Page:A Study of the Manuscript Troano.djvu/288

220, Ihcil-Ixchel; also some little stones used in their sorceries, called am. Then they invoked in their prayers, with great devotion, the gods of medi cine, Yzamna, Cit-Bolon-Tun, and Ahau-Chamahez, while the priests burned in their honor the incense which they cast into the brazier of the new fire, and which the Chacs smeared with a blue color resembling the color of the books of the priests. This done, each one gathered up his valuables, and, loaded with their bundles, they executed a dance called Chan-tun-yab. The dance having terminated, the men seated themselves on one side and the women on the other; they then arranged the day for the feast of the next year, and all made the usual banquet on the offerings and drinks, intoxicating themselves, trying each to exceed the other. The priests alone, it is said, ashamed of joining with them on this occasion, put aside their share of the wine, in order to drink it at their ease and without any witnesses.

The preceding day the hunters gathered together at one of their houses, where they brought their wives with them; the priests came also, and after having driven away the evil spirit, as usual, they placed in the center of the house the preparatives necessary to the sacrifice of incense and the new fire, with the blue color. The hunters worshiped with devotion the gods of the chase, Acanum, Zu-Jmy-Zip, Tabai, and others, and distributed the incense, which they then threw into the brazier. While they were burning, each one took an arrow and a deer's head, which the Chacs had painted blue; and thus adorned some danced, holding each other's hand, while others pierced their ears or tongue, passing through the holes which they made in them seven leaves of an herb called Ac. This completed, first the priests, and afterward the officers of the feast, presented the offerings, then they began to dance, drinking wine until they were intoxicated.

The next day it was the fishermen's turn to celebrate the feast, which they did in the same manner as the others, except that in place of the deer heads, they painted their fishing implements; they did not pierce their ears, but cut around them, after which they performed a dance called Chohom. After this, they consecrated a large tree, which they left standing upright.

When this feast was finished in the cities, it was the custom of the nobles to celebrate it with a large crowd at the sea-shore, where they held a great fishing expedition with rejoicings of every kind; for they carried