The earth and its inhabitants .. . r ordinary priests, inherited their officethrough the sisters line in the same way as the royal dignity. During his novi-tiate of twelve years the xeque was committed to the charge of an elderly priest ina ciica, or seminary, where the diet was limited to what was absolutely necessaryto keep body and soul together. At critical times of national danger the xcqueled a solemn procession of the people before dawn to the top of a lofty mountain,where, turning to the rising sun, he sacrificed a child captured from the victims throat was cut with a sharp r
The earth and its inhabitants .. . r ordinary priests, inherited their officethrough the sisters line in the same way as the royal dignity. During his novi-tiate of twelve years the xeque was committed to the charge of an elderly priest ina ciica, or seminary, where the diet was limited to what was absolutely necessaryto keep body and soul together. At critical times of national danger the xcqueled a solemn procession of the people before dawn to the top of a lofty mountain,where, turning to the rising sun, he sacrificed a child captured from the victims throat was cut with a sharp reed, and the blood smeared over the INHABITANTS OF COLOMBIA. 171 rocks struck by the first rays of the sun, and the body was then left to be consumedby the heat of the day. Like the Mexican priests, the xeques proclaimed every new cycle of fifteenyears with a human victim, always a young man native of a village situated on theeastern plains, whence Bochica had first made his appearance on the plateau. The Fig. —MtTYSCA victim represented the god, and in a public procession had to follow the sameroute followed by Bochica. The priests, disguised as divinities, demons, andanimals, pierced the young man with , and before his last gasp, tore outheart and entrails, which were exposed to the sun. At the advent of the Spaniards the Muysca empire was already in a state ofdecadence. The national life had been stifled by a system of rigid laws and by 172 SOUTH AMERICA—Till. ANDES REGIONS. the diviaiou of the people into exclusive social castes. Of these the first was thatof the priests, at ouce magicians, medicine-incn, judj»es, and executioners. Thencame the warriors, who during peace were ciiarged with the functions of [xiliccand the collection of the taxes. The third and fourth classes comprised the traderswith the artisans and the peasantry, who in time of war were held to militaryservice as simple soldiers, incapable of rising to the rank of chiefs. A fifth cla
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectgeography, bookyear18
