Page:A Study of the Manuscript Troano.djvu/105

Rh They modeled a heart from the dough of their bread, and in the same way another loaf, of gourd seeds, which they presented to the idol Kan-u-Uayeyab. It was thus that they guarded this statue and the other during the unfavorable days, perfuming them with their incense and with incense mixed with grains of bruised maize. They believed that if they neglected these ceremonies they would be subject to the calamities which were the result of this year. The unlucky days having passed, they carried the statue of the god Bolon-Zacab to the temple, and the image of the other to the eastern entrance of the city, in order to have it for the next year. They left it there, and returning home each one occupied himself with preparations for the celebration of the new year.

"As soon as the ceremonies were terminated and the evil spirit dispelled, according to their mistaken idea, they believed this year to be fortunate, because with the sign Kan reigns the Bacab-Hobnil, who, as they say, has not sinned as his brothers, and for this reason no calamity befell them in that year. But as it frequently happened that this occurred notwithstanding, the demon was conciliated by establishing these ceremonies, so that in case of misfortune they attributed the fault to their ceremonies and to those who served in them, so that they remained always in error and blindness.

"At his instigation, then, they fabricated an idol called Yzamna-Cauil, which they placed in his temple, and burnt before it in the court three pellets of milk, or resin, which they called kik; they sacrificed to it either a dog or a man, which was done with the ceremony spoken of in chapter one hundred on the subject of victims. There was, however, some difference in the manner of offering this sacrifice; they put in the court of the temple a large heap of stones, and the man or animal who was to be sacrificed was fastened to a sort of elevated scaffold, from whence they hurled him onto the heap of stones; the officers immediately seized him and tore out his heart, which they carried to the new idol, offering.it to him between two plates. They made still other offerings of comestibles. At this feast the old women, selected for this occasion, danced, clothed in peculiar garments. They believed that an angel descended then and received the sacrifice.