otesque and absurd forms. In fact, the
pretended Christianity of the native population of Mexico to-day is
little more than a figment, according to the testimony of the most
competent observers.[50-Sec.]

The rituals and prayers of the nagualists bear witness to this. It is
very visible in those I have quoted from Nunez de la Vega, and I can
add an interesting example of it which has not heretofore been
published. I take it from the MSS. of Father Vicente Hernandez Spina,
cura of Ixtlavacan, in Guatemala, a remote village of the Quiches. He
wrote it down in the native tongue about forty years ago, as recited by
an _ah-kih_, "reader of days," a native master of the genethliac art,
who had composed it in favor of a client who had asked his intercession.

_Prayer of an Ah-Kih._

"O Jesus Christ my God: thou God the Son, with the Father and the
Holy Spirit, art my only God. Today, on this day, at this hour, on
this day Tihax, I call upon the holy souls which accompany the
sun-rising and the sun-setting of the day: with these holy souls I
call upon thee, O chief of the genii, thou who dwellest in this
mountain of Siba Raxquin; come, ye holy spirits of Juan Vachiac, of
Don Domingo Vachiac, of Juan Ixquiaptap, the holy souls of
Francisco Excoquieh, of Diego Soom, of Juan Fay, of Alonzo Tzep; I
call the holy souls of Diego Tziquin and of Don Pedro Noh: you, O
priests, to whom all things are revealed, and thou, chief of the
genii, you, lords of the mountains, lords of the plains, thou, Don
Purupeto Martin, come, accept this incense, accept to-day this
candle.[51-*]

"Come also, my mother Holy Mary, the Lord of Esquipulas, the Lord
of Capetagua, the beloved Mary of Chiantla, with her who dwells at
San Lorenzo, and also Mary of Sorrows, Mary Saint Anna, Mary
Tibureia, Mary of Carmen, with Saint Michael the Archangel, the
captain St. James, St. Christoval, St. Sebastian, St. Nicolas, St.
Bonaventura, St. Bernardin, St. Andrew, St. Thomas, St.
Bartholomew, and thou my beloved mother St. Catherine, thou beloved
Mary of the Conception, Mary of the Rosary, thou lord and king
Pascual, be here present.

"And thou, Frost, and thou, excellent Wind, thou, God of the plain,
thou, God of Quiac-Basulup, thou, God of Retal-Uleu, thou, lord of
San Gregorio, thou, lord of Chii-Masa. [These are mountains and