Library

of

Aboriginal American
Literature.

No. VIII.

Edited by

D. G. Brinton

Xippe Totec, God of Silversmiths, in Full Costume. Hymn XV.

Brinton’s Library of
Aboriginal American Literature.
Number VIII.

Rig Veda Americanus.

Sacred songs of the ancient Mexicans,
with a gloss in Nahuatl.

Edited, with a paraphrase, notes and
vocabulary,

by

Daniel G. Brinton

1890

Preface.

In accordance with the general object of this series of volumes—whichis to furnish materials for study rather than to offer completedstudies—I have prepared for this number the text of the most ancientauthentic record of American religious lore. From its antiquity andcharacter, I have ventured to call this little collection the Rig VedaAmericanus, after the similar cyclus of sacred hymns, which are the mostvenerable product of the Aryan mind.

As for my attempted translation of these mystic chants I offer it withthe utmost reserve. It would be the height of temerity in me to pretendto have overcome difficulties which one so familiar with the ancientNahuatl as Father Sahagun intimated were beyond his powers. All that Ihope to have achieved is, by the aid of the Gloss—and not always inconformity to its suggestions—to give a general idea of the sense andpurport of the originals.

The desirability of preserving and publishing these texts seems to me tobe manifest. They reveal to us the undoubtedly authentic spirit of theancient religion; they show us the language in its most archaic form;they preserve references to various mythical cycli of importance to thehistorian; and they illustrate the alterations in the spoken tongueadopted in the esoteric dialect of the priesthood. Such considerationswill, I trust, attract the attention of scholars to these fragments of alost literature.

In the appended Vocabulary I have inserted only those words andexpressions for which I can suggest correct—or, at least,probable—renderings. Others will have to be left to futureinvestigators.

Contents.

1. Preface
2. Introduction
3. 1. Hymn of Huitzilopochtli
   2. War Song of the Huitznahuac
   3. Hymn of Tlaloc
   4. Hymn to the All-Mother
   5. Hymn to the Virgin Mother
   6. Hymn to the God of Fire
   7. Hymn of Mixcoatl
   8. Hymn to the God of Flowers
   9. Hymn to the Goddess of Artists
   ...

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