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.
At the ende of euery twenty dayes, is celebrated a festiuall feast
called _Tonalli_, which falleth continually the last daye of euerye
moneth, but the chiefest feast in the yeare, when most men are
sacrificed & eaten, is at the ende of euerye fiftye two yeares. But
the _Tlaxcaltecas_ and other common weales, do celebrate this feast
euery fourth yeare.
The last day of the first moneth is called _Tlacaxipeualiztli_, on the
which day were slaine a hundred slaues, which were taken in the warres,
and after the sacrifise, their flesh was eaten in this order. Al the
Citizens, gathered themselues togither in the high Temple, and thë the
Ministers or Priestes came and vsed certaine ceremonies, the which
being ended, they toke those whyche were to be sacrifised, by one and
one, and layd them vpon their backes vpon a large stone, and then the
slaue being on liue, they opened him in the breast, with a knife made
of flinte stone, and toke out his hart, whiche they threw immediately
at the foote of the Aulter, as an offering, and anoynted with the
fresh bloude, the face of the God _Vitzilopuchtli_, or any other Idol.
This done, they pluckt of the skinnes of a certaine number of them,
the which skinnes so many auntient persons put incontinët vppon their
naked bodies, al fresh & bloudy, as they wer fleane from the deade
carcasses. And being open in the backe part and shoulders, they vsed
to lace them, in such sorte that they came fitte vppon the bodies of
those that ware them, and being in this order attired, they came to
daunce among many others. In _Mexico_ the king him selfe did put on one
of these skinnes, being of a principall captiue, and daunced among the
other disguised persons, to exalte and honor the feast, and an infinite
number followed him to behold his terrible gesture, although some hold
opinion that they followed him to cötemplate his greate deuotion. After
the sacrifise ended, the owner of the slaues did carry their bodies
home to their houses, to make of their fleshe a solemne feaste to all
their friendes, leauing their heades and hartes to the Priests, as
their dutie and offering. And the skinnes were filled with cotten wool,
or strawe, to be hong in the temple, and kings pallayce, for a memorie.
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