the golden bough-第225章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ied　as　an　incarnation　of　a　sylvan　deity；　he　had　of　old　a　parallel　at　Rome　in　the　men　who；　year　by　year；　were　slain　in　the　character　of　King　Saturn；　the　god　of　the　sown　and　sprouting　seed。

Chapter　59。　Killing　the　God　in　Mexico

BY　NO　PEOPLE　does　the　custom　of　sacrificing　the　human　representative　of　a　god　appear　to　have　been　observed　so　commonly　and　with　so　much　solemnity　as　by　the　Aztecs　of　ancient　Mexico。　With　the　ritual　of　these　remarkable　sacrifices　we　are　well　acquainted；　for　it　has　been　fully　described　by　the　Spaniards　who　conquered　Mexico　in　the　sixteenth　century；　and　whose　curiosity　was　naturally　excited　by　the　discovery　in　this　distant　region　of　a　barbarous　and　cruel　religion　which　presented　many　curious　points　of　analogy　to　the　doctrine　and　ritual　of　their　own　church。　They　took　a　captive；　says　the　Jesuit　Acosta；　such　as　they　thought　good；　and　afore　they　did　sacrifice　him　unto　their　idols；　they　gave　him　the　name　of　the　idol；　to　whom　he　should　be　sacrificed；　and　apparelled　him　with　the　same　ornaments　like　their　idol；　saying；　that　he　did　represent　the　same　idol。　And　during　the　time　that　this　representation　lasted；　which　was　for　a　year　in　some　feasts；　in　others　six　months；　and　in　others　less；　they　reverenced　and　worshipped　him　in　the　same　manner　as　the　proper　idol；　and　in　the　meantime　he　did　eat；　drink；　and　was　merry。　When　he　went　through　the　streets；　the　people　came　forth　to　worship　him；　and　every　one　brought　him　an　alms；　with　children　and　sick　folks；　that　he　might　cure　them；　and　bless　them；　suffering　him　to　do　all　things　at　his　pleasure；　only　he　was　accompanied　with　ten　or　twelve　men　lest　he　should　fly。　And　he　（to　the　end　he　might　be　reverenced　as　he　passed）　sometimes　sounded　upon　a　small　flute；　that　the　people　might　prepare　to　worship　him。　The　feast　being　come；　and　he　grown　fat；　they　killed　him；　opened　him；　and　ate　him；　making　a　solemn　sacrifice　of　him。

This　general　description　of　the　custom　may　now　be　illustrated　by　particular　examples。　Thus　at　the　festival　called　Toxcatl；　the　greatest　festival　of　the　Mexican　year；　a　young　man　was　annually　sacrificed　in　the　character　of　Tezcatlipoca；　the　god　of　gods；　after　having　been　maintained　and　worshipped　as　that　great　deity　in　person　for　a　whole　year。　According　to　the　old　Franciscan　monk　Sahagun；　our　best　authority　on　the　Aztec　religion；　the　sacrifice　of　the　human　god　fell　at　Easter　or　a　few　days　later；　so　that；　if　he　is　right；　it　would　correspond　in　date　as　well　as　in　character　to　the　Christian　festival　of　the　death　and　resurrection　of　the　Redeemer。　More　exactly　he　tells　us　that　the　sacrifice　took　place　on　the　first　day　of　the　fifth　Aztec　month；　which　according　to　him　began　on　the　twenty…third　or　twenty…seventh　day　of　April。

At　this　festival　the　great　god　died　in　the　person　of　one　human　representative　and　came　to　life　again　in　the　person　of　another；　who　was　destined　to　enjoy　the　fatal　honour　of　divinity　for　a　year　and　to　perish；　like　all　his　predecessors；　at　the　end　of　it。　The　young　man　singled　out　for　this　high　dignity　was　carefully　chosen　from　among　the　captives　on　the　ground　of　his　personal　beauty。　He　had　to　be　of　unblemished　body；　slim　as　a　reed　and　straight　as　a　pillar；　neither　too　tall　nor　too　short。　If　through　high　living　he　grew　too　fat；　he　was　obliged　to　reduce　himself　by　drinking　salt　water。　And　in　order　that　he　might　behave　in　his　lofty　station　with　becoming　grace　and　dignity　he　was　carefully　trained　to　comport　himself　like　a　gentleman　of　the　first　quality；　to　speak　correctly　and　elegantly；　to　play　the　flute；　to　smoke　cigars　and　to　snuff　at　flowers　with　a　dandified　air。　He　was　honourably　lodged　in　the　temple；　where　the　nobles　waited　on　him　and　paid　him　homage；　bringing　him　meat　and　serving　him　like　a　prince。　The　king　himself　saw　to　it　that　he　was　apparelled　in　gorgeous　attire；　for　already　he　esteemed　him　as　a　god。　Eagle　down　was　gummed　to　his　head　and　white　cock's　feathers　were　stuck　in　his　hair；　which　drooped　to　his　girdle。　A　wreath　of　flowers　like　roasted　maize　crowned　his　brows；　and　a　garland　of　the　same　flowers　passed　over　his　shoulders　and　under　his　armpits。　Golden　ornaments　hung　from　his　nose；　golden　armlets　adorned　his　arms；　golden　bells　jingled　on　his　legs　at　every　step　he　took；　earrings　of　turquoise　dangled　from　his　ears；　bracelets　of　turquoise　bedecked　his　wrists；　necklaces　of　shells　encircled　his　neck　and　depended　on　his　breast；　he　wore　a　mantle　of　network；　and　round　his　middle　a　rich　waistcloth。　When　this　bejewelled　exquisite　lounged　through　the　streets　playing　on　his　flute；　puffing　at　a　cigar；　and　smelling　at　a　nosegay；　the　people　whom　he　met　threw　themselves　on　the　earth　before　him　and　prayed　to　him　with　sighs　and　tears；　taking　up　the　dust　in　their　hands　and　putting　it　in　their　mouths　in　token　of　the　deepest　humiliation　and　subjection。　Women　came　forth　with　children　in　their　arms　and　presented　them　to　him；　saluting　him　as　a　god。　For　he　passed　for　our　Lord　God；　the　people　acknowledged　him　as　the　Lord。　All　who　thus　worshipped　him　on　his　passage　he　saluted　gravely　and　courteously。　Lest　he　should　flee；　he　was　everywhere　attended　by　a　guard　of　eight　pages　in　the　royal　livery；　four　of　them　with　shaven　crowns　like　the　palace…slaves；　and　four　of　them　with　the　flowing　locks　of　warriors；　and　if　he　contrived　to　escape；　the　captain　of　the　guard　had　to　take　his　place　as　the　representative　of　the　god　and　to　die　in　his　stead。　Twenty　days　before　he　was　to　die；　his　costume　was　changed；　and　four　damsels　delicately　nurtured　and　bearing　the　names　of　four　goddessesthe　Goddess　of　Flowers；　the　Goddess　of　the　Young　Maize；　the　Goddess　Our　Mother　among　the　Water；　and　the　Goddess　of　Saltwere　given　him　to　be　his　brides；　and　with　them　he　consorted。　During　the　last　five　days　divine　honours　were　showered　on　the　destined　victim。　The　king　remained　in　his　palace　while　the　whole　court　went　after　the　human　god。　Solemn　banquets　and　dances　followed　each　other　in　regular　succession　and　at　appointed　places。　On　the　last　day　the　young　man；　attended　by　his　wives　and　pages；　embarked　in　a　canoe　covered　with　a　royal　canopy　and　was　ferried　across　the　lake　to　a　spot　where　a　little　hill　rose　from　the　edge　of　the　water。　It　was　called　the　Mountain　of　Parting；　because　there　his　wives　bade　him　a　last　farewell。　Then；　accompanied　only　by　his　pages；　he　repaired　to　a　small　and　lonely　temple　by　the　wayside。　Like　the　Mexican　temples　in　general；　it　was　built　in　the　form　of　a　pyramid；　and　as　the　young　man　ascended　the　stairs　he　broke　at　every　step　one　of　the　flutes　on　which　he　had　played　in　the　days　of　his　glory。　On　reaching　the　summit　he　was　seized　and　held　down　by　the　priests　on　his　back　upon　a　block　of　stone；　while　one　of　them　cut　open　his　breast；　thrust　his　hand　into　the　wound；　and　wrenching　out　his　heart　held　it　up　in　sacrifice　to　the　sun。　The　body　of　the　dead　god　was　not；　like　the　bodies　of　common　victims；　sent　rolling　down　the　steps　of　the　temple；　but　was　carried　down　to　the　foot；　where　the　head　was　cut　off　and　spitted　on　a　pike。　Such　was　the　regular　end　of　the　man　who　personated　the　greatest　god　of　the　Mexican　pantheon。

The　honour　of　living　for　a　short　time　in　the　character　of　a　god　and　dying　a　violent　death　in　the　same　capacity　was　not　restricted　to　men　in　Mexico；　women　were　allowed；　or　rather　compelled；　to　enjoy　the　glory　and　to　share　the　doom　as　representatives　of　goddesses。　Thus　at　a　great　festival　in　September；　which　was　preceded　by　a　strict　fast　of　seven　days；　they　sanctified　a　young　slave　girl　of　twelve　or　thirteen　years；　the　prettiest　they　could　find；　to　represent　the　Maize　Goddess　Chicomecohuatl。　They　invested　her　with　the　ornaments　of　the　goddess；　putting　a　mitre　on　her　head　and　maize…cobs　round　her　neck　and　in　her　hands；　and　fastening　a　green　feather　upright　on　the　crown　of　her　head　to　imitate　an　ear　of　maize。　This　they　did；　we　are　told；　in　order　to　signify　that　the　maize　was　almost　ripe　at　the　time　of　the　festival；　but　because　it　was　still　tender　they　chose　a　girl　of　tender　years　to　play　the　part　of　the　Maize　Goddess。　The　whole　long　day　they　led　the　poor　child　in　all　her　finery；　with　the　green　plume　nodding　on　her　head；　from　house　to　house　dancing　merrily　to　cheer　people　after　the　dulness　and　privations　of　the　fast。

In　the　evening　all　the　people　assembled　at　the　temple；　the　courts　of　w