El primero mes del año se llamaba entre los mexicanos atlcahualo, y en otras partes cuahuitlehua. Este mes comenzaba en el segundo día del mes de hebrero, cuando nosotros celebramos la purificación de Nuestra Señora. En el primero día deste mes celebraban una fiesta a honra, según algunos, de los dioses tlaloques, que los tenían por dioses de la pluvia; y según otros, de su hermana la diosa del agua Chalchiuhtliicue; y según otros, a honra del gran sacerdote o dios de los vientos, Quetzalcóatl. Y podemos decir que a honra de todos éstos. Este mes, con todos los demás que son deciocho, tienen a cada veinte días.
\n|Cuenta deste calendario | Cuenta del calendario romano
\n|----|----|\n|1 A |A 28 \t\t\t\t\n|2 b |b 29 \t\t\t\t\n|3 c |c 30 \t\t\t\t\n|4 d |d\t31
En este mes mataban muchos niños. Sacrificábanlos en muchos lugares en las cumbres de los montes, sacándoles los corazones a honra de los dioses del agua para que les diesen agua o lluvia. A los niños que mataban componíanlos con ricos atavíos para llevarlos a matar, y llevábanlos en unas literas sobre los hombros, y las literas iban adornadas con plumajes y con flores. Iban tañendo, cantando y bailando delante dellos.
\nCuando llevaban a los niños a matar, si lloraban y echaban muchas lágrimas, alegrábanse los que los llevaban, porque tomaban pronóstico de que habían de tener muchas aguas ese año.
\nTambién en este mes mataban muchos cativos a honra de los mismos dioses del agua. Acuchillábanlos primero, peleando con ellos, atados sobre una piedra como muela de molino, y desque los derrocaban a cuchilladas, llevábanlos a sacar el corazón al templo que se llamaba Yopico. Cuando mataban a estos captivos, los dueños dellos que los habían captivado iban gloriosamente ataviados con plumajes y bailando delante dellos, mostrando su valentía; esto pasaba por todos los días deste mes.
\nOtras muchas cerimonias se hacían en esta fiesta, las cuales están escriptas a la larga en su historia.
\n|Cuenta deste calendario | Cuenta del calendario romano
\n|----|----|\n|5 d |d 1 \t\t\t\t\n|1 e |e 2 \t\t\t\t\n|2 f |f 3 \t\t\t\t\n|3 g |g 4\n|4 A |A 5 \t\t\t\t\n|5 b |b 6 \t\t\t\t\n|6 c |c 7 \t\t\t\t\n|7 d |d 8\n|8 e |e 9\n|9 f |f 10\n|10 g |g 11\n|11 A |A 12\n|12 b |b 13\n|13 c |c 14\n|14 d |d 15\n|15 e |e 16\n|16 f |f 17\n|17 g |g 18\n|18 A |A 19\n|19 b |b 20\n|20 c |c 21
The first month of the year was called among the Mexicans Atl cahualo, and in other places, Cuahuitlehua.1 This month began on the second day of the month of February, when we celebrate the Purification of Our Lady. According to some, on the first day of this month, they would celebrate a festival in honor of the Tlaloque gods, whom they held as gods of rain; according to others, [the celebration was in honor] of their sister, the goddess of water Chalchiuhtlicue; and according to others, in honor of the great priest or god of the winds Quetzalcoatl. And we can say that it was in honor of all of the above. This month, with all of the rest—which are eighteen—have twenty days each.
\n|Cuenta deste calendario | Cuenta del calendario romano
\n|----|----|\n|1 A |A 28 \t\t\t\t\n|2 b |b 29 \t\t\t\t\n|3 c |c 30 \t\t\t\t\n|4 d |d\t31
During this month, they would kill many children. They would sacrifice them in many places upon the mountain summits, their hearts in honor of the gods of water, so that these [gods] might give them water or rain. They dressed the children whom they killed in rich finery, to wear for the slaughter, carrying them on litters on their shoulders; and the litters would be adorned with feathers and with flowers. They would walk ahead of them playing music, singing, and dancing. While they were taking the children to be killed, if they cried and shed a lot of tears, those who were carrying them would rejoice, because they took this as an omen that they would have plenty of rain that year. Also, during this same month, they would kill many captives in honor of these same gods of water. They would first stab them, struggling with them, as they were tied over a stone that was like a grindstone; and once they had stabbed them to death, they would take them to the temple called Yopihco,2 where they would tear out their hearts. While they were killing these captives, their owners, who had captured them, would parade around gloriously adorned with feathers, dancing in front of them and showing their courage. This would take place every day during this month. Many other ceremonies would be performed during this festival, which are described at length in their own account.
\n|Cuenta deste calendario | Cuenta del calendario romano
\n|----|----|\n|5 d |d 1 \t\t\t\t\n|1 e |e 2 \t\t\t\t\n|2 f |f 3 \t\t\t\t\n|3 g |g 4\n|4 A |A 5 \t\t\t\t\n|5 b |b 6 \t\t\t\t\n|6 c |c 7 \t\t\t\t\n|7 d |d 8\n|8 e |e 9\n|9 f |f 10\n|10 g |g 11\n|11 A |A 12\n|12 b |b 13\n|13 c |c 14\n|14 d |d 15\n|15 e |e 16\n|16 f |f 17\n|17 g |g 18\n|18 A |A 19\n|19 b |b 20\n|20 c |c 21
The first month of the year was called, among the Mexicans, Atl caualo, and in other parts Quauitl eua. This month began upon the second day of February, when we celebrate the Purification of Our Lady. On the first day of this month, they celebrated a feast in honor—according to some—of the Tlaloc gods, whom they held to be gods of rain; [or]—according to others—of their sister, the goddess of water, Chalchiuhtli icue; [or]—according to [still] others—in honor of the great priest or god of the winds, Quetzalcoatl. And we may say that [they celebrated the feast] in honor of all of these. This month and all the rest, which are eighteen [in number], each have twenty days.
\nIn this month they slew many children; they sacrificed them in many places upon the mountain tops, tearing from them their hearts, in honor of the gods of water, so that these might give them water or rain.
\nThe children whom they slew they decked in rich finery to take them to be killed; and they carried them in litters upon their shoulders. And the litter went adorned with feathers and flowers. [The priests] proceeded playing [musical instruments], singing, and dancing before them.
\nWhen they took the children to be slain, if they wept and shed many tears, those who carried them rejoiced, for they took [it] as an omen that they would have much rain that year.
\nAlso in this month they slew many captives in honor of these same gods of the water. They slashed them first, [with their swords,] fighting them as they were tied upon a stone like a mill wheel; and when they threw them down, wounded, they carried them off to tear their hearts from them in the temple which was called Yopico.
\nWhen they slew these captives, their owners—they who had taken them—went gloriously arrayed in feathers, dancing before them and showing their valor. This continued through all the days of this month. In this feast were enacted many other ceremonies, which are set down at length in its telling (fol. 15).
\nThe first nineteen chapters, largely a digest of more expanded material in Chapters 20–38, are presented unannotated; most of the translators’ notes will be found in this later section. For these nineteen chapters the original has no corresponding Nahuatl text.↩