the people spake
against him he was moved, and he spoke to the people saying, ‘Come
hither, behold I have heard all these things that ye say against me in
the matter of my son-in-law Toveyo; dissimulate then; take him
deceitfully with you to the war of Cacatepec and Coatepec, and let the
enemy kill him there.’ Having heard these words, the Toltecs armed
themselves, and collected a multitude and went to the war, bringing
Toveyo along. Arrived where the fighting was to take place, they hid
him with the lame and the dwarfs, charging them, as the custom was in
such cases, to watch for the enemy, while the soldiers went on to the
attack. The battle began. The Toltecs at once gave way, treacherously
and guilefully deserting Toveyo and the cripples. Leaving them to be
slaughtered at their post, they returned to Tulla and told the king how
they had left Toveyo and his companions alone in the hands of the
enemy. When the king heard the treason he was glad, thinking Toveyo
dead, for he was ashamed of having him for a son-in-law. Affairs had
gone otherwise, however, with Toveyo from what the plotters supposed.
On the approach of the hostile army he consoled his deformed
companions, saying: ‘Fear nothing; the enemy come against us, but I
know that I shall kill them all.’ Then he rose up and went forward
against them, against the men of Coatepec and Cacatepec. He put them to
flight and slew of them without number. When this came to the ears of
Vemac it weighed upon and terrified him exceedingly. He said to his
Toltecs, ‘Let us now go and receive my son-in-law.’ So they all went
out with King Vemac to receive Toveyo, bearing the arms and devices
called quetzalapanecayutl, and the shields called xiuhchimali. [129]
They gave these things to Toveyo, and he and his comrades received them
with dancing and the music of flutes, with triumph and rejoicing.
Furthermore, on reaching the palace of the king, plumes were put upon
the heads of the conquerors, and all the body of each of them was
stained yellow, and all the face red. This was the customary reward of
those that came back victorious from war. And King Vemac said to his
son-in-law: ‘I am now satisfied with what thou hast done, and the
Toltecs are satisfied; thou hast dealt very well with our enemies, rest
and take thine ease.’ But Toveyo held his peace.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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