Pilgrimage, Book 8 · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
Of the Idols and Idolatrous sacrifices of New Spaine.
THe Indians (as Acosta aNaturall & morall Hist. of the Indies. lib.5. cap.3.obserueth) had no name proper vntounto God, but vse the Spanish word Dios fitting it to the accent of the Cuscan or Mexican tongues. Yet did they acknowledge a supreme power, called Vitziliputzli, terming him the Most puissant, & Lord of all things, to whom they erected at Mexico the most sumptuous Temple in the Indies. After the Supreme God they worshipped the Sunne, and therefore called Cortes (as he writ to the Emperour) Sonne of the Sunne. That Vitziliputzli bHernando Cortes. Acost. l. 5.c.9.was an Image of wood, like to a man, set vponupon an Azure-coloured stoole in a brankard or litter; at eueryevery corner was a peece of wood like a Serpents head. The stoole signified that he was set in heauen. He had the forehead Azure, and a band of Azure vnderunder the nose, from one eare to the other. VponUpon his head he had a rich plume of feathers, couered on the top with gold: he had in his left hand a white target, with the figures of fiue Pine Apples, made of white feathers, set in a Crosse; and from aboue issued forth a crest of gold: At his sides hee had foure Darts, which, the Mexicans say, had beene sent from heauen. In his right hand he had an Azured staffe, cut in fashion of a wauing Snake. All these ornaments had their mysticall sense. The name of Vitziliputzli signifies the left hand of a shining feather. Hee was set vponupon an high Altar in a small boxe, well couered with linnen clothes, iewells, feathers, and ornaments of gold: and for the greater veneration he had alwaies a curtaine before him. Ioyning to the Chappell of this Idoll, there was a pillar of lesse worke and not so well beautified, where there was another Idoll called Tlaloc. These two were alwaies together, for that they held them as Companions, and of equall power. There was an other Idol in Mexico much esteemed, which was the cGemor part 1 calls him the God of Prouidence.God of Repentance, and of Iubilees and Pardons for their sinnes. He was called Tezcallipuca, made of a black shining stone, attyred after their manner, with some Ethnike deuises: it had eare-rings of gold and siluer, and through the neather lip a small Canon of Crystall, halfe a foot long, in which they sometimes put an Azure feather, sometimes a greene, so resembling a Turqueis or Einerald: it had the haire bound vp with a haire-lace of gold, at the end whereof did hang an eare of gold, with two fire-brands of smoke painted therein, signifying that he heard the prayers of the afflicted, and of sinners. Betwixt the two eares hung a number of small Herons. He had a iewell hanging at his neck, so great that it couered all his stomack: vponupon his armes, bracelets of gold; at his nauill a rich greene stone, and in his left hand a fanne of pretious feathers of greene, azure, and yellow, which came forth of a looking glasse of gold, signifying that he saw all things done in the world. In his right hand hee held foure Darts as the ensignes of his iustice, for which cause they feared him most. At his festiuall they had pardon of their sinnes. They accompted him the God of Famine, drought, barrennesle, and pestilence. They painted him in another forme, sitting in great maiestie on a stoole, compassed in with a red Cu…in, painted and wrought with the heads and bones of dead men. In the lest hand was a Target with fiue Pines, like vntounto Pine-Apples, of Cotton; and in the right hand a little Dart, with a threatning countenance, and the arme stretched out, as if he would call it: and from the Target came foure Darts. The countenance expressed anger, the bodie was all painted black, and the head full of quailes feathers. Quecalc uatl was their God of the Aire.
In Cholula dCholula.they worshipped the God of Merchandise, called Quetzaalcoalt, which had the forme of a man, but the visage of a little Bird with a red bill, & aboue, a combe full of warts, hauing also ranks of teeth, and the tongue hanging out. It carryed on the head a pointed Mitre of painted paper, a sithe in the hand, and many toyes of gold on the legs: it had about it gold, siluer, iewells, feathers, and habits of diuers colours: and was set aloft in a spacious place in the Temple. All this his furniture was significant. The name importeth Colour of a rich feather. No maruell if this God had many suters, seeing Gaine is both God and godlinesse to the most; the whole world admiring and adoring this Mammon or Quitzaalcoalt. Tlaloc was their God of water: to whom they sacrificed for raine.
They had also their Goddesses eGomara part. 1., the chiefe of which was Toz…. which is to say, Our Grand-mother, of which is spoken before; shee was flaied by the command of Vitziliputzli, and from hence they learned to flay men in sacrifice, and to cloth the liuing with the skins of the dead. One of the Goddesses, which they worshipped, had a sonne who was a great hunter, whom they of Tlascalla afterwards tooke for a God; being themselues addicted much to that exercise. They therefore made a great feast vntounto this Idoll as shall after follow.
They had an other strange kinde of Idoll which was not an Image, but a true Man. For they tooke a captiue, and before they sacrificed him they gaue him the name of the Idoll, to whom he should be sacrificed, apparrelling him also with the same ornaments. And during the time that this representation lasted (which was for a yeare in some feasts, six moneths in some, in others lesse) they worshipped him in the same manner, as they did their God; he in the meane time eating, drinking, and making merrie. When hee went through the streets, the people came forth to worship him, bringing their almes, with children and sick folks, that he might cure and blesse them, suffering him to doe all things at his pleasure; only hee was accompanied with ten or twelue men, lest he should flee. And he (to the end hee might bee reuerenced as hee passed) sometimes sounded on a small flute. The feast being come, this fat foole was killed, opened, and eaten.
Lopes fLop. de Gom. part.1.de Gomara writeth, that the Mexicans had two thousand Gods gThey had their Venus, & their Bacchus, and Mars, and other such Deities in Mexican appellations, as the Heathen Greekes and Romans, as after shall appeare., but the chiefe were Vitziliputzli and Tezcatlipuca. These two were accompted brethren: There was an other God who had a great Image placed on the top of the Idolls chappell, made all of that Countrie seedes, ground, and made into past, tempered with childrens bloud, and Virgins sacrificed, whose hearts were plucked out of their opened breasts, and offered as first fruits to that Idoll. It was consecrated by the Priests with great solemnitie, all the Citizens being present, many deuout persons sticking in the dowie Image gold and iewells: after which consecration no secular person may touch that Image, nor come in his Chappell. They renew this Image with new dow many times, and O ter… quater… blessed man he, that can get any reliques of him. The Souldiers thought themselues hereby safe in the warres.
At this consecration also a Vessell of water was hallowed with many ceremonies, and kept at the foot of the Altar for the Kings coronation, and to blesse the Captaines that went to the warres, with a draught of it.
Next after their Gods it followeth to speake of their hAcosta. 15.Goddesse sacrifices: wherein they surmounted all the Nations of the world in beastly butcheries. The persons they sacrificed were iSo (some say) from the like practise of the Ancients Victi…a was so called, & bustia quasi a victe, & ab bostecaptiues: to get which, they made their warres, rather seeking in their victories to take then to kill. Their manner of Sacrificing was this. They assembled such as should be sacrificed in the Pallisadoe of dead mens skulls, of which wee shall after speake, where they vsed a certaine ceremonie at the foot of the Palisado; they placed a great guard about them. Presently there stept forth a Priest attyred with a short surplesse full of tassels beneath, who came from the top of the Temple, bearing an Idoll made of Wheat & Mays mingled with bony, which had the eies thereof made of greene glasse, and the teeth of the graines of Mays. He descended the steps of the Temple with all speede, and ascended by a little ladder vp a great stone, planted vponupon a high terrasse in the midst of the Court. This stone was called Quauxi-ca…, that is, the stone of Eagle: as he went vp and came downe, still he embraced his Idoll. Then went hee vp to the place, where those were which should bee sacrificed, shewing his Idoll to eueryevery one in particular, saying vntounto them, this is your God. This done, he descended by the other side of the staires, and all such as should die, went in Procession to the place where they should be sacrificed, where they found the Ministers readie for that office. Six of the Priests were appointed to this execution; foure to hold the handes and feet of him that should be sacrificed, the fift to hold his head, the sixt to open his stomack, and pull out his heart. They called them Chachalmna, that is, the Ministers of holy thinges. It was a high dignitie wherein they succeeded their Progenitours.
The sixt, which killed the Sacrifice, was as a high Priest, or Bishop, whose name was different according to the difference of times and solemnities. Their habits also differed according to the times. The name of their chiefe dignitie was Papa and Topilzm. Their habite and robe was a red Curtaine with tassells below, a Crowne of rich feathers, Greene, White, and Yellow, vponupon his head; and at his eares like pendants of gold, wherein were set greene stones, and vnderunder the lippe vponupon the midst of the beard, he had a peece like vntounto a small Canon of an Azured stone.
The sacrificer came with his face and handes shining black: the other fiue had their haire much curled, and tyed vp with laces of leather, bound about the midst of the head: vponupon their forehead they carried small roundelets of paper painted about with diuers colours, and they were attyred in a Dalmatike robe of white wrought with black, in this attyre representing the Deuill. The Soueraigne Priest carried a great knife in his hand of a large and sharpe flint, an other carried a coller of wood wrought in forme of a Snake, all put themselues in order before a Pyramidall stone which was directly against the dore of the Chappel of their Idoll. This stone was so pointed, that the man which was to bee sacrificed, being laied thereon vponupon his back, did bend in such sort, as letting the knife but fall vponupon his stomack, it opened very easily in the middest. Then did the guard cause them to mount vp certaine large staires in ranke to this place, and as eueryevery one came in their order, the six sacrificers tooke him, one by one foot, an other by the other; and one by one hand, an other by the other, all naked, and cast him on his back vponupon this pointed stone: where the fift of them put the coller of wood about his neck, and the high Priest opened his stomack with the knife with a strange dexteritie and nimblenesse, pulling out his heart with his handes, the which hee shewed smoking vntounto the Sunne, to whom hee did offer this heat and fume of the heart: and presently he turned towards the Idoll, and did cast the heart at his face, & then cast away the body, tumbling it downe the staires of the Temple, there being not two foot space betwixt the stone and the first step. In this sort they sacrificed them all one after another. Their Masters, or such as had taken them, tooke vp the bodies and carryed them away, and diuiding them amongst them, did eate them. There were euer fortie or fiftie, at the least, thus sacrificed. The neighbour Nations did the like, imitating the Mexicans in this sacred Butcherie.
There was another kinde of Sacrifice, which they made in diuers feasts, called Racaxipe Velitzli which is as much as the flaying of men, because they flayed the sacrifice (as is said) and there with apparelled a man appointed to that end. This man iGomara saith, that the ancient persons, & sometimes the King himselfe, would put on this skinne, being of a principall Captiue.went dancing and leaping through all the houses and market places of the Citie, eueryevery one being forced to offer something vntounto him: which, if any refused, he would strike him ouer the face with the corner of the skinne, defiling him with the congealed bloud. This continued till the skinne did stinke, during which time much almes was gathered, which they imployed in necessaries for their deuotions. In many of these Feasts they made a challenge betweene him that did sacrifice, and him that should bee sacrificed, thus: They tyed the slaue by one foot to a wheele of stone, giuing him a sword and target in his handes to defend himselfe: then stepped forth the other armed in like manner. And if hee that should bee sacrificed, defended himselfe valiantly against the other, hee was freed, and was reputed a famous Captaine: but if hee were vanquished, he was sacrificed on that stone whereto he was tyed.
They eueryevery yeare gaue one slaue to the Priests, to represent their Idoll. At his first entrie into the office, after hee had beene well washed they adorned him with the Idols ornaments and name, as before is said: and if hee escaped before his time of Sacrifice was expired, the chiefe of his guard was substituted to that representation, and Sacrifice. He had the most honourable lodging in all the Temple, where hee did eate and drinke, and whither all the chiefe Ministers came to serue and honour him: he was accompanied with Noble men through the streets. At night they put him into a strong prison, and at the appointed feast sacrificed him.
The Deuill (a *Ioh.3.44,Murtherer from the beginning) suggested to the Priests, when there seemed defect of these Sacrifices, to goe to their Kings, telling them that their Gods dyed for hunger, and therefore should be remembred. Then assembled they their people to warres to furnish their bloudie Altars.
There happened a strange accident in one of these Sacrifices, reported by men worthie of credit, That the Spaniards beholding these Sacrifices, a yong man whose heart was newly plucked out, and himselfe tumbled downe the staires, when he came to the botome, he said to the Spaniards in his language; Knights they hauehave slaine mee. The Indians themselues grew wearie of these cruell Rites, and therefore they easily embraced the Spaniards Christianitie: Yea, Cortes writ to the Emperour Charles, that those of Mechoa…an sent to him for his law, being wearie of their owne, as not seeming good vntounto them.
Some of the Spaniards kLop.de Com. part.1.were thus sacrificed at Tescuco, and their horse-skinnes tanned in the haire, and hung vp with the horse-shooes in the great Temple, and next to them the Spaniards garments, for a perpetuall memorie. At the siege of Mexico, they sacrificed at one time, in sight of their Countrie-men, fortie Spaniards.
The lAcost.l.5.c.27Mexicans, besides their cruelties, had other vn-beseeming Rites in their Religion: as to eate and drinke to the name of their Idolls, to pisse in the honour of them, carrying them vponupon their shoulders, to annoint and besmeare themselues filthily, and other things, both ridiculous and lamentable.
They mGom.pa.398were so deuout in their superstitions, and superstitious in their deuotions, that before they would eate or drinke, they would take a little quantitie and offer it to the Sunne, and to the Earth. And if they gather Corne, Fruit, or Roses, they would take a leafe before they would smell it, and offer the same: he which did not thus, was accompted neither louing nor loued of God.
The Mexicans in the siege of their Citie, being brought to all extremities, spake thus, as Lopes reporteth, vntounto Cortes; Considering that thou art the child of the Sunne, why doest not thou intreat the Sunne thy Father to make an end of vsus: O Sunne that canst goe round about the world in a day and a night, make an end of vsus, and take vsus out of this miserable life, for we desire death, to goe and rest with our God Quercanath, who tarryeth for vsus.