Preface.

In accordance with the general object of this series of volumes—which is to furnish materials for study rather than to offer completed studies—I have prepared for this number the text of the most ancient authentic record of American religious lore. From its antiquity and character, I have ventured to call this little collection the Rig Veda Americanus, after the similar cyclus of sacred hymns, which are the most venerable product of the Aryan mind.

As for my attempted translation of these mystic chants I offer it with the utmost reserve. It would be the height of temerity in me to pretend to have overcome difficulties which one so familiar with the ancient Nahuatl as Father Sahagun intimated were beyond his powers. All that I hope to have achieved is, by the aid of the Gloss—and not always in conformity to its suggestions—to give a general idea of the sense and purport of the originals.

The desirability of preserving and publishing these texts seems to me to be manifest. They reveal to us the undoubtedly authentic spirit of the ancient religion; they show us the language in its most archaic form; they preserve references to various mythical cycli of importance to the historian; and they illustrate the alterations in the spoken tongue adopted in the esoteric dialect of the priesthood. Such considerations will, I trust, attract the attention of scholars to these fragments of a lost literature.

In the appended Vocabulary I have inserted only those words and expressions for which I can suggest correct—or, at least, probable—renderings. Others will have to be left to future investigators.

Contents.

1. Preface
2. Introduction
3. 1. Hymn of Huitzilopochtli
   2. War Song of the Huitznahuac
   3. Hymn of Tlaloc
   4. Hymn to the All-Mother
   5. Hymn to the Virgin Mother
   6. Hymn to the God of Fire
   7. Hymn of Mixcoatl
   8. Hymn to the God of Flowers
   9. Hymn to the Goddess of Artists
   10. Hymn to the God of Fishing
   11. Hymn of the Otomi Leader
   12. Hymn to the Goddess of Childbirth
   13. Hymn to the Mother of Mortals
   14. Hymn Sung at a Fast every Eight Years
   15. Hymn to a Night God
   16. Hymn to the Goddess of Food
   17. Hymn to the Gods of Wine
   18. Hymn to the Master of Waters
   19. Hymn to the God of Flowers
   20. Hymn to the God of Merchants
4. Glossary
5. Index

List of Illustrations.

Introduction.

As in a previous number of the Library of Aboriginal American Literature I have discussed in detail the character of the ancient Mexican poetry, I shall confine myself at present to the history of the present collection. We owe its preservation to the untiring industry of Father Bernardino de Sahagun, one of the earliest missionaries to Mexico, and the author of by far the most important work on the religion, manners and customs of the

By long residence and close application Sahagun acquired a complete mastery of the Nahuatl tongue. He composed his celebrated Historia de las Cosas de la Nueva España primarily in the native language, and from this original wrote out a Spanish translation, in some parts considerably abbreviated. This incomplete reproduction is that which was published in Spanish by Lord Kingsborough and Bustamente, and in a French rendering with useful notes by Dr. Jourdanet and M. Rémi Simeon.

So far as I know, the only complete copy of the Nahuatl original now in existence is that preserved in the Bibliotheca Laurentio-Mediceana in Florence, where I examined it in April, 1889. It is a most elaborate and beautiful MS., in three large volumes, containing thirteen hundred and seventy-eight illustrations, carefully drawn by hand, mostly colored, illustrative of the native mythology, history, arts and usages, besides many elaborate head and tail pieces to the chapters.

There is another Nahuatl MS. of Sahagun’s history in the private library of the King of Spain at Madrid, which I examined in May, 1888, and of which I published a collation in the Mémoires de la Sociétè Internationale des Américanistes, for that year. It is incomplete, embracing only the first six books of the Historia, and should be considered merely as a borrador or preliminary sketch for the Florentine copy. It contains, however, a certain amount of material not included in the latter, and has been peculiarly useful to me in the preparation of the present volume, as not only affording another reading of the text, valuable for comparison, but as furnishing a gloss or Nahuatl paraphrase of most of the hymns, which does not appear in the Florentine MS. As evidently the older of the two, I have adopted the readings of the Madrid MS. as my text, and given the variants of the Florentine MS. at the end of each hymn.

Neither MS. attempts any translation of the hymns. That at Madrid has no Spanish comment whatever, while that at Florence places opposite the hymns the following remarks, which are also found in the printed copies, near the close of the Appendix of the Second Book of the Historia:—

“It is an old trick of our enemy the Devil to try to conceal himself in order the better to compass his ends, in accordance with the words of the Gospel, ‘He whose deeds are evil, shuns the light.’ Also on earth this enemy of ours has provided himself with a dense wood and a ground, rough and filled with abysses, there to prepare his wiles and to escape pursuit, as do wild beasts and venomous serpents. This wood and these abysses are the songs which he has inspired for his service to be sung in his honor within the temples and outside of them; for they are so artfully composed that they say what they will, but disclose only what the Devil commands, not being rightly understood except by those to whom they are addressed. It is, in fact, well recognized that the cave, wood or abysses in which this cursed enemy hides himself, are these songs or chants which he himself composed, and which are sung to him without being understood except by those who are acquainted with this sort of language. The consequence is that they sing what they please, war or peace, praise to the Devil or contempt for Christ, and they cannot in the least be understood by other men.”

Lord Kingsborough says in a note in his voluminous work on the Antiquities of Mexico that this portion of Sahagun’s text was destroyed by order of the Inquisition, and that there was a memorandum to that effect in the Spanish original in the noble writer’s possession. This could scarcely have referred to a translation of the hymns, for none such exists in any MS. I have consulted, or heard of; and Sahagun intimates in the passage quoted above that he had made none, on account of the obscurity of the diction. Neither does any appear in the Florentine MS., where the text of the hymns is given in full, although the explanatory Gloss is omitted. This last-mentioned fact has prevented me from correcting the text of the Gloss, which in some passages is manifestly erroneous; but I have confined myself to reproducing it strictly according to the original MS., leaving its correction to those who will make use of it.

The Florentine MS. has five colored illustrations of the divinities, or their symbols, which are spoken of in the chants. These are probably copied from the native hieroglyphic books in which, as we learn from Sahagun, such ancient songs were preserved and transmitted. These illustrations I had copied with scrupulous fidelity and reproduced by one of the photographic processes, for the present work.

Such is the history of this curious document, and with this brief introduction I submit it to those who will have the patience and skill to unravel its manifold difficulties.

I. Vitzilopochtli icuic.

1. Vitzilopuchi, yaquetlaya, yyaconay, ynohuihuihuia: anenicuic, toçiquemitla, yya, ayya, yya y ya uia, queyanoca, oya tonaqui, yyaya, yya, yya.
2. Tetzauiztli ya mixtecatl, ce ymocxi pichauaztecatla pomaya, ouayyeo, ayyayya.
3. Ay tlaxotla tenamitl yuitli macoc mupupuxotiuh, yautlatoa ya, ayyayyo, noteuh aya tepanquizqui mitoaya.
4. Oya yeua uel mamauia, in tlaxotecatl teuhtla milacatzoaya, itlaxotecatl teuhtla milacatzoaya.
5. Amanteca toyauan xinechoncentlalizquiuia ycalipan yauhtiua, xinechoncentlalizqui.
6. Pipiteca toyauan xinechoncentlalizquiuia: ycalipan, yautiua, xinechoncentlalizqui.

Gloss.

1. In ivitzilopochtli ayac nouiui, id est, ayac nechneneuilia, ayac iuhqui, in iuhqui. Anenicuic, id est, amo ca nen nonicuic, in quetzali, in chalchihuitl in ixquich ynotlatqui, toçiquemitl. Queyanoca oya tonaqui, id est, onocatonat, onocatlatuit.
2. Q.n., tetzauiztli, id est, oquintetzauito, in mixteca inic oquiyaochiuhqui: oquimanilito in imicxi in pichauazteca, ioan in mixteca.
3. Ay tlaxotla tenamitl, q.n., quitepeua inin tena in aquique yauchiuallo. Iuitli macoc, q.n., oncan quitema in tiçatl in ihuitl. Mopopuxotiuh yauhtlatuaya, q.n., inic mopopuxoticalaqui yauc, ioan, q.n., yeuatl quitemaca y yauyutl quitemaceualtia, tepanquizqui, mitoayaqui yehuatl quichioa yauyutl.
4. Oya yeua huel mamauia, q.n., çan oc momamauhtiaya in aya momochiua yauyutl. Teuhtla milacatzoaya q.n., in noteuh in opeuh yauyutl, aocac momauhtica iniquac ynoteuhtli moquetza ynoteuhtica tlayoa(lli).
5. Amanteca toyauan, q.n., yn iyaoan yn aquique in cani omocentlalique ca in calipan in yautioa ca tlatlaz ynin cal.
6. Pipiteca, toyaoan, xinechoncentlalizque, q.n., in pipiteca y yaoan mochiuhque. Yn calla in mochiua yauyutl in i calipan.

Translation.
The Hymn of Huitzilopochtli.

Notes.

II. Uitznaoac yautl icuic.

1. Ahuia tlacochcalco notequioa ayayui nocaquia tlacatl, ya nechyapinauia, ayaca nomati, nitetzauiztli, auia, ayaca nomati niya, yautla, aquitoloc tlacochcalco notequioa, iuexcatlatoa ay nopilchan.
2. Ihiya quetl tocuilechcatl quauiquemitl nepapan oc uitzetla.
3. Huia oholopa telipuchtla, yuiyoc yn nomalli, ye nimauia, ye nimauia, yuiyoc yn nomalli.
4. Huia uitznauac telepochtla yuiyoc, yn nomalli, ye nimauia, ye nimauia yuiyoc, ynomalli.
5. Huia ytzicotla telipochtla, yuiyoc, yn nomalli, ye nimauia, ye nimauia, yuiyoc yn nomalli.
6. Uitznauac teuaqui, machiyotla tetemoya, ahuia oyatonac, yahuia oyatonac, machiyotla tetemoya.
7. Tocuilitla teuaqui, machiyotla tetemoya, ahuia oyatonac, yahuia oyatonac uia, machiyotla tetemoya.

The War Song of the Huitznahuac.

Notes.

III. Tlalloc icuic.

1. Ahuia Mexico teutlaneuiloc amapanitla anauhcampa, ye moquetzquetl, aoyequene y chocaya.
2. Ahuia anneuaya niyocoloc, annoteua eztlamiyaual, aylhuiçolla nic yauicaya teutiualcoya.
3. Ahuia annotequiua naualpilli aquitlanella motonacayouh tic yachiuh quitla catlachtoquetl, çan mitziyapinauia.
4. Ahuia cana catella nechyapinauia anechyaca uelmatia, anotata yn oquacuillo ocelocoatl aya.
5. Ahuia tlallocana, xiuacalco aya quizqui aquamotla, acatonalaya.
6. Ahuia xiyanouia, nahuia xiyamotecaya ay poyauhtla, ayauh chicauaztica, ayauicalo tlallocanaya.
7. Aua nacha tozcuecuexi niyayalizqui aya y chocaya.
8. Ahuia queyamica xinechiuaya, temoquetl aitlatol, aniquiya ilhuiquetl, tetzauhpilla niyayalizqui aya y chocaya.
9. Ahuia nauhxiuhticaya itopanecauiloc ayoc ynomatia, ay motlapoalli, aya ximocaya ye quetzalcalla nepanauia ay yaxcana teizcaltequetl.
10. Ahuia xiyanouia, ahuia xiyamotequaya ay poyauhtla, ayauh chicauaztlica ayauicallo tlalloca.

Gloss.

1. Auia Mexico teutlanauiloc, q.n., yn Mexico onetlanauiloc in tlaloc. Amapanitl annauhcampa ye moquetzquetl, q.n., amapanitl nauhcampa omoquequetz. Aoyeque naichocaya, id est, itlaocuyaya.
2. Auia anneuaya niyocoloc, q.n., ynehuatl ni tlalloc oniyocoloc. Annoteua eztlamiyaual, q.n., noteu eztlamiyaualtitiuh. Aylhuiçolla, q.n., yn umpa ilhuiçololo. Inic yauicaya teuitualcoya, q.n. in teuitualoc.
3. Auia annotequiua naualpilli, q.n. in tinoteuh naualpilli, i.e., tlalloc. Aquitlanella motonacayouh, q.n., ca nelli teuatl ticmochiuilia in motonacayouh. Catlachtoquetl, q.n., teuatl ticmochiuilia auh in aquin timitzpinauia.
4. Ahuia cana catella nechyapinauia, q.n., catel nechpinauia ca monechuelmati. Annotata ynoquacuillo ocelocoatl aya, q.n., yn notaua ioan yna quacuiloa yn oceloquacuili.
5. Ahuia tlallocana xiuacalco, q.n., in tlalocan xiuhcalco, id est, acxoyacalco. Ayaquizqui, q.n., umpa ualquizque. Aquamotla acatonalaya, q.n., y notauan yn oquacuiloan acatonal.
6. Ahuia xicanouia nauia xiyamotecaya, q.n., xiuian ximotecati. Ay poyauhtlan, q.n., in umpa poyauhtlan tepeticpac. Ayauh chicauaztica ayauicalo tlalocana, q.n., ayauh chicauaztica in auicalo tlalocan.
7. Aua nach tozcuecuexi niyayalizqui, q.n., y nach tozcuecuex y ye niauh niman ye choca.
8. Ahuia queyamica xinechiuaya, q.n., quenamican y ya niauh aço anechtemozque. Aniquiya ilhuiquetl tetzapilla niyayalizqui ayaichocaya, q.n., onquilhui yn tetzapilli ye niyauh niman ye choca.
9. Ahuia nauhxiuhticaya nitopanecauiloc, q.n., nauhxiuhtica in topanecauiloz, id est, in tepan mochiuaz. Ayoc inomatia ay motlapoalli, q.n., aocmo nomatia iniquin motlapoalpan. Ca oximoac ye quetzalcalla nepanauia, q.n., ye qualcan ye netlamachtiloyan ynemca. Ay yaxcana teizcaltiquetl, q.n., iniaxca inic oteizcalli.
10. Ahuia xiyanouia, q.n., xiuia. Auia xiya motecaya ay poyauhtla, q.n., ximotecati in umpa poyauhtla. Ayauh chicauaztica auicallo tlalocan, q.n., ayauh chicauaztica in auicallo in umpa tlallocan.

The Hymn of Tlaloc.

Notes.

In v. 8 the expression tetzauhpilli (tetzauhqui, to frighten) may be explained by the figure of Tlaloc, whose statue, says Duran, was that of un espantable monstruo, la cara muy fea (ibid.).

The compound in v. 10, nauhxiuhtica, “after four years,” appears to refer to the souls of the departed brave ones, who, according to Aztec mythology, passed to the heaven for four years and after that returned to the terrestrial Paradise,—the palace of Tlaloc. (See my paper, The Journey of the Soul, in Proceedings of the Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Philadelphia, 1883.)

IV. Teteuynan ycuic.

1. Ahuiya coçauic xochitla oya cueponca yeua tonana teumechaue moquiçican tamoanchan, auayye, auayya, yyao, yya, yyeo, aye ayo, ayy ayyaa.
2. Coçauic xochitla oya moxocha yeua tonana, teumechaue, moquiçica tamoanchan, ouayye, auayya, yyao, yya, yyeo, ayo aye, ayya, ayyaa.
3. Ahuia iztac xochitla, oya cueponca yeua tonana teumechaue moquiçica tamoanchan, ouayye, auayya, yyao yya, yyeo, ayeaye, ayya ayyaa.
4. Ahuiya iztac xochitla oya moxocha yeua tonana teumechaue moquiçica tamoanchan, ouayye, auayya, yyao, yya, yyeo, aye aye, ayya ayyaa.
5. Ahuia ohoya teutl ca teucontli paca tona aya, itzpapalotli, auayye, yyao, yya, yyeo, ayyaa.
6. Ao, auatic ya itaca chicunauixtlauatla maçatl yyollo, ica mozcaltizqui tonan tlaltecutli, ayao, ayyao, ayyaa.
7. Aho, ye yancuic tiçatla ye yancuic yuitla oya potoniloc yn auicacopa acatl xamontoca.
8. Aho maçatl mochiuhca teutlalipan mitziya noittaco, yeua xiuhnello, yeua mimichan.

Gloss.

1. Q.n., in tonan ocueponya umpa oalquiz yn tamoanchan.
2. Q.n., in amona ca izcui yn xochiuh ca umpa oquiz yn tmoanchan.
3. Q.n. In tonan ocuepo in umpa oquiz tamoanchan.
4. Q.n., in amona iztac in oxochiuh yn umpa oniquiz tamoanchan.
5. Q.n., in tonan ca teucumitl icpac in quiz yn itzpapalotl.
6. Q.n., in tonan ixtlauan in mozcaltito auh inic mozcalti macatl y yollo y yeua tonan tlaltecutli.
7. Q.n., auh inic potoniloc, tonan, yancuic tiçatl ioan yancuic yn iuitl, auh nauhcampa quite ynacatl.
8. Q.n., in macatl yeuan can iliaya yn ixtlauacan yuhqui inic quic noitayan y yeuatl inimich ioan in xiuhnel.

Hymn to the Mother of the Gods.

Notes.

V. Chimalpanecatl icuic ioan tlaltecaua (nanotl).

1. Ichimalipan chipuchica ueya, mixiuiloc yautlatoaya, ichimalipan chipuchica ueya, mixiuiloc yautlatoa.
2. Coatepec tequiua, tepetitla moxayaual teueuel aya quinelli moquichtiuiui tlalli cuecuechiuia aqui moxayaual teueuella.

Gloss.

1. Q.n., yautlatolli ipa omixiuh ynanotl chimalipan in omixiuh, id est, ipa oquitlacatilli ynanotl in uitzilopochtli y yauyutl.
2. Q.n., coatepec otepeuh tepetitla yc moxaual ioan y teueuel, id est, ichimal ic otepeuh aocac omoquichquetz iniquac peualoque coatepec a iniquac otlalli cuecuechiuh, id est, iquac opopoliuhque.

Hymn to Chimalipan in Parturition.

Notes.

VI. Ixcoçauhqui icuic.

1. Huiya tzonimolco notauane ye namech maya pinauhtiz, tetemoca ye namech maya pinauhtiz.
2. Xonca mecatla notecua icçotl mimilcatoc chicueyocan naualcalli nauali temoquetlaya.
3. Huiya tzonimolco cuicotipeuhque, aya tzonimolco cuicotipeuhque, aya iztleica naual moquizcauia, iztlauan naual moquizca.
4. Huia tzonimolco maceualli maya temacouia, oya tonaqui, oya tonaqui maceualli, maya temacouiya.
5. Huiya tzonimolco xoxolcuicatl cacauantoc ya ayouica mocuiltonoaci tontecuitl moteicnelil mauiztli.
6. Huiya ciuatontla xatenonotza, ayyauhcalcatl quiyauatla, xatenonotza.

Gloss.

1. Q.n., yn itzonmolcatl notauane ye nemechpinauhtiz nachcan nochan tetemoan, ye nemechpinauhtiz.
2. Q.n., yn mecatla amo tecuhuan in oncan icçotl mimilcatoc ueyaquixtoc icçotl uncan in temoc in chicueyocan.
3. Q.n., yn tzonmolco otipeuhque macuico yn tzonmolco macuico otipeuhque tleica in amo anualquiça tleica yn ayaualquiça.
4. Q.n., yn tzonmolco otonac auh in omaceualhoan xinechinacaqui notechpouizque yn enetoltiloyan.
5. Q.n., yn cuicatl tzomolco ca ye cauani in aic necuiltonollo netotilo in tetecuti yeua moteicnelil ca mauiztic.
6. Q.n., yn ciuatontli xitenonotza in quiauat ayauhcalcatl, id est, in ticiuatontli xitenonotza.

Hymn to Ixcoçauhqui.

Notes.