The record-union., 1893-01-09
STORY OF THE FOLTECO.
Something About American PeO.
pie Of Long Ago.
Centuries Before Columbus Ever Saw
This Side of the Atlantic They Built
Great Cities on This Continent =
Their Origin. as Yet an Unfathomed
Mystery

Great Cities on This Continent -
Their Origin as Yet an Unfathomed
Mystery.
Columbus was great man, but he was
a few centuries too late in his alleged dis
covery of America. Not only had this
continent been found and inhabited by
man for an indefinite period before he set
foot on it, but mighty civilizations had
existed in the regions not far from the
equator. They have left numerous and
gigantic monuments behind them testi-
flying to their having been, although they
had either passed away or were on the
verge of extinction when the voyager
from Spain arrived. 1t has always been
most interesting puzzle to determine
whence these ancient people first came to
Peru, Mexico and other localities in
Central America. But no doubt is any
longer entertained, says the Washington
Star, that they were of Asiatic origin.
Within recent years sailing vessels from
the eastern shores of ASA have been
waited across the Pacific Ocean by the
winds and currents, which are such as
,
would naturally happen that by the same
agencies in times past ships should have
drlfted over the waste of waters. Thus 1t
Is not surprising to discover that the
architecture of the civilizations of an
tiquity in America is strikingly like that
of the japanese, while their decorative
designs resent BILE those of the Chinese,
and their customs, sculpture, social laws
and languages are apparently of Malay
origin.
One of the most remarkable of these
ancient civilizations was that of the Toll
tees in Mexico, who preceded the COM
paratively barbarous Aztecs, whom Cor
tez found in possession of that country.
From the seventh to the fourteenth CEN
tury they spread over Mexico and Cen
trai America and the ruins of their pal
aces, temples and cities are to this day the
amazement of archeologists.
MAKEUP OF THE ToLTEC EMPIRE.
They were the inventors of written
characters In which they wrote their his
tory ON skins of animals and on the leaves
OF the aloe ana palm, also making records
by means of knots of different colors ar
ranged after a certain method. This man
ner of setting down their story was hand
ed down from generation to generation,
and thus it has been preserved to the
present day. They were celebrated for
their culture and skill in mechanics, so
that the name Toltec came to be synony-
nous for architect and artificer. They
are supposed to have introduced the cul-
tivation of maize, cotton and many vege-
tables, and they were cunning artists in
working gold and precious stones. All
that they did was graceful and delicate.
In the empire of the Toitecs the COM
monwealth was divided into classes of
priests, warriors, merchants and tillers Of
the soil. Polygamy was forbidden, and
the kings themselves were not allowed
concpbineS. There were painters, sculp-
tors, makers of moSalcS and SmelterS of
gold and silver. The jewellers and lapi-
daries could initiate all kinds of animals,
plants, flowers and birds. Cotton was
spun by the women and was brilliantly
dyed with both animal and mineral col
ors. This fabric was made in every de-
gree of fineness, so that some look ed like
muslin, some like cloth and some like
velvet. These people had also the art of
Intervening with sucn cloth the hair of
animals and feathers of binds, thus pro-
ducing a most beautiful effect. Their
calendar was adopted by all tribes of
Central America, dividing the year into
eighteen months OF twenty days each and
adding five intercalary days TO make up
the full number of 365 days. These five
days belonged to no month and were re-
garded as unlucky.
At the end of each epoch" of fifty-two
y ais IL W eAS 4ONOSSdIy W llldhG 11I6 tu6W
for the nation. AS the end of the period
drew near the people were filled with ap-
prehension lest the flame might fail to be
rekindled, in which case universal de-
struction was expected to follow. In their
dread of such contingency they threw
away their idols, destroyed their furni-
ture and domestic utensils and suffered
all fires to go out. y lofty mountain
near lZtapalapan, 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 mid
night, 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
carried them to the Inhabitants of the sur
rounding districts, while every part of
city was lighted by bonfires. The fol-
lowing days were given up to festivity.
the houses were cleaned and white
washed, broken furniture and vessels
were replaced by new ones and the peo-
pie attired themselves in their gayest ap-
parel.
THEY MADE KNIGHTS AND PULQUE.
The Toltecs, besides their great feuda-
tory lords, had military orders and titles
which were bestowed on distinguished
soldiers for services in the field or coun-
Gil. The initiatory ceremonies of the IA
nous Order of the Tecuhtlis, which was
divided into suborders Of the tiger" the
"lion'' and the eagle" each having its
peculiar privileges. resembled somewhat
those belonging to certain orders of
knighthood in the Middle Ages. At the
nomination of 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 twigs, which were changed
every day for larger ones until the heal
ing of the wounds. Then the candidate
was deprived of his garments and dressed
In coarse tunlc, the only articles of fur
niture allowed him being a common mat
and low stool. He was besmeared with
black preparation and only broke his
fast once III twenty-four hours. Mean
while the priests and knights of the or
der came in turn to feast before him, so
as to render his hunger more intolerable
heaping insults and injurious epithets
upon him, and jostling and pointing their
fingers jeeringly at him. At night he was
only allowed to sleep a few minutes at a
time, and whenever he was overcome by
slumber his guards pricked him with a
thorn of the maguey plant. AT the end
of sixty days he was taken to q temple
and diveSted of his mean garments. A
wreath was placed on his head, he was
clad in rich apparel and balls of gold
were inserted in his ears and nostriIs, a
precious stone, the distinctive badge OF
his order, being hung from his lower
lip. He was thus declared full-hedged
knight.
The invention of ''pulque," the national
drink OF Mexico, is attributed to the Toll
tects. In the year 1049 their King, Tee
pancaltzin was one day laying down for a
nap in his palace, when one OF his great
mobiles, named Papantzin, presented him.