File:The ancient cities of the New World - being travels and explorations in Mexico and Central America from 1857-1882 (1887) (14782686142).jpg

Identifier: ancientcitiesofn00char (find matches)
Title: The ancient cities of the New World : being travels and explorations in Mexico and Central America from 1857-1882
Year: 1887 (1880s)
Authors: Charnay, Désiré, 1828-1915
Subjects: Indians of Mexico Indians of Central America
Publisher: London : Chapman and Hall
Contributing Library: Getty Research Institute
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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It is by far themost wonderful monument which, up to the present time, has beenfound in America, and which we can boldly call a work of art.If we except the flat foreheads, everything is perfect in thismonument; and nothing in the early manifestations of ancientcivilisations is found more rich or better treated than this ; asseen in the hands, the head-dress, the superb mantle of thekneeling figure, the dignified, majestic mien of the standing priest.We said that this relief, and the edifice to which it belongs,were dedicated to Cukulcan, representing a religious ceremony,or rather sacrifice; for the kneeling priest has a rope passedthrough his tongue, whilst the other holds over him a hugepalm, encouraging him to go on with his penance, and this iscorroborated by Sahagun, who says: * They pierced a holewith a sharp itzli knife through the middle of the tongue, andpassed a number of twigs, according to the degree of devotion Sahagun, Historia Geaeral dc las Cosas de la Niieva Espana,
Text Appearing After Image:
STONE LINTEL, SACRIFICE TO CUKULCAN, LORILLARD CITY. 2 G 2 LoRiLLARD Town. 45, of the performer. These twigs were sometimes fastened the oneto the other and pulled through the tongue like a long cord.They were also passed through a hole in the ear, and other partsof the body ; but wherever they were passed, four hundred andeven more were used by the penitent, which done, his sins wereforgiven. Torquemada also mentions these penances : The priestsof Camaxtli and Cholula, i.e. of Ouetzalcoatl, under the super-intendence of their elder, or achcaiUli, provided themselves withsticks two feet long and the size of the fist, and with them theyrepaired to the main temple, where they fasted five days. Thencarpenters and tool-workers were brought, who were required tofast the same number of days, at the end of which they weregiven food within the precincts of the temple. The former workedthe sticks to the required size, whilst the tool-makers made knivesof obsidian, with which they cut the pries

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