Page:A Study of the Manuscript Troano.djvu/107

Rh "This year, of which the dominical letter was Muluc and in which reigned Bacab-Canzienal, they regarded as fortunate; for they said that this was the greatest and best of the gods Bacab; also they made him the first in their prayers. With all this, however, the demon inspired them to fabricate an idol named Yax-Coc-Ahmut, which they placed in the temple, after having taken away the old statues; they set up in the court which is towards the temple a heap of stones, on which they burnt the incense with a pellet of resin or milk (kik), invoking the idol and asking of him deliverance from the misfortunes of the present year. These calamities were the scarcity of water, the abundance of shoots in the maize, and other things of the same kind. As a remedy for these evils the demon commanded them to offer up squirrels and a cover of cloth without embroidery, woven by the old women, whose office it was to dance in the temple in order to praise the god Yux-Coc-Ahmut.

"They threatened them still more with a crowd of other misfortunes and evil signs relative to this year, although it was considered fortunate, if they did not accomplish the duties which the demon imposed on them; one among others was a feast with a dance, which they executed mounted on very high stilts, and a sacrifice which they offered of the heads of turkeys, of bread, and of drinks of maize. It was also imposed on them to present images of dogs in baked earth, carrying bread on the back. The old women were obliged to dance with these images in their hands, and to sacrifice to the god a small dog with black spots, and which was still-virgin. Those who were the most devoted to this ceremony were to draw blood from the animal and to anoint with it the stone of the god Chac-Acantum. These rites and this sacrifice seemed to be very pleasing to the god Yax-Coc-Ahmut."

The year of which the dominical letter was Yx and the omen ZacCiui, the election of the chief who celebrated the feast being finished, they formed the image of the god called Zac-u-Uayeyab and carried it to the piles of stone where they had left the other, the year before. They