Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-29


legged discovery of America Not only had
this continent been found and inhabited by
man for an indefinite period before he set foot
on IL, but mighty civilizations had existed in
tne regions not far from the equator. They
nave iert numerous and gigantic monuments
behind them, testifying to their having been,
ai'nongh they had either passed away or were
on 'ne verge OF extinction when the voyager
IRON spain arrived. 1t has always been a most
interesting puzzle to determine whence these
ancient peoples first came to Peru, Mexico and
other localities In Central America But no
doubt is any longer entertained that they were
OF Aslatlc origin. Within recent years
sailing vessels from the eastern shores
OF Asia have been waited across the
Pacific ocean by the winds and currents
which are such as have prevailed for thousands
OF years. 1t would naturally happen that by
the same agencies in times past ships
should have been drifted over the same waste
OF waters Thus il is not surprising to die
cover that the architecture OF the civilizations
OF antiquity in America ia strikingly ike that
Of the Japanese while their decorative designs
resemble those Of the Chinese. and their Gus
toms sculpture, social laws and languages are
apparently of Malay origin. O
THE ToLrEos IN MEXICO.
One Of the most remarkable of these ancient
civilizations was that of the Toltecs in Mexico,
who preceded the comparatively bsrbarous
Aztecs whom Cortez found in possession Of
that country. From the seventh TO the four
teenth century they spread over Mexico and
Central America, and the ruins Of their pal
aces, temples and cities are to this day the
| amazement OF psychologists. They were the
Inventors of written characters, in which they
wrote their history on skins OF animals and on
the leaves Of the aloe and palm, also making
records by means of knots of different colors
arranged after certain method. This manner
OF setting down their story handed down
from generation to generation. and thus il has
been preserved to the present day. They were
celebrated for their culture and skill in me
chanics, so that the name Toltec came 10 be
synonymous for architect and artifcer They
are supposed to have introduced the cultiva-
| ton Of maize, cotton and many vegetables, and
they we're cunning artists in working gold and
precious stones. All that they did was grace
full and delicate.
In the empire Of the Toltecs the common
wealth was divided into classes of priests. war
riors, merchants and tillers of the soil. Polyg-
amy was forbidden and the kings themselves
were not allowed concubines There were
painters, sculptors. makers OF mosaics and
smeters of gold and silver. The jewellers and
lapidaries could initiate all kinds of animals,
plants, flowers and birds. Cotton was spun by
the women and was brilliantly dyed with both
made in every degree OF fneness, so that some
looked like muslin, some like cloth and some
like velvet These people had also the art Of
Intervening with such cloth the hair Of ami
mails and feathers of birds. thus producing a
most beautiful effect Their calendar was
adopted by all tribes of Central America. divid-
ing the year into eighteen months Of twenty
days each and adding five intercalary DAYS to
make up the Pull number Of 365 DAYS. These
five days belonged to no month and were re-
garded as unlucky.
MAKING THE FIRES ANEW.
At the end Of each epoch" of ffty-two years
| it was necessary to make fire anew for the ma
ton. As the end Of the period drew near the
people were filled with apprehension lest the
flame might fail to be rekindled. in which case
universal destruction was expected to follow.
In their dread OF such a contingency thev threw
! away their idols, destroyed their furniture and
domestic utensils and suffered all fires to go
out lofty mountain near IZtapalapan, two
| leagues from what is now the City of Mexico,
was the place chosen for kindling the new fire,
which was effected by the friction of two sticks
This ceremony always took place at midnight
and as the light from the fresh flames mounted
up toward heaven shouts of JOY burst forth
from the multitudes who covered the hills the
housetops and the terraces of the temples, their
ewes directed toward the mountain. Couriers
bearing torches lighted at the fire RAPIDLY
| rounding districts while every part OF the CITY
was lighted by bonfires The following days
were given up to festivitv, the houses were
cleaned and whitewashed, broken furniture and
vessels were replaced by new ones and the
people attired themselves in their gavest
apparel.
The Toltecs, besides their great feudatory
lords, had military orders and titles which
were bestowed on distinguished soldiers for
services in the field or council. The initiatory
ceremonies of the famous order of the Tecuht-
lis, which was divided into suborders Of the
tiger" the Zion" and the eagle. each hav-
ing its peculiar privileges resembled some what
those belonging to certain orders OF knight
hood iu the middle ages. At the nomination
OF a candidate the high priest perforated the
nose and ears Of the neophyte with pointed
tigers bone or an eagles claw, inserting in the
holes thus made twgs, which were changed
every day for larger ones until the healing of
the wounds. Then the candidate was de-
prived Of his garments and dressed in
coarse tunic. the only articles Of furni-
ture allowed him being a common mat and
low stool. He was besmeared with black
preparation, and only broke his fast once in
twenty-four hours Meanwhile the priests and
knights of the order came in turns to feast be-
fore him, so as to render his hunger moro in
tolerable, heaping insults and injurious epithets
upon him, and jostliDg and pointing their
fingers ieeringly al him. At night he was only
allowed to sleep q few minutes at a time, and
whenever he overcome BY slumber his
guards pricked him with a thorn Of the maguev
plant. AT the end of sixty days he was taken
to a temple and Invested Of his mean garments
wreath was placed on his head he was clad
in rich apparel and balls Of gold were inserted
in his ears and nostrils, precious stone, the
distinctive badge Of his order being hung from
his lower lip. He was thus declared fuil-fedged
knight.
INVENTED PULQCE
The invention Of "pulque," the national
drink Of Mexico, is attributed to the Toltecs
In the year lO4s their king, Tecpancaltzin, was
one day lying down for nap in his palace.
when one Of his great mobiles, named Papantzin,
presented himself with his daughter beautiful
maiden called Yochtl. They brought with
them q new kind of liaueur. until then un-
known. made from the juice of the maguey by
q process Of which Pspantzin was the in
ventor. The new drink pleased the royal
palate and the lovely form and face of
the young girl still more pleas
ing to the royal taste. The king requested
her father to send her again with more of the
same, and when she came, attended only by a
nurse, he shut her up in his palace and forced
her to become his mistress. Her father mean
while was informed that his daughter had been
intrusted by the monarch to the care of
mstrons, who would perfect her education.
Nevertheless. he suspected that all was not
right and visited the palace in the disguise of
laborer. He discovered the fact, and the event