The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-05-23
MEXICAN HISTORY.
CONTINUED from Page IL

daring
III preparation Tor the morrow let us briefly
review portion OF the early history of the wonder
ful land
A PIECE OUT OF THE HISTORIC PAST.
Inc RUNS OF ancient cities, temples and massive
buildings, and the interesting and curious records
corrected by the French archacologist, NJ. Aubin.
who translated the "Codex Chimalpopoca." would
seem 10 prove concusively that many of the states
liquoed today IN the republic of Mexico were poo
pea ana partially civilized many centuries before
me CHRISTIAN era. The manners. customs and tri-
oal languages presented striking resemblance to
the maritime populations which, in the remote past
pied the basin of the Mediterranean.
In other days. how far back we know not. A1
ahuac, now known as Mexico was neonlod h., !, raco
of pyramid builders. sun worshippers and compan-
ions of demons. Tradition has not handed down 10
US their name or their origin. The annals of An
ahuac record that about GAS A. d. an invading army
from some southern region conquered Anahuac and
settled IN the land These were the Toltecs who
laid the foundations of their wonderful city lula
nifty miles from the present City of Mexico The
farly preserved ruins Of the Casa Grande with its
thirty rooms, and the building known as the 'pu-
ebo OF uncut stone coated with cement of
redish tint practically all that remain of the
great Olmec city, 1t was at this lula that Duet
zalcoatle, the fair God first appeared in Ana
huae. and taught the race more improved method
of cultivation, higher style of architecture and
the rudiments of the Christian religion The early
Spanish missionaries were of the opinion that
Quetzalcoatle was the Apostle ST. Thomas who dis
appeared from Jerusalem and was never again heard
of.
After many revolutions, the theocratic empire
of 'Nachan Paengue coalescd with Mexico, re-
uniting Yucatan and Anahaac and establishing
their seat of government in Chiapas The ruins of
their capital Nachan cover wide area near Ocingo
in the state Of Chiapas.
As I propose, before leaving this mysterious
land Of an unknown past, to deal with the worship
of the serpent and the universally of serpent cult
in eally days, [ may remark in passing that Duet
zacoate mcars serpent of Quetzali the home of the
quezal, bird of wondrous beauty yet to be found
IN the forests of Honduras, and that Nschan in
the Tzendale or the Yucatecan language has the
meaning as Culhuacan in the Aztec or early
Mexican tongue, that is the CITY of the Serpents
After these explanatory notes l now hurry on 20
unfold for the readers of The Intermountain Cath
Ole the singular origin of the city into which the
SpaniaTds soon to make their triumphal entry.
COMING OF THE MEXICANS
Over tie main entrance to the great cathedral
of Mexico City there is fastened escutcheon--
the national shield of the republicpanted in triple
colors Of green white and red. This national en-
blem carries nopal cactus springing from IT.
regular rock which rises out of waste of waters
On the nopsl baldheaded eagle is perched with
ol,oJ in ho
beak writing snake. The symbol on the escutch-
con records the discovery of the site of the City Of
Mexico or Tenochtitlan as it was called in token
of its miraculous origin. Tradition records that
early in the twelfth century wandering tribe from
the remote regions of the north fought their way
TO the borders of Anahuac or the Valley of Mexico
then partially occupied by scattered bands of half
savage hunters and fishers. This wandering tribe
whose original name has disappeared from Mexican
annals. after drifting from hill to hill and from hill
to valley halted one afternoon on the southwestern
rim of one of the principal lakes of the great basin.
They were always searching for sign foretold to
their ancestors when they left their northern homes
by Shaman or aged patriarch of the tribe. Scarce
lv had they thrown up their xacals or reed huts
when the sign appeared-an eagle perched
cactus which grew out of the crevice of rock
washed by the waves, royal bird of extraordinary
size and majesty, with serpent hanging from his
beak The leaders met in council, the shaman of
the tribe, an elderly man, stripped and dove into
the waters to consult the god of the lake Return
ing he informed the council that the god said they
had seen the sign foretold by the patriarch and
here they we're to settle and build their city.
The following day they began hewing down the
trees which grew around them; then they made
piles and drove them into the marshy land or salt
shadows. and on these piles they built their miser-
able xacals or huts of reeds and rushes As they
could raise no produce the salt marsh lands
hey made achnampas" or floating gardens, and