RIG VEDA AMERICANA
I. _Vitzilopochtli icuic._
1. Vitzilopuchi, yaquetlaya, yyaconay, ynohuihuihuia: anenicuic,
tociquemitla, 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.
_Var._ 6. This verse is omitted in the Medicean MS.
_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, tociquemitl. 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 ticatl 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._, can 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._
1. Huitzilopochtli is first in rank, no one, no one is like unto him:
not vainly do I sing (his praises) coming forth in the garb of our
ancestors; I shine; I glitter.
2. He is a terror to the Mixteca; he alone destroyed the
Picha-Huasteca, he conquered them.
3. The Dart-Hurler is an example to the city, as he sets to work. He
who commands in battle is called the representative of my God.
4. When he shouts aloud he inspires great terror, the divine hurler,
the god turning himself in the combat, the divine hurler, the god
turning himself in the combat.
5. Amanteca, gather yourselves together with me in the house of war
against your enemies, gather yourselves together with me.
6. Pipiteca, gather yourselves together with me in the house of war
against your enemies, gather yourselves together with me.
_Notes._
Huitzilopochtli was the well-known war-god of the Azteca, whose
functions are described by Sahagun (_Historia_, Lib. I., cap. 1) and
many other writers. The hymn here given is probably the _tlaxotecuyotl_,
which was chanted at the celebration of his feast in the fifteenth month
of the Mexican calendar (see Sahagun, _Historia_, Lib. II., cap. 34).
The word means “his glory be established.” It was commenced at sunset
and repeated till sunrise.
1. “In the garb of our ancestors” (_to-citli-quemitl_). The high
priest appeared in the insignia of Quetzalcoatl, which, says Sahagun,
“were very gorgeous.” (_Hist._, Lib. II., Appendix.)
2. Mixteca, plural of Mixtecatl, an inhabitant of Mixtecapan, near the
Pacific. The Huasteca, a nation of Maya lineage, lived on the Gulf
coast.
3. The god was called the Hurler, as he was believed to hurl the
lightning serpent (the _xiuhcoatl_).
5. Sahagun recites the legends about the Amanteca (_Historia_, Lib.
IX., cap. 18). Here the name refers to the inhabitants of the quarter
called Amantlan.
6. _Pipiteca_, a _nomen gentile_, referring doubtless to a certain
class of the hearers.
This hymn may be compared to another, descriptive of the same divinity,
preserved in Sahagun’s MS. in Madrid. It is as follows, with my
translation by its side.
Vitzilopuchtli Huitzilopochtli,
Can maceualli Only a subject,
Can tlacatl catca. Only a mortal was.
Naualli A magician,
Tetzauitl A terror,
Atlacacemelle A stirrer of strife,
Teixcuepani A deceiver,
Quiyocoyani in yaoyotl A maker of war,
Yautecani An arranger of battles,
Yautlatoani; A lord of battles;
Ca itechpa mitoaya And of him it was said
Tepan quitlaza That he hurled
In xiuhcoatl His flaming serpent,
Immamalhuaztli His fire stick;
Quitoznequi yaoyotl Which means war,
Teoatl tlachinolli. Blood and burning;
Auh iniquac ilhuiq’xtililoya And when his festival was celebrated,
Malmicouaya Captives were slain,
Tlaaltilmicoaya Washed slaves were slain,
Tealtilaya impochteca. The merchants washed them.
Auh inic mochichiuaya: And thus he was arrayed:
Xiuhtotonacoche catca With head-dress of green feathers,
Xiuhcoanauale Holding his serpent torch,
Xiuhtlalpile Girded with a belt,
Matacaxe Bracelets upon his arms,
Tzitzile Wearing turquoises,
Oyuvale. As a master of messengers.
When in Florence, in 1889, I had an accurate copy made of the Nahuatl
text and all the figures of the first book of Sahagun’s History. The
colored figure of Huitzilopochtli is in accordance with the above
description.
(Daniel Garrison Brinton)
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