interesting
glimpses into the past history of the inhabitants of the Yucatan
peninsula, that they merit presentation in a separate publication. Suffice
it for the present to refer more fully to a few leading facts which will
be found to illustrate the development of the ancient civilization in the
preceding pages.

The native opinion already cited was that a great chief or lord, named
Kukulcan, reigned at Chichen-Itza, Yucatan, whilst this was occupied by
the Itza tribe, which was driven from it in about 270 A.D. by the
Tutul-xius who were entitled "holy men." Their name justifies Brasseur de
Bourbourg's inference that the conquerors may have been a Nahuatl tribe
whose name was that of the much-prized blue-bird, Xiuh-tototl.

At the same time the fact that the Maya word for supreme lord and Master
(also applied to the divinity) is _Ciu-mil_ seems to indicate that there
may be a deeper origin and that the Xiuh-tototl may have only been a rebus
employed by the Mexicans to convey the sound of a Maya title, possibly
"Kukul-Ciu," if the above title "holy men" is to be regarded as a
translation of Tutul-xiu.

"Kukulcan had no wife or children and was venerated in Yucatan as a god
because he was a great republican, as was shown by the order he instituted
in Yucatan after the death of the native rulers. He went to Mexico whence
he returned. He was there named Quetzalcoatl and was venerated by the
Mexicans as one of their gods." When he had entered into treaty with the
native chiefs inhabiting the country, they agreed to join him in founding
and peopling a city which was named Mayapan, but was also known by the
natives as Ichpa, meaning "inside of the circles."(53) "They proceeded,
indeed, to build a circular walled enclosure with two entrances only. In
its centre, the principal temple was erected and it was circular, with
four doors opening to the cardinal points, like one which had been built
by Kukulcan at Chichen-Itza. The walled circle also contained other sacred
edifices and houses intended to be inhabited by the lords only, who
divided up the entire land amongst themselves. Towns were assigned to each
according to the antiquity of his lineage and personal distinction.
Kukulcan lived in this town for some years with these lords and leaving
them in amity and peace returned to Mexico by the same way as on his
visit, lingering on the way in order to build a quadriform temple on an
island off the coast."

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