The pleasant historie of the conquest of the VVeast India, now called new Spayne: atchieued by the vvorthy Prince Hernando Cortes, marques of the Valley of Huaxacac, most delectable to readeLópez de Gómara, Francisco
History
The pleasant historie of the conquest of the VVeast India, now called new Spayne: atchieued by the vvorthy Prince Hernando Cortes, marques of the Valley of Huaxacac, most delectable to reade
López de Gómara, Francisco
Cortés, Hernán, 1485-1547; Mexico -- History -- Conquest, 1519-1540; Nahuatl language -- Glossaries, vocabularies, etc.
otherwayes, bicause there should be a difference betwixte the great
temple & them. Some of these Temples were bigger than others, and euery
one of a seuerall God, among the whiche there was one rounde temple
dedicated to the God of the ayre called _Quecalcouatl_, for euen as
the ayre goeth rounde aboute the heauens, euen for that consideration
they made his temple rounde. The entraunce of that Temple had a dore
made lyke vnto the mouth of a Serpent, and was paynted with foule and
Diuelish gestures, with great téeth & gummes wrought, whiche was a
thing to feare those that should enter in thereat, & especially the
Christians vnto whom it represented very Hel with that ougly face and
monsterous téeth.
There were other _Teucalles_ in the citie, that had the ascending vp
by steps in thrée places: all these temples had houses by thëselues
with all seruice & priests & particular Gods. At euery dore of the
great temple standeth a large Hall & goodly lodgings, both high and
lowe round about, which houses were cömon armouries for the Citie, for
the force and strength of euery towne is the temple, and therfore they
haue there placed their storehouse of munition. They had other darke
houses full of idols, greate & small, wrought of sundry mettals, they
are all bathed and washed with bloud, and do shewe very blacke through
theyr dayly sprinklyng and anoynting thë with the same, when any man
is sacrificed: yea & the walles are an inche thicke with bloud, and
the grounde is a foote thicke of bloud, so that there is a diuelish
stench. The Priests or Ministers goe daylye into those Oratories, and
suffer none others but great personages to enter in. Yea and when any
such goeth in, they are bounde to offer some man to be sacrificed, that
those bloudy hangmen and ministers of the Diuell may washe their handes
in bloud of those so sacrificed, and to sprinkle their house therewith.
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