Spanish invasion (A.D. 1519) the
Mexican priesthood lit the sacred fire of the altar by an extremely
primitive method of employing the fire-drill: by holding it tightly
between the palms of both hands and rapidly rubbing them alternately
forward and backward.

The Codices contain numberless pictures representing a priest, in the act
of kindling fire by inserting the drill in a simple wooden beam, usually
exhibiting several small holes or sockets. On the other hand the Borgian
Codex, which has recently been placed within general reach by the
generosity of the Duc de Loubat, shows us two elaborate representations of
the great ceremony of kindling the holy fire in a large circular socket,
on the body of a woman which, in all cases is combined with the image of
an alligator (see p. 91). In another Codex the alligator alone supports
the socket. The smaller of these representations is reproduced in fig. 29,
and on pp. 93-97 this image is discussed as well as the remarkable stone
fire altars in human form, of which one has been unearthed near the city
of Mexico, while no less than six were found at Chichen-Itza. My informant
on this point is Mr. Alfred P. Maudslay, who added that they seem to have
been invariably placed at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the
temple, the facade of which is always supported by two great columns, each
sculptured in the form of a great serpent with open jaws, the symbol
which, in the bas-reliefs at Chichen-Itza and on the Central American
stelae, recurs on the head-dresses of the rulers termed "Divine serpents,"
or "divine four in One."

Postponing comment upon the curious analogy between the stone fire altars
in human form, of the Mayas and Mexicans, with those of the Maghadas of
Northern India, who called themselves the Sons of Magha = the socket-block
whence fire was generated by the fire-drill, or the mother Maga, the
sacred alligator, let us examine the fire-drill god of ancient Mexico.

Reference to fig. 1 reveals that it is impossible to see these Mexican
representations, which I could supplement by others, and not be struck by
their agreement with the descriptions of the Hindu pole-star god Dhruva,
who stands on one foot, of the lame Hephaistos of Greek mythology, to
which I would add that Hewitt also mentions in his preface to vol. II the
Norse Voelunde, the maimed, one-legged turner of the pole; the god called
in the Rig-Veda the Aja ekapad, or one-footed goat, who watched the