wrinkled forehead, and broad staring eyes.

"They boasted of this their god, saying that he had plainly told
them they should not believe anything I preached of Christ, but
follow the old ways of their forefathers."[39-[+]]

The black color here mentioned was a relic of ancient symbolism,
referring to the night, darkness, and the obscurity of the holy cavern.
Vetancurt informs us that the priests of the ancient paganism were
accustomed to rub their faces and bodies with an ointment of fat and
pine soot when they went to sacrifice in the forests, so that they
looked as black as negroes[TN-3][39-[++]] In the extract from Nunez de
la Vega already given, _Ical Ahau_, the "Black King," is named as one of
the divinities of the nagualists.

In some parts the principal idol found in the caves was the mummied or
exsiccated body of some former distinguished priest or chieftain. One
such is recorded by Bartholome de Pisa, which was found among the
Zapotecs of Coatlan. It bore a name taken from the calendar, that of the
tenth day, and was alleged to be the preserved cadaver of a celebrated
ruler.[40-*] Another interesting example is narrated by Villa Senor y
Sanchez,[40-[+]] who describes it as an eye-witness. It was discovered
in a spacious cave located some distance to the west of the city of
Mexico, in Nahuatl territory, on the side of what was known as "the Sun
mountain"--_la Mesa de Tonati_. He speaks of it as remarkably well
preserved, "both the muscles and the bones."

"It was seated in an armchair which served for a throne, and was
clothed in a mantle, which fell from the shoulders to the feet.
This was richly adorned with precious stones, which, according to
the native custom, were sewed into the texture of the cloth. The
figure also wore shoulder straps, collars, bracelets and fastenings
of silver. From its forehead rose a crown of beautiful feathers of
different colors arranged so that one color should alternate with
another. The left hand was resting on the arm of the chair, while
in the right was a sharp cutlass with silver mountings. At its feet
were several vases of fine stone, as marble and alabaster, in which
were offerings of blood and meat, obtained from the sacrifices."

The same writer refers to other examples of these sacred caves which he
had seen in his journeys. One was near the town of Teremendo, where the
sides and roof had been ar