XXVI Congreso Internacional de Americanistas

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lume VI of the Códice Matritense. Clavigero gives as the definition of
the word "Cuahuitlehua", "germination, or budding of the trees", which
definition Remí Siméon affirms. As has already been explained, the
Mexicans were accustomed to use the Lea1 to signify the year, and also
the new year, or the budding of the trees. "Cuahuitl" (Quauitl) mean::;
"tree", and "yehua" signifies "that". In view of what the natives have
said about this feast completing the 4-year period of time; it would
seem that "Cuahuitl eua" means: "That is the tree", signifying "That
is the completion of the (4-year) period of time".
The natives of Acólman in their declaration before the King's Magistrate,
described briefly that last feast, "Quahuitlegua" (13):
"In another feast called QUAHUITLEGUA, there was observed a great ceremony
in wich all tbe chiefs and nobles joined, carrying sheets or ro11s of paper,
and cotton mantles. They formed processions, and with their ro11s of paper
and mantles raised lilce lances, they marched to the top of sorne hill Or elevation
where were their idols, and there they offered them those rolls of paper, and
burned incense before them; and tbey covered saíd idols with the mantles they
had brought; which mantles v .. ere left upon said idols until time destroyed them."
("En otra fiesta que Ilamauan Quahuitlegua; era su serimonia tomar los ca­
"siques pliegos de papel e junctar vnos con otros como vna lan~a en alto, e yrse
"con todos los masehuales a lo alto de algun serro donde tenían sus ydolos y alli
"ofrecelles aque papel y quemarles en~ienso, e cubrían a los dichos ydolos con
"mantas de algodon que 11euauan, e dejauan las mantas en los dichos ydolos asta
"el tiempo las consumya.")
The aboye is a perfect description of what we see in the illustration
of Sahagún's 19th fe ast on page 9, volume VI, of the Códice Matritense:
In this illustration we see the processions of chiefs and nobles, carrying
their rolls of paper and cotton mantles and other offerings, raisedlike
lances, marching to the elevations, or pyramids. In the center of tlle
picture is the "TREE", s.ymbol of the feast "Quahuitlegua". There is
also a woman, hard at work at her 100m, weaving a cotton mantle, etc.
AII this proves that although Sahagún did not understand this feast
Qua,httitl eUQ, or 19th feast (period of 20 days), celebrated at the end of
every fourth year, his MSS. bear witness that the Mexieans had that
feast; as well as the 360-day and 380-day years; whieh neither Sahagún
nor later writers understood or used in their ehronolbgieal computations.
Veytia and other historians found it absolutely impossible to solve
certain questions pertaining to Mexican chronology, due to the fact that
in early times the natives purpose~y deceived the Europeans. The astronomer,
León y Gama, on page S of "Las Dos Piedras" (1st Part),
says:
( r3) Paso y Troncoso, "Papeles de Nueva España", Vol. VI, p. 217.