The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-02-17
,orton, occasions sacrifices were offered to the

OF the cannibalism observed among the Gu
| ribs. there was no trace among the Chihchss.
/ but the sacrifices which the latter people sup
/ posed most welcome 10 the gods We're those OF
/ human blood. When offerings were mado 10
/ the sun-a ceremony. hy the way, which took
| place not in temples but on the castorn side OF
/ lofty submits the priests assocating in n great
| body for tina, purpose. took one II the youths
captured in battle. and who were kept In large
I numbers for these occasions in certain HOUSES.
| aud fed with dehcaccs. Atthc place Of sacrifice
/ they put the boy on a rich mantle laid on the
/ ground. and killed him with reed knife. After
securing the blood in cuabash and Amounting
with 1t some rocks which caught the first rays
Of the sun. they commonly left the corpse Of the
victim on tho summit that the sun might con-
sumo it, When. after some days. they returned
and found the body destroyed. they said that
the sun had eaten it and was appensed 1t was
in Consequence Of this custom that the Chibcha
women ut the date of the invasion threw their
babies down procipccs toward tho Spanards
| whom they imagined to bc sons OF the sun. OF
/ all offerings. however. the most welcome was
supposed to be the blood Of youth belonging
! to certain villages GU the slope of the llanos
and who had been bred from childhood in
temple devoted to- the worship of the sun. But
| this sort Of sacrifice was not common. because
only the Cazuues and people of that class could
| UIblu H. lI'St poNS. 'ul'l NlNluS HlNfT iuNltk
been kept In the temple until their tenth year.
were taken out by merchants of their own nation
aud carried from province to province, To be
! sold at high prices to the most powerful men.
| The purchasers of a Moia placed him in some
sanctuary until he was Is or l6 years old md
| he was thcp sacrificed, being opened alive and
| his heart and bowels taken out. while tho musi-
| clans sang hymns composed for the occasion.
Some OF tho details given 10y tho Spanish
| chrcniclcrs regarding the monastery education
OF the heir apparent are extremely curious. He
was confined in one Of the sanctunrics. and he
was not allowed to look at the sun. to eat salt OF
10 have intercourse with the other sex; other
wise he WIS expelled with infamy. According
ly. when leavin. the temple he had to take oath
! that he had not broken these commands. Then
! he became Prince of CHA, in which district he
stayed until the time came to succeed to .hc dig
| nifty Of Xipa. or monarch Of BOgod Then a
similar oath was taken. and ii the priests found
| that he had lived free from guilt. they placed
| him upon rich stool adorned with gold and
emcralds. On his head they put crown Of
| gold in the shape Of IA bonnet. and after he had
| been robcd in fine cotton nantes he took oath
TO be n Just king. and 10 maintain peace and JUS
tee among his subjects after the manner Of his
! predecessors.
As to the legislation Of the Chbchas we are
told that the first Pope of Sogamozo ordained
! that he who detected in lying. theft. or MUIR
! dor. or IN taking away anothcr's wife. WAS 10 be
punished as follows: In case Of murder 10 be put
To- death in any other ease to be- sevcry whipped
the first time: the second timc TO be punished
with infamy. while the third time his relatives
were 10 be involved in his disgrace. These
rule, We're 80 invariably observed, that after
] the conquest the Indians protested they had
/ learned from the Spaniards to lie and steal. ~
| they were ignorant of these practices before. II
appears that the penalty # death WIS inflicted
for homicide. although the relations Of the dead
Nigh, pardon the murderer. the priests declar-
ing that life was given 10y God alous and men
could not pardon its destruction. Even the
! kings were not entirely free from supervision.
for the Chibchns held that their CEli1uos were
men like themselves. and that rs subjects could
not chastise them it was right that their wives
should dc 80. This the women are said TO have
done very effectualy. although IN the cii>r OF a
chief the punishment could not exceed whip
ping.
Considerable light l. cast upon the social
! structure OF the Chibcha State 10y the cNtraordi-
nary reverence in which the common people
held their King. Accor, ng TO Father Simon.
they turned their backs toward him when they
addressed him. To be- forced. ind Iced. to look
upon his face was an ignomniou- punishment.
which was sometimes inflicted on people a.
cused OF theft. Upon the first offence the male
factor was carried before the King who turned
his bac; on the offender and uphraidcd him for
his crime; the second time the criminal was
reprimanded and also whipped; the third time.
regarded rs incorrigible, he received punish
ment greater than death itself. For. in presence
! Of the Lipa. who WAS seated on a state chair. u
noblcman ~ his household rcbukcd tho culprt,
saving: We have punished you twice for your
/ tad behavior. lut you were not ashamed To- rr-
turn 10 it, You must consider yourself some
/ great lord AMI ~ you are. YOU NAV well louk
At Nh" CaZquc.' Then. laying hold Of tie critni-
/ nal. he turned his head with violence aud made
him look at the King. The offender WIS Ia, n
/ LETT alone. and might 20 home without further
! punishment hut the ininmy put un him WAS
deemed SO great that his line came Ia an end
no one Of his village or neighhorhood allowing
their children In marry members Of his family.
or holding the slightest intercourse with him or
them.
The modes Of buryinG the dead among the
Chlhrhas varied according TO the rank II the
deceased. They discnbowellld tn" cNrp~os
OF thc kings and the principal mobiles. and with
Il kind OF rosu cmhallnrd tho bodies Thc-a
n.ummies wcr" wrapped in fine nantes and
I buried III II kind OF cave. supplied with magic
| cake, and vessel, iul 81 chicid a. the native
| liquor was called. In the same mound or cav"
were Inferred The wives and slaves who wished
II. that being accounted the best evidence 81 tho
love they bore the departed. But the priests
gave beforehand the juices of A narcotic nerb to
the living. 81 that, being deprived Of their
/ senses. thy might not know what they were
nbout to do. The bodies Of the Bogota king.
moreover. We're put INTO concave palm trunks.
lined inside and outside with thick plates Of
nne gold. The place Of the king intermont
NVn. cnrufully rDrepal.l fran, the nepple ntt1