The Native Races [of the Pacific states], Volume 5, Primitive History: The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, Volume 5Bancroft, Hubert Howe
History
The Native Races [of the Pacific states], Volume 5, Primitive History: The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, Volume 5
Bancroft, Hubert Howe
Indians -- Bibliography; Indians of Central America; Indians of Mexico; Indians of North America -- Pacific Coast of North America
Let us now briefly review some other analogies discovered by this
writer. The natives of South America had little or no beard, the
Mongols had also little hair on the face. The _Llatu_, or head-dress
of the Incas had the appearance of a garland, the front being decorated
with a flesh-colored tuft or tassel, and that of the hereditary prince
being yellow; it was surmounted by two feathers taken from a sacred
bird. Here again we are referred to the portraits of the Incas and to
those of Tamerlane and Tehanghir, two Asiatic princes, "both descended
from Genghis Khan." The similarity between the head-dresses, is, we
are told, "striking, if allowance be made for the difficulty the Incas
would experience in procuring suitable muslin for the turban." The
plumes are supposed to be in some way connected with the sacred owl of
the Mongols, and yellow is the color of the imperial family in China.
The sun was held an especial object of adoration, as it "has been the
peculiar god of the Moguls, from the earliest times." The Peruvians
regarded Pachacamac as the Sovereign Creator; Camac-Hya was the name
of a Hindu goddess; _haylli_ was the burden of every verse of the
songs composed in praise of the Sun and the Incas. "Ogus, Ghengis'
ancestor, at one year of age, miraculously pronounced the word Allah!
Allah! which was the immediate work of God, who was pleased that his
name should be glorified by the mouth of this tender infant."[I-105]
Thus Mr Ranking thinks "it is highly probable that this (_haylli_) is
the same as the well-known _Halle_lujah." Resemblances are found to
exist between the Peruvian feast of the sun, and other similar Asiatic
festivals. In Peru, hunters formed a circle round the quarry, in the
country of Genghis they did the same. The organization of the army was
much the same in Peru as in the country of the Khans; the weapons and
musical instruments were also very similar. In the city of Cuzco, not
far from the hill where the citadel stood, was a portion of land called
_colcampata_, which none were permitted to cultivate except those of
royal blood. At certain seasons the Incas turned up the sod here, amid
much rejoicing and many ceremonies. "A great festival is solemnized
every year, in all the cities of China, on the day that the sun
enters the fifteenth degree of Aquarius. The emperor, according to the
custom of the ancient founders of the Chinese monarchy, goes himself
in a solemn manner to plough a few ridges of land. Twelve illustrious
persons attend and plough after him."[I-106] In Peruvian as in Chinese
architecture, it is noticeable that great care is taken to render
the joints between the stones as nearly imperceptible as possible. A
similarity is also said to exist between the decorations on the palaces
of the Incas and those of the Khans. The cycle of sixty years was in
use among most of the nations of eastern Asia, and among the Muyscas of
the elevated plains of Bogota. The _quipu_, or knotted reckoning cord
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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