Aztec mythology; Indian mythology -- Mexico; Mexico -- Religion
“And after this Tezcatlipocâ wrought another witchcraft against the
Toltecs. He called himself Tlacavepan, or Acexcoch, and came and sat
down in the midst of the market-place of Tulla having a little manikin
(said to have been Uitzilopochtli) dancing upon his hand. There was an
instant uproar of all the buyers and sellers and a rush to see the
miracle. The people crushed and trod each other down, so that many were
killed there; and all this happened many times. At last the
god-sorcerer cried out on one such occasion: ‘What is this? Do you not
see that you are befooled by us? Stone and kill us.’ So the people took
up stones and killed the said sorcerer and his little dancing manikin.
But when the body of the sorcerer had lain in the market-place for some
time it began to stink and to taint the air, and the wind of it
poisoned many. Then the dead sorcerer spake again, saying: ‘Cast this
body outside the town, for many Toltecs die because of it.’ So they
prepared to cast out the body, and fastened ropes thereto and pulled.
But the ill-smelling corpse was so heavy that they could not move it.
Then a crier made a proclamation, saying: ‘Come, all ye Toltecs, and
bring ropes with you, that we may drag out and get rid of this
pestilential carcass.’ All came accordingly, bringing ropes, and the
ropes were fastened to the body and all pulled. It was utterly in vain.
Rope after rope broke with a sudden snap, and those that dragged on a
rope fell and were killed when it broke. Then the dead wizard looked up
and said; ‘O Toltecs, a verse of song is needed.’ And he himself gave
them a verse. They repeated the verse after him, and, singing it,
pulled all together, so that with shouts they hauled the body out of
the city, though still not without many ropes breaking and many persons
being killed as before. All this being over, those Toltecs that
remained unhurt returned every man to his place, not remembering
anything of what had happened, for they were all as drunken.
“Other signs and wonders were wrought by Tezcatlipocâ in his rôle of
sorcerer. A white bird called Iztac cuixtli was clearly seen flying
over Tulla, transfixed with a dart. At night also, the sierra called
Zacatepec burned, and the flames were seen from afar. All the people
were stirred up and affrighted, saying one to another, ‘O Toltecs, it
is all over with us now; the time of the end of Tulla is come; alas for
us, whither shall we go?’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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