the south commencing with the element earth,
those beginning at the east with water.[47] Not that the authors
themselves always indicated these points, but that a proper
interpretation of the original authorities would have resulted in this
conclusion, supposing a proper adjustment of the different calendar
systems of the Nahua nations to have been made. I think it quite
probable that the artist who painted this plate, of the Fejervary Codex
believed the first "sun" or "age" should be assigned to the east, and
that here the flint indicates origin, first creative power or that out
of which the first creation issued, an idea which I believe is consonant
with Nahua traditions. I may as well state here as elsewhere that
notwithstanding the statement made by Gemelli and others that it was the
belief or tradition of the Mexicans that the sun first appeared in the
south, I am somewhat skeptical on this point.

Such a tradition might be possible in an extreme northern country, but
it is impossible to conceive how it would have originated in a tropical
region.

The calendar and religious observances were the great and all-absorbing
topics of the Nahua nations, and hence it is to these, and especially
the first, that we must look for an explanation of their paintings and
sculpture, and not so much to the traditions given by the old Spanish
authors.

Finally, the assignment of the year symbols to the four points at which
we find them was not, as these early authors supposed, because of their
significance, but because in forming the circle of the days they fell at
these points. This fact is so apparent from the plates of the Codices
that it seems to me to forbid any other conclusion.

In the bottom, blue loop, which we call the west, we see two female
figures, one of them with cross-bones on her dress. This agrees
precisely with the statement of Sahagun heretofore given, to wit, "for
they held the opinion that the dead women, who are goddesses, live in
the west, and that the dead men, who are in the house of the sun, guide
him from the east with rejoicings every day, until they arrive at
midday, and that the defunct women, whom they regard as goddesses and
call _Cioapipiltin_, come out from the west to receive him at midday (or
south?), and carry him with rejoicing to the west." Before comparing
with the plate of the Cortesian Codex, we call attention to some other
plates of the Mexican Codices, in order to see how far our
int