Book 1 - The Gods - Appendix - Prologue
Appendix to Book 1
[Here] beginneth the appendix to Book I, in which the idolatry described above is refuted by means of sacred scriptural texts translated into the Mexican tongue, the texts being sufficiently explained.
Prologue
Ye who are natives in New Spain, ye Mexicans, ye Tlaxcalans, ye Cholulans, ye Michoaca, and all ye who are vassals dwelling in the land of the Indies –
Very great was the darkness and the confusion, the unbelief, the idolatry in which your fathers, your grandfathers, your great-grandfathers left you, as is evident in your ancient picture writings.
Hear and understand well. For now our Lord, God, hath willed, hath accorded, hath sent to you the brightness, the torch, the light to reveal the true God, the Creator Who seeth over all His creation.
And confusion, in which you have lived in all past time, came to you. It hath misled and deluded you. But by means of the brightness, the light, you may attain true faith.
And thus you may accept, you may hear the word of God, here written, which he, your lord, the King of Spain, hath sent to you, as well as God’s Vicar, the Holy Father, who dwelleth in Rome.
And for this reason they have caused this to be done, that you may escape the hands of the devils, and that you may attain the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Declaration of God’s Word
The people here on earth who know not God are not counted as human; they are only vain, worthless. For if men in their hearts, in their understanding, knew God’s creations, from them they would have derived, they would have grasped, their knowledge of God. Because they esteem and know creatures they should have known that He existeth, that He is the Creator, the Creator of man – God, Who is not seen.
But these did not so; they took not example of God’s creations. Thus they should be recognized their gods, their lords as the creatures of God. Only they were in confusion as to God’s creatures; they worshipped as gods the fire, the water, the wind, the sun, the moon, the stars. These things they worshipped as gods. They said that by means of them we live; they guide us, they protect us. They support, they carry.
A. These were blind, they were confused, in being idolaters. Greatly, they honored God’s creatures, as if they enlightened, revealed, and gave comfort to men. And these should not be thus worshipped, because it should only be remembered that He Who is most powerful, in giving light, illumination, comfort, joy, is God, their Creator; He from Whom alone issueth that which illumineth, that which giveth light, that which comforteth; all teaching – He alone, the Creator.
B. And if they had wondered greatly because some of God’s creatures are strong, they should have remembered that God, their Creator, is even stronger.
C. God the all-powerful is so completely wise, so greatly enriching, completely glorifying that His creatures appear in Him. For He is very great. He made the world. Very many things made He which were very wonderful, very glorifying.
D. These, the idolaters, excused themselves; they drew away. They said: “We have sought Him for ourselves; we have coveted Him through Whom we live, the Creator. But we have taken Him to be the sun, the moon, the stars, and still other creations, because they are wonderful, highly valued; they give men great comfort, they enrich men. For truly we are not men of strong heart and understanding.”
E. These words, with which the idolaters sought to excuse themselves, in no way quieted men’s doubts but only angered men. For this reason they did not quiet men’s doubts: for those who began idolatry made known, discovered many things – dangerous teachings; they discovered, they made known the year count, the day count, and still other dangerous teachings. But just as they consulted among themselves, just as they deliberated in order to know what hath been said, just so, much better, could they have known, could they have discovered Him through Whom we live, the Creator, if they had deliberated – if they had consulted among themselves.
F. Unhappy are they, the accursed dead who worshipped as gods carvings of stone, carvings of wood, representations, images, things made of gold or of copper, or who indeed worshipped as gods four-footed animals, creatures which fly, those which live in the waters, or their representations which carpenters or lapidaries carved, or metal-workers molded.
G. Behold the works of the idolaters which can greatly confuse men, which can terrify men. For if some wood-carver wisheth to make his god, he goeth there into the forest. He felleth a tree. It is good, it is tall and straight. And then he striketh off its branches, he cutteth off its branches. And the bark, the leaves of the three go there unto his house; there they will be required in order to cook his food. And the tree he cutteth up. He maketh a log, a cylinder of wood. And while it is still a log, well doth he carve it; carefully doth he continue to carve it. He giveth it a head, eyes, a face, a body, hands, feet. And when he hath finished, then against the wall he buildeth a house for it. There he standeth it. And that it may not fall, he holdeth it firmly to the wall’s surface with either pegs or iron nails.
A. When he hath properly set up his good, then before him he layeth an offering; before him he cutteth his ears, he bleedeth himself, he offereth him prayers. He maketh vows to him. He weepeth before him; he doth penances; he asketh that which is required by him.
B. This wretcher idolater hath no shame as he calleth [to the god], as he offereth prayers to him who seeth not, who liveth not, who hath no soul. And in order that the sick may recover, he offereth prayers to him; and for the dead, he prayeth to him for life; and for the destitute, he prayeth to him that they may walk. And he asketh what is required of one who hath nothing, who can offer nothing. It is only wood.
Comiença el apendiz, del primero libro: en que se confuta la ydolatria, arriba puesta: por el testo, de la sagrada escriptura, y buelta en lengua Mexicana: declarando, el testo suficientemente.
Prologo, mexicano
In amehoantin, in njcan, antlaca, in nueua españa: in anmexica, in antlaxcalteca, in ancholulteca, in anmjchoaque, yoan in amjxqujchtin, in anmacehoaltin, in njcan annemj in india tlalli ipan:
Ca cenca vey tlaiooalli, yoan netlapololtiliztli, yn atlaneltoqujliztli, in tlateutoqujliztli, in jpan oamechcauhtiaque yn amotahoan, yn amoculhoan, yn amachcoculhoan: yn juh neci, in ipã ie uecauh amotlacujlol:
Ma vel cenca xiccaqujcan, vel xicacicacaqujcan. Ca in axcan, oqujmonequjlti in totecujo dios, otlacauhquj in jiollotzin, yn oamechoalmjoalili, in tlaujlli, in ocotl, in tlanextli: injc anqujmjximachilizque, in vel nelli dios teiocuianj, in qujmocujtlaujtzinoa, in jxqujch in jtlachioaltzin.
Auh yn netlapololtiliztli, yn jpan annemj yn jxqujch cavitl, vmpa otioallaque: ca iehoatl yn amechiztlacaujaia, amechtlapololtiaia: auh in tlavilli, in tlanextli anqujcnopillhuizque, yn jca vel melaoac tlaneltoqujliztli:
Yoan ic vel anqujcuizque, anqujcaquizque, in jtlatoltzin dios, yn njcan icujliuhtica: in vel iehoatl in amotlatocatzin in España rey, in amechvalmjvalili: no iehoatzin in jxiptlatzin Dios in Sancto padre, in roma moyetztica.
Auh injn ca ipampa oqujmuchivilique, injc inmac anqujçazque in diablosme: ioan ynjc anqujcnopilvizque yn jlvicac tlatocaiotl.
Jmelaoaca in teutlatolli
Jn tlalticpac tlaca, yn amo qujmiximachilia in dios, ca amo tlaca ipan pouj, ca çan nentlaca, nenquizque: ca intla tlaca yntla vnca iniollo, intla vnca intlacaqujliz: in jtlachioalhoan dios, intech canazquja, intech qujcuizquja, in jximachocatzin dios; ipampa qujmitta in qujximati in tlachioalti, qujmatizquja ca vmmoetzica, monemjtia in tlachioale, in teiucoianj, yn amo motta in iehoatzin dios.
Auh ynjn c acamo iuhquj qujchiuhque, amo itech omjscujtique, yn jtlachioalhoan dios: ynjc qujmjximachilizquja yn jnteouh, yn jntlatocauh, yn jnteiocuscatzin dios, çan ĩtech omotlapololtique yn jtlachioalhoan dios: oqujmoteutique in tletl, in atl, in ehecatl, in Tonatiuh, in metztli, in cicitlalti; iehoãtin hi, oqujnmoteuique, qujtoque, ca impal tinemj, ca techiacana, techpachoa, ca tlaquj, ca tlamama.
A. Jn iehoantin, y, ca ixpopoiume, motlapololtianj, injc otlateutocaque: ca cenca qujmaujçoque, yn jtlachioalhoan dios, ynjc tlanextia, ynjc pepetlaca, in teiollalia: auh ynjn amo ic qujmoteutizquja: ca çan ic qujlnamjquizquja, cao c cenca tlapanauja, ynjc cenca tlanextia, pepetlaca, teiollahia, tepapaqujltia, yn jnteiocuxcatzin dios: in çan vel iceltzin itetzinco quiça in pepetlaca, in tlanextia, in jxqujch teiollali, yn jxqujch tetlamachti, vel iehoatzin çan vel izeltzin, tlachioale.
B. Auh intla cenca otlamaujçoque ipampa cequjnti itlachioalhoan dios, cenca chicaoque: qujlnamjquizquja, cay n jnteiocuxcatzin dios, oc cenca chicaoacatzintli.
C. Jn jsqujch iueli, in dios, ynjc cenquizca tlamatinj, ynjc cenca tecujltono, cenquizca tetlamachti: ca ytlachioaltzin itech neci: iehica ca cenca vey, cemanaoac oqujmuchiujli, cenca mjec tlamantli, oqujmuchiujli, vel mauiztic, vel tetlamachti.
D. Jnjque hi, tlateutocanjme, momanauja, motzinqujxtia, qujtoa: in tehoanti, ca iehoatzi tictotemulia, in iehoatzin, tiqueleuja, yn jpalnemoanj, in teiocujanj: auh ca ytech otitotzotzonato, in Tonatiuh, in metztli, in cicitlalti, yoan oc cequj tlachioalti: ipampa ca mauiztique, vellaçoti, cenca teiollalique, vel tetlamachtique: can el titlaca amo chicaoac, in toiollo, in totlamachiliz.
E. Jnjn tlatolli, ynjc momanauiznequj tlateutocanjme: ca amo teiolpachiujti, ca çan tequalanj, ipampa amo teiolpachiujti: ca in iehoantin, oquipeoaltique, in tlateutoqujliztli, mjec tlamantli oqujnextique, oqujttaque, in ouj tlatolli: in xiuhlapoaliztli, in tonalpoaliztli, yoan in oc cequj ouj tlatolli, oquijttaque, oqujnextique: auh in quenjn omojolnonotzque, in quenjn oqujnemjlique, injc oqujximatque in omoteneuh: çan no iuhquj, oc oalca, ynjc qujximatizquja, qujttazquja, yn jpalnemoanj, in tlachioale, intla vellanemjlianj, intla vel moiolnonotzanj.
F. Ointlaueliltic, in iehoanti, in tlacamjccapupul, in qujmoteutique, in tetlaxintli, in quaujtl tlaxintli, in teixiptla, in tepatillo: in teucujtlatl, yn anoço tepuztli, ic tlachiuhtli: yn anoço ie oqujmoteutique, in manenemj, yn patlantinemj, in atlan nemj: yn anoço ymjxiptlaoan, in qujnxinque, in quauhxinque, in tetzotzonque, yn anoço in teucujtlapitzque, oqujpitzque.
G. Jzcatquj, yn jntlachioal yn tlateutocanjme in cenca vel tetlapololti, in vel teiçauj, ca in aca quauhxinquj qujchioaznequj yn jteouh, vmpa iauh in quauhtla, ce quaujtl qujtlaça, ie in qualli, ie in melaoac: auh njman qujmatlatlaça qujmatepeoa: auh yn jmama, yn jmatzocul in quaujtl, vmpa iauh yn jchan, vmpa monequiz: ynjc ycuciz, ytlaqual. Auh in quaujtl, qujtequj: cen tlacutl, quauhtemjmjlli, qujchioa: auh yn oc cen tlacutl, vel qujxima, yujã qujxixima, qujtzontecontia, qujxtelolotia, qujxaiacatia, qujtlactia, qujmatia, qujcxitia: auh yn jquac oiecauh, njmã tepantli itech qujcaltia, vncan qujquetza: auh ynjc amo vetziz, caltech qujquãmjna, aço ica tlaxichtli, anoço ica tepuztlaxichtli.
A. Jn iquac vel oquijquetz iteouh: njmã ixpan tlamana, ixpan monacaztequj, mjço, qujtlatlauhtia: ivic monetoltia, ixpan choca, tlamaceoa qujtlanjlia, yn jtech monequj.
B. Jnjn tlateutocanipul, amo pinaoa in qujnotza, in qujtlatlauhtia, yn amo tlacaquj, in amo tlachia, yn amo iuli, yn atle yanjma: auh yn ipampa inic patiz, qujtlatlauhtia in cocuxquj: auh in jpãpa nemjliztli, qujtlatlauhtia in micquj: yoan qujtlatlauhtia yn atle ynecoca, ynjc qujpaleuiz: auh qujtlatlauhtia, ynjc vel nenemiz, qujtlatlauhtia yn auelnenemj: auh in ie muchi, yn jtech monequj, qujtlanjlia, in atle quipia, yn atle vel qujtemaca içan quaujtl.
Codex, Florentine. “General History of the Things of New Spain, Book 1: The Gods.” (1970). pp. 55-57
47 notes
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