The Franciscan and Dominican fanatics, whose learning and religion
consisted of ignorance and bigotry, hoped to exterminate among the
people all recollection of their former history, ideas, and religious
customs. A few of the books, however, escaped; none, indeed, that were
very old, for it does not appear that any of the manuscripts rescued
from destruction were written or copied earlier than the age which
closed the Aztec domination. None of the great books of annals
described by Las Casas are among them, but they relate to the ancient
times, and most of them are copies or reproductions of much older books.
[Illustration: Fig. 49.--Inscriptions carved on Stone.]
Among these destroying Spanish ecclesiastics, there was here and there
one who quietly secured some of the manuscripts, or copies of them.
These were kept from the flames. Others were secreted by the people; and
subsequently, in years after the conquest was completed, some of the
more intelligent churchmen wrote histories of the country, or portions
of it, which were preserved in manuscript. Sahagun wrote such a history,
which shows that he had studied the traditions and some of the old
books; this work is printed in the great collection of Lord
Kingsborough. Diego de Landa, first bishop of Yucatan, wrote a history
of the Mayas and their country, which was preserved in manuscript at
Madrid in the library of the Royal Academy of History. It is one of the
most important works on the country written by a Spaniard, because it
contains a description and explanation of the phonetic alphabet of the
Mayas. Landa's manuscript seems to have lain neglected in the library,
for little or nothing was heard of it until it was discovered and
studied by Brasseur de Bourbourg, who, by means of it, has deciphered
some of the old American writings. He says "the alphabet and signs
explained by Landa have been to me a Rosetta stone." Figure 49
represents a specimen of the inscriptions as carved upon stone. Figure
50 gives them as they appear in manuscript.
[Illustration: Fig. 50.--Manuscript Writing.]
An extensive and important manuscript work, written two hundred years
ago by Francisco Ximenes, an ecclesiastic, is preserved in Guatemala.
He, being drawn to inquiries concerning the antiquities and ancient
history of the country, was able to get possession of several of the
old books, one of them being that known as "Popol-Vuh." His manuscript,
arranged in four great volumes (one of which, it is said, has
disappeared), contains valuable information in regard to the ancient
history and traditions of Guatemala. One of the volumes has a copy of
the "Popol-Vuh" in the native tongue, and another has a Spanish
translation of the work. He left also a manuscript Dictionary of the
principal Guatemalan dialects (which belong to the Maya family),
entitled "Tesoro de las Lenguas Quiche, Cakchiquel, y Tzutohil."
Probably other manuscripts of the same character exist at Madrid and in
Central America which are not yet known to those who can understand
their importance.
As already stated, none of the great books of annals have been
discovered, but some of the old American manuscripts now preserved in
several of the libraries and private collections of Europe are
important. Three are specified as particularly valuable to students of
American antiquity: that called the "Codex Chimalpopoca," an old Toltec
book, written in the Toltec language; one now entitled the "Codex
Cakchiquel;" and the "Popol-Vuh." The latter, written in the Quiche
dialect, was translated into Spanish two hundred years ago by Ximenes,
but his translation remained in Guatemala unprinted and quite unknown
until it was discovered in our time. Brasseur de Bourbourg, who is
master of the Quiche language, and to whom we are indebted for most that
is known of the manuscripts of Ximenes, thought this Spanish translation
very imperfect; therefore he has translated the work into French.
The "Popol-Vuh" was written in 1558 as an abridged reproduction of a
very ancient Quiche book which contained an account of the history,
traditions, religion, and cosmogony of the Quiches. The first part of it
is devoted to the cosmogony and traditional lore; the rest gives an
account of the Quiches, who, at the time of the Conquest, were the
dominant people in the Central American regions south of the great
forest. If the history were consecutive and clear, it would not take us
back into the past more than three or four centuries beyond 1558, for
the Quiche domination was probably not much older than that of the
Aztecs. But the history is not clear. Putting aside the mythical and
legendary portion of it which relates to origins and migrations, we can
see that it extends over some fourteen generations, which may indicate
that Quiche became an independent and ruling power about 1200 A.D.
For those who study the book it is full of interest. It shows us their
conceptions of the Supreme Being and his relation to the world; it
enables us to see what they admired in character as virtue, heroism,
nobleness, and beauty; it discloses their mythology and their notions of
religious worship; in a word, it bears witness to the fact that the
various families of mankind are all of "one blood," so far, at least, as
to be precisely alike in nature.
The cosmogony and mythical lore of the Quiches seem to have their root
in the beliefs and facts of a time far more ancient than the national
beginning of this people. In assuming the form in which we find them,
they must have passed through several phases of growth, which changed
their appearance and obscured their meaning. Manifestly the history of
the country did not begin with the Quiches. The account of the creation,
with every thing else in this cosmogony and mythology, is original, like
the civilization to which they belong.
According to the "Popol-Vuh," the world had a beginning. There was a
time when it did not exist. Only "Heaven" existed, below which all space
was an empty, silent, unchanging solitude. Nothing existed there,
neither man, nor animal, nor earth, nor tree. Then appeared a vast
expanse of water on which divine beings moved in brightness. "They said
'earth!' and instantly the earth was created. It came into being like a
vapor; mountains rose above the waters like lobsters and were made. Thus
was the earth created by the Heart of Heaven." Next came the creation of
animals; but the gods were disappointed because the animals could
neither tell their names nor worship the Heart of Heaven.
Therefore it was resolved that man should be created. First, man was
made of earth, but his flesh had no cohesion; he was inert, could not
turn his head, and had no mind, although he could speak; therefore he
was consumed in the water. Next, men were made of wood, and these
multiplied, but they had neither heart nor intellect, and could not
worship, and so they withered up and disappeared in the waters. A third
attempt followed: man was made of a tree called tzite, and woman of the
pith of a reed; but these failed to think, speak, or worship, and were
destroyed, all save a remnant which still exists as a race of small
monkeys found in forests.
A fourth attempt to create the human race was successful, but the
circumstances attending this creation are veiled in mystery. It took
place before the beginning of dawn, when neither sun nor moon had risen,
and was a wonder-work of the Heart of Heaven. Four men were created, and
they could reason, speak, and see in such a manner as to know all things
at once. They worshiped the Creator with thanks for existence, but the
gods, dismayed and scared, breathed clouds on their eyes to limit their
vision, and cause them to be men and not gods. Afterward, while the four
men were asleep, the gods made for them beautiful wives, and from these
came all the tribes and families of the earth.
No account of the rescued fragments of this old literature of Ancient
America should omit giving due credit to Chevalier Boturini, the
Milanese, who went from Italy to America in 1735 as an agent of the
Countess Santibaney, who claimed to be a descendant of Montezuma. He,
too, was a devotee, and believed that St. Thomas preached the Gospel in
America; but he had antiquarian tastes, and was sufficiently intelligent
to understand the importance of the old manuscripts which had furnished
so much fuel for the bonfires of fanaticism. During the eight years of
his residence in Mexico and Central America he hunted diligently for
those still in existence, and made a considerable collection, including
in it some of the Mexican "picture writings." But when about to leave,
he was despoiled of his treasure and flung into prison by the Spanish
viceroy. He finally left the country with a portion of them, but was
captured by an English cruiser and again despoiled. The manuscripts
left in Mexico were finally sold at auction while Humboldt was there; he
secured a portion of them. Another portion was brought to France about
1830 by M. Aubin, who made important additions to it. M. Aubin himself
spent years searching for remains of the old writings, and he has now,
it is supposed, the most valuable collection in Europe.
It is likely that most of the recovered books may be translated by those
who can bring to the work habits of patient study and a thorough
knowledge of the native dialects. Dictionaries of these dialects, as
they were spoken at the time of the Conquest, were prepared by some of
the Spanish priests, and other facilities are not wanting. It is
surprising, however, that no one has translated the "Codex Chimalpopoca"
(which seems the most important) if the language in which it is written
is in fact sufficiently modern to be managed as easily as that of "Popol
Vuh." It must be translatable, for its general tenor is known, and
passages of it are quoted. Brasseur de Bourbourg states that he has
undertaken a translation. But who will translate the inscriptions at
Copan and Palenque? Is the language in which they were written an old
form of speech, from which the dialects of the Maya family, or a portion
of them, were derived? They have not been translated. No one has found a
clew to their meaning. The characters are understood, but they appear to
show an older form of the language, which at present can not be
deciphered. Brasseur de Bourbourg's "Rosetta Stone," discovered in
Landa's manuscript, will not serve him here. Another more potent must
be found before these old inscriptions can be made to give up their
secrets.[197-*]