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.
The first thing that they did comming into the religion, was to polle
their heads, to be knowen frö others. Their offices were to spinne
cotton wool and feathers, and to weaue cloth, for to apparel the Goddes
and themselues, to swepe the yarde and lodgings of the temple (for the
stayres and high chappels, the ministers themselues did make cleane)
they vsed also to let them bloud in certaine partes of the body, to
offer to the Diuellish Idols. On euery festiual day they went on
procession with the priestes, but it was not lawful for them to presume
to go vppe the stayres of the temple, nor yet to sing. They liued on
almes, for their kinsefolke being rich, did mayntaine them with almes
as a charitable seruice done vnto the Goddes: their foode was boyled
flesh, and hote bread, to the intent that they should offer therof to
the Goddes, that they might tast of the smoke of that victual: they
vsed to eate in communitie, and lay altogither in one dormitorye, as a
flocke of shéepe: they lay alwayes in theyr clothes, for honestie sake,
and also to be the sooner ready in the morning to serue the Gods, &
to go to their worke. And yet I know not why they shold put off their
clothes, for they went almost naked. On the holy dayes they vsed to
daunce before the Gods, and she that either talked or laughed with
any religious or secular person, was reprehended for the same. And if
any of them committed whoredome, then both the man & the woman were
slain, yea they belieued that all suche offenders fleshe woulde rotte
and consume away, and especially those which had lost their Virginity
in the time of their religion. So that with feare of punishmente and
infamie, they were good women al the while that they aboade there.
Hovv the Diuell appeared to
_the Indians_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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