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226 with the blue color; they incensed it several times and invoked the Chacs with prayers and ceremonies, offering them many gifts. At the close, they rejoiced, eating and drinking the oblations, full of confidence in the result of their invocations for this year.

N.—The month Muan. During the month Muan the proprietors of the cacao plantations celebrated a feast in honor of the gods Ekchuah, Chac, and Hobnil, who were their patrons. In order to solemnize it, they went to the farm of one of their number, where they sacrificed a dog, bearing a spot of the color of cacao. They burnt incense before their idols, offering them iguanas—those which were of a blue color; feathers of a particular bird; also different kinds of game. They gave to each one of the officers a branch with the fruit of the cacao. The sacrifice completed, they set themselves to eating and drinking the offerings; but it is said that they permitted each one to drink only three cups of their wine, and they could bring only the necessary quantity. They then returned to the house of the one who bore the expenses of the feast, where they entertained themselves together.

O.—The month Pax. In the month Pax they celebrated a feast called Pacum-Chac, on which occasion the nobles and priests of the inferior boroughs assembled with those from the more important villages. Thus united they passed five nights in prayer in the temple of Cit-Chac-Coh, presenting their sacrifices with incense, as has been seen at the feast of Kukulcan in the month of Xul, in November. In commencing these five days, they returned together to the house of the general of their armies, whose title was Nacon, of which I have spoken in Chapter CI. They bore him in great pomp to the temple, burning incense before him like an idol, where they seated him. Thus they passed the five days, eating and drinking the offerings which they had presented in the temple, and executing a dance similar to a war dance, to which they gave, in their language, the name of Holkan-Ohot, which means the dance of the warrior's When the five days were passed everybody came to the feast, which, as it concerned the affairs of war and hope of obtaining the victory, was very solemn.

It was commenced with the ceremonies and sacrifices of fire, of which I have spoken in the festival in the month of Mac. Then they expel the evil spirit, as usual, which is done with much solemnity. This finished,