XXVI Congreso Internacional de Americanistas

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UNCOUNTED or "nel1wnlemi"; nor could they be considered id:e oc
worthless, etc.
Sahagún, Acosta, Torquel11ada, and nlany other historians describe
this solel11n feast, celebratecl at the close of each cycle; ancl frol11 their
accounts, we gather that the native Mexicans be1ieved that the destruction
of the '\vorld would occur at the end of sorne One of their 52-yeal'
cyeles. Therefore, at the close of each cyc1e, the. natives broke a11 theí;
pottery vessels, extinguisheel all their fires, and spent those 12 or 13
uncounted days, in visiting each otheT, in marching in solemn process;ons
to theír temples on the pyramids, or hills; and in praying to their gods
to grant them another cyc1e of time. The natives never did any re;¡l
work during those c\ays. 'While the peoph: 'were thus engaged, their
priests were on the Hill of "Huixachtecatl", near "Iztapa1apan", performing
so:el11n religious cerel110nies. Other priests, who were astronomór5,
were at the sal11e time observing the sun, and making their computations ;
and when those 12 or 13 days hac\ ended, the new fire was kind1ed.
When the smoke ascended on that hill, the people knew that the goels
had been propitious, and had granted them another cycle. ThX'n there
was great rejoicing, anc\ the people re-kind1ed their fires anc\ took up