thought involves the indirect confirmation that, for whatever reason, the system was considered as established from the beginning of the year 700 of the vulgar era—so prominent in the chronicles—probable beginning of the fourth age of the world in the beliefs of the natives; and reveals that the Mexicans, descendants of the Toltecs, adopted completely the culture of the people of Huemántzin, reproducing its fundamental ideas. Speaking of the Ehecatonatiuh, fourth age of the world in his conception, Henning has said that it "is an event, if not absolutely, at least relatively, modern" (Study of the Date 4-Ahau).
It has been fancied that there are traces of the face of Tláloc in the figure técpatl in the relief: it is certain that what the sign carries is the mamalhuaztli, or the attribute of Tezcatlipoca; it might indicate that the first of the epochs was presided over by this deity, as the Codex Fuenleal affirms; then Ehecatonatiuh would be the historic sun, it being conceived that some have seen in the central face that of Quetzalcóatl, idea truly vigorous. The glyph has at the left its guardian,[1] Tletl, symbol of fire, and the copilli of the kings.
There are not lacking some who think that this figure phonetically expresses the name of Motecuhzoma or that of Chimalpopoca. The copilli also denotes the creative goddess. Sometimes we think that it is the name of the artificer or astronomer maker; or indeed of Cipactli, the first light and the first day, breaking from the divine throne and from the tlachco (ball ground) of heaven; also it might be presumed that the character Ce técpatl, year in which Acamapichtli, the first monarch of Mexico, was elected, joined with the royal copilli, alludes to the beginning of the Tenochco monarchy ; but there would be much to object to, and we strongly prefer to see in the figure the sign of royalty, that is to say, of that which is now in force, with the guardian of the first day: the idea of Señor Troncoso.
There is one fact deserving notice. Conformably with the data of the Codex Borbonico we know that the quecholli or guardian of the year Ce ácatl is Tepeyóllotl. Ah well, the year 1519 of the vulgar era, when the Spaniards arrived at our country, was precisely Ce ácatl. Counting back in the tables, in accordance with the order of the guardians indicated in the codex, it is found that the first day of the year 700 corresponds to the character Tletl. New proof of our reading of the stone.
- ↑ The author uses the word acompañado: it might be translated "companion," "guardian”; it is usually given in English as “lord of the night"—there being nine "lords of the night,” acompañados or quecholli.
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