Book of Mormon Evidences From Ancient Aztec and Mayan Writings

end of the knees: they called this mantle Taxquemitil and the priests wore some white tunics andother black ones that came down to the ground, with their hoods with which they covered theirheads; their hair long, braided, which came to their shoulders; and their eyes lowered and humble:bare-footed at the time of their fasts and when they were in the temple very seldom did theywear shoes, except when they went out, and on a long journey.They (the Tultec kings) had gardens and pools within their palaces, which were very large;and trees and plants, animals and fowls of all kinds to amuse themselves.Their buildings were of stone masonry and hewn stones and tezontli (porous buildingstone): they used stone troughs (fountains) and water pipes for drainage like our Spaniards:They had baths to bathe themselves, whith the Indians now use, which they calledTamascalis.The Tultecas were great architects and carpenters and were skilled in themechanical arts, like silversmiths. They took out [mined] gold and silver and smeltedit. and carved precious stones; they did the best thing of what there is in the worldTulteca means artisan and wise man, because the people of this nation were greatartisans, as is seen - in the ruins of their buildings, in this town of Teotihucan, Tulaand CholulaLikewise they [Tultecasl -had chickens and turkeys, and many seeds andvegetables for their sustenance— and many other things they had and used, which to relate allwould take very long.They had trees and plants and animals and fowls of all kinds..They the (Tultec kings) ate twice a day, once at noon, and again at night: they wouldarise when the morning star came out, and slept little: they spoke little, and did not allow themselvesto be seen many times, unless it were in very great festivals.When the Tultecas fought they would put on some sort of long tunics-’down to the heels, of athousand colors, embroidered, and very closely woven and thick. so that no matter how hard theywould hit each other with the lances — for these [lances) were what they most used—they couldnot pass them (cut them through); and they used long lances, and others which were thrown, andclubs garnished with iron. They wore morions and helmets of brass and gold, and some used therodelas, particularly those who had clubs.The Tultecas understood and knew of the creation of the World and how Tloque Na-Ittusque created it, and the other things that are in it, such as planets, mountains, animals, etc.,and in the same manner they knew how God created a man and a woman from whom mendescended and multiplied and how it was destroyed by the deluge. and many other things theyhad in picture and in history.Tulteca wisemen, astrologers as well as men of other arts, got together inHuehuetlapallan seat of their kingdom, where they discussed many things, happenings andcalamities that they had, and movements of the heavens since the creation of the world, as well asmany other things which, because their histories were burned, have not been able to be knownnor understand more than what has here been written. Among other things, they added the leapyear in order to make the solar year agree with the equinox, and many other curiosities, as willbe seen in their tables and rules for their years, months, weeks, and days, signs and planets,according as they understood them, and many other curiosities.It was 166 years since they had adjusted their years and times with the equinox, and 270since the ancient ones had been destroyed. When the sun and the moon eclipsed and the earthtrembled, and the rocks broke, and many other things and signs took place. This happened in theyear ce Calli, which adjusting this count with ours, comes to be the same when Christ our Lordsuffered..Great earthquakes, winds and darkness occurred in the area occupied by settlers.