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Show . / H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. 13. BEEN. 14. Hix. 17· CI.Jix. I 8. CHIN AX. 15. 'I'z.iquin. 16. Chabili 19· Cabogh. 20. .Aghual. There was no month in which the Mexicans did not celebrate fome fdl:ival or other, which was either fixed and efl:abliihed to be held en a certain day of the month, or moveable, from being annexed to fome figns which did not correfpond with the fame days in every year. The principal moveable fefl:ivals, according to Boturini, were iixteen in number, among which the fourth was that of the god of wine, and the thirteenth, that of the god of fire. With refpeCl: to thofe feftivals which were fixed, .we !hall mention as concifely as poffib1e, as much as we judge will be fuffi. ient to convey a c~mpetent idea of the re]i .. gion and the fuperllitious difpofition of the Mexicans. On the fecond day of the .firfl: month, they made a great fefl:ival to Tlaloc, accompanied with f.1crifices of children, which were purchafed for that purpofe, and a gladiatorian facrifice; thefe c:hildren, which were. purchafed, were not facrificed all at once, but fuccefiively fo, in the courfe of three months, which correfponded to thofc of March ahd April, to obtain from this god the rains which were necefiary for their maize. On the firfl: day of the fecond month, which, in the firfr year of their century, correfponded .to the 18th of March (d)> they made a moft folemn fefiival to the god Xipe, the facrifices offered 'Rt which were extremely cruel. They dragged the vittims by their hair to the upper area of the temple, where, flfter they were facri-ficed in the ufual manner, they fkinncd them, and the prietl:s clothed themfclves in their :fkins, and appeared for fomc days i11 thefe bloody coverings. The owners of prifoners that were facriiiced, were bound to faft foJJ twenty days, after which they madt! great banquets, at which they drefied the fle{h of the viCtims. 11ie fl:eal.ers of gold or filver were facrificed along with prifoners, the law of the kingdom having ordained that punifhment for them. The circumfl:ance of lkinning the (r/) ·whenever we mention the corrcfpondcncc of the Mexican months witll olll·s. it is to 'be undcr!lood of thofc of the fira ye:u· of their century. VoL. I. Q_q viCl:ims, ; • "'W' B._OO,_te_ V',l~ SEcT. XXX, Fc!li vals <1f the four firJl months. |