. Young folks' history of Mexico. d, the total destruc-tion of mankind if the fire bv divine interference shouldnot be permitted to kindle. The faces of the childrenwere covered, and they were not allowed to sleep, to pre-vent their being tra7isfo7med i7ito 7nice. All those who didnot go out with the jDriests mounted upon roofs and terracesto observe from thence the event of the ceremony. Upon the breast of the human victim selected for thisevent were placed two pieces of wood, and as one of thepriests gave him the fatal stab with the knife of flintanother kindled the wooden shield by friction
. Young folks' history of Mexico. d, the total destruc-tion of mankind if the fire bv divine interference shouldnot be permitted to kindle. The faces of the childrenwere covered, and they were not allowed to sleep, to pre-vent their being tra7isfo7med i7ito 7nice. All those who didnot go out with the jDriests mounted upon roofs and terracesto observe from thence the event of the ceremony. Upon the breast of the human victim selected for thisevent were placed two pieces of wood, and as one of thepriests gave him the fatal stab with the knife of flintanother kindled the wooden shield by friction, and theflame flew upwards. Then the victim and the blazing The Tying-up of Years. 123 wood were cast into a pile of combustibles, and as the flamesleaped up they were received by the assembled multitudeswith shouts of gladness. The signal fire in the mountaintop was seen all over the valley. Myriads of upturnedfaces greeted it from hills, mountains, terraces, temples,teocallis, house-tops and city-walls ; and the prostrate mul-. MEXICAN CENTURY. titudes hailed the emblem of light, life, and fruition as ablessed omen of the restored favor of their gods and thepreservation of the race for another cycle. The priestscarried the new fire to the temple, and in every temple anddwelling it was rekindled from the sacred source; andwhen the sun rose again on the following morning, thesolemn procession of priests, princes and subjects, which T24 Mexico. had taken up its march from the capital on the precedingnight, with solemn steps, returned once more to the city,and, restoring the gods to their altars, abandoned them-selves to joy and festivity, in token of gratitude and relieffrom impending doom. This was the last celebration of the festival of the sacredfire in Aztlan. Nearly eight cycles have rolled their roundsof vears since then, but at the termination of none of themhas been performed the ceremony of the tying up ofyears. At that last rejoicing, in 1506, they felt them-selves sa
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Keywords: ., bookauthoroberfred, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookyear1883
