Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 1.djvu/746

Rh 704 AMERICA [TRADITIONAL HISTORY. It is stated that many centuries before the Christian era, Votan, the oldest of the American legislators, established himself in the region watered by the rivers Tabasco and Usumasinta. It is near the sources of this latter river, in the highlands of Vera Paz, that cities of civilised Indians still exist, according to travellers who have recently visited the adjoining districts. However this may be, this river was the principal highway into the interior of Central America for the earliest civilised tribes, as it is now for the existing natives. Near the mouths of the rivers mentioned the ground is scarcely above the level of the sea, and is foi the most part a recent alluvial formation. During the rainy season it is covered with water, and all intercourse between village and village takes place by water. Just where the land acquires a slight rise, Palenque, said to be the oldest city in Central America, was founded. At this time, according to the tradition, the low land was occupied by a lake. Votan, it seems, came from some foreign land, and found the whole of the country from Darien to California occupied by a barbarous people, who used the skins of wild beasts for clothing, caverns and huts made with branches for shelter, and wild fruits and roots, with raw flesh, for food. Votan announced to these people a knowledge of the Supreme Deity, who was at first worshipped as the God &quot;of all truth.&quot; At first no temples or altars were dedicated to him, and it was not until long after that Nezahualcoyotl erected a teocalli, or &quot; house of God,&quot; as it means in the Mexican language, and dedicated it &quot; to the unknown God.&quot; At a later period the religious ideas were considerably debased. In Votan s time there seems to have been but one language prevalent over a large area, and this language was probably the Maya, which is the stock of many of the languages formerly in use among the natives, and is still the language of Yucatan. The people apparently formed tribes differing somewhat in manners, the most prominent of which tribes are referred to as the Quinames or giants. Votan and his companions arrived in large ships, wore long flowing garments, and spoke the Nahuatl language. These strangers married the daughters of the country, and established a settled form of government. According to one document, the year 955 B.C. is assigned to these events; but it is quite imprac ticable to give any trustworthy fixed date. Votan, it is said, wrote an account of the origin of the Indians, and of their immigration into America. He attempted to prove that they were the descendants of linos, of the race of Chan, or the serpent. Votan made four voyages to his original country, and described the route he followed. On one of these voyages he visited the dwelling of the thirteen serpents, as also the ruins of an old building which had been erected by men for the purpose of reaching heaven. The people who lived in its vicinity told him it was the place where God had given to each family its particular language. Allusion is also made by him to certain mysteries like those of Egypt and Greece, of which traces were still discoverable amongst the civilised nations of America. On returning from his first voyage to his native country he found the people at Palenque had attempted to usurp his authority and overturn his power. Thereupon, he parted his monarchy into four divisions. One of these had for its capital the town of Tulha, the ruins of which may be seen near Ocosingo in Chiapa. Votan also is the reputed founder of Tscquil, which was afterwards called Ghowel, and the site of which is now occupied by a suburb of Ciudad Heal. Some time, pos sibly not many years, after Votan, Zamna appeared in Yucatan. He introduced the Maya civilisation, founded the town of Mayapan, and called the country Maayha, or land without water, a term well applied to the extremity of the peninsula of Yucatan, where rivers aro almost absent. Mayapan was once the capital of Yucatan, and in Zamna a time the sea covered the country to within a short distance of it. He lived to a great age, and during the later years of his life dwelt on the sea-coast, and was turied at this place. The spot became the site of a large temple erected to his honour, which was visited by pilgrims from great distances. A town sprung up around it called Itzamal, which is believed to correspond with the modern Isamal, now about 30 miles distant from the sea. The region to seaward is reported to be geologically very recent as land, and the remarkable absence of names of any antiquity in a country where almost every locality has its appellation is some confirmation of the traditions. The architectural character of the oldest towns also lends some support to the considerable antiquity claimed for them. The forest-covered ruins of Mexico and Central America present so many different architectural styles that it seems very probable they were built at different periods and by different people. Those which appear to be the oldest, and which are most uniform in style, are the substructures in Mayapan, some of the buildings in Tulha, many of those iu. Palenque, and others which occur in the country of the Lacandons. The names of the successors to Votan are mentioned, but without details. One of the last of the dynasty was Chinax, in whose reign mention is made of the Nahuatl people. Not long after his death, this people, who were called Nahoas or Toltecs, obtained the dominion of the country, and the throne was occupied by Nahoa princes. They originally came from Huehue-Tlapallan (but where this country was situated is not known), having been induced to leave it in consequence of a revolution. This event seems to have occurred shortly before the Christian era. The journey to America from their native country was a long and painful one, and indicates that seas and lands intervened between them. The traditions report it to be in the far east, and that the first comers filled seven ships and disembarked at Tampico, near the mouth of the Panuco. The leader of the band bore the title of Quetzalcohuatl, and was the first known by that name. They then coasted along the shore as far as Tamoanclia, which place was evidently somewhere near the mouth of the Tabasco. In this district there was a tradition in the time of the Spaniards that twenty illustrious chiefs from the east landed there many centuries before, who had long flowing garments and large beards, of whom the principal was Cukulcan, a name which has the same meaning as Quetzalcohuatl. Quetzalcohuatl and his comrades soon obtained possession of the capital of the country, Xibalba, which is believed to be the same as Palenque. Their success induced others of the Nahoa nation to join the first colonists, and their power gradually spread over a large portion of Central America. The strangers, however, met with considerable resistance from the princes of Xibalba, who compelled the Nahoa to leave their country and disperse themselves over the surrounding region. This dispersion is stated to have occurred in A.D. 174. Before this date, the lunar calendar, so prevalent among the civilised nations of America, was introduced. It was one of these parties of Nahoa that established itself in Mexico, and founded many of the more im portant cities. They were called Olmeques, and were led by Olmecatl and Xelhua. The latter was one of Quetzal- cohuatl s companions, and was once shipwrecked along with him. In order to commemorate his delivery he erected the great pyramid of Cholullan. Before the arrival of the Olmeques the valley of Mexico was inhabited by the Quinames or giants, and they continued to dwell in the mountains around for centuries after they had been driven from their native valley. The Totonacs, Mixtecas, and Othomis were the contemporaries, or possibly the