Mexican and Central American antiquities, calendar systems, and history; . ound also in theZapotec country; and, as I have stated above, children in particularwere sacrificed to the rain god among both the Mexicans and theZapotecs. A god Avhom the dictionary calls Pitao-Cozobi, god of the har-vests (dios de las mif^ses), appears to have stood in a certain rela-tion to the rain god. Human sacrifices were also made to him, andthe people sacrificed to him were called peni-nije, peni-quij-nije, orpeni-cocijo. A special ceremony relating to the increase of the fruits of thefield was recorded from t
Mexican and Central American antiquities, calendar systems, and history; . ound also in theZapotec country; and, as I have stated above, children in particularwere sacrificed to the rain god among both the Mexicans and theZapotecs. A god Avhom the dictionary calls Pitao-Cozobi, god of the har-vests (dios de las mif^ses), appears to have stood in a certain rela-tion to the rain god. Human sacrifices were also made to him, andthe people sacrificed to him were called peni-nije, peni-quij-nije, orpeni-cocijo. A special ceremony relating to the increase of the fruits of thefield was recorded from the village of Quiecolani. Father Burgoarelates ^ that at the time of harvesting in this village, which wasfamed throughout the province for the quantity, size, and superiorityof its maize, the ear Avhich was the largest, fullest, and most conspicu-ous for its beauty and the perfection of its kernels Avas selected, andthis Avas honored Avith demonstrations of all kinds; for thcA- said Arte del idioma zapoteco, p. 215. Jiian de Cordova. Arte, p. 215. Work cited, chap. seler] DEITIES AND RELIGIOUS CONCEPTIONS 301 that in it the god was present who had fnrnished them with every-thing besides, and, as the abode of the god, they, with much burningof incense, addressed worship and prayers to it while they phiced itui)right on an altar and honored it Avith songs and merry dressed it in clothes, which were made according to itsmeasure, and hung upon it small green stones which were theirjewels, and after they had offered it sacrifice it was rolled in awdiite cotton cloth and thus preserved. When the season for plow-ing the land and planting the seed returned they notified andsummoned the priests, and the foremost men of the village assem-bled in the house where the gaily decked ear of maize w^as kept, andafter repeating the heathenish ceremonies in its honor they beggedits permission to carry it out to watch over the fields; and then apriest took it, rolled it in a clea
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectmayas, bookyear1904
