Codex Selden / Codex Añute, c. 1560 (manuscript)

Codex Selden (Codex Añute): Mixtec pictorial manuscript ( ñee ñuhu ), 1556 × 1560s. MS. Arch. Selden. A.2, p. 7. Starting at bottom (continuation of p. 6). Band I (left to right). Rest of the offerings brought by F 6 Monkey and her husband 10 Wind to the goddess 9 Grass 'Death': second necklace made of gold beads in the form of hooks, a red chili with a heart and two plates of gold, two checkered objects, apparently made of cloth, but adorned with jade, a 'Death Serpent' with two bone awls, and a complete dress made up of a huipil, skirt, and quechquemitl. The letter is adorned with a fringe of white Xonecuillis on a black ground, the same as the one worn by the goddess 9 Grass, which is a characteristic symbol of her (see her depiction on p. 6-IV). After the offerings comes a date: day 10 Wind of the year 10 Reed (1035), which might refer to a day in the past. Three women and four men , and a fifth man playing the tepoznatli (in the centre), participate in a dance which takes place on this date. Among the dancers, we can recognise: F 9 Grass 'Death', M 11 Wind 'Bloody Tiger', F 6 Monkey 'Serpent Quechquemitl', an old man and an old woman, and a man wearing the mask and beard of Ehecatl, the wind god. The other male is not identifiable. They all carry flowers in their hands and, in general, a woman alternates with a man. After the dance, M 11 Wind and F 6 Monkey get married by bathing together in the River of Corn, on the day 7 Flower of the year 12 House (1037). Band II (right to left). A number of objects is presented to the couple: a white huipil with undulating lines, red dots, and snail symbol; two small cloths similarly decorated with red lines; other black dotted cloths with red border and fringe, one of them having a red bow and the other what appears to be a knotted feather; a xicolli or red tunic, with featherd fringe and cords to tie it, ending in pearls; a similar xicolli, decorated besides with an ear of corn, which seeCodex Selden (Codex Añute): Mixtec pictorial manuscript ( ñee ñuhu ), 1556 × 1560s. MS to be a symbol of royal power, as respresented in other codices; and finally two feathered headdresses. One of these has a ball of down, an eagle feather, and three quetzal feathers (which is the plumage of the warrior), and the other is set in gold, with three dark feathers and three of the quetzal. The year following the ceremonial bath and the offerings, the elder from Belching Mountain, M 10 Lizard 'Ruffled Hair-Jade Axe-Eagle Down-Flaming Mirror-Arrow', calls two ambassadors named M 2 Flower 'Xiuhcoatl Eye' and M 3 Alligator 'Jade Pheasant'. 2 Flower and 3 Alligator are consecutive days in the tonalpohualli; they both belong to the seventh 13-day week, which starts with 1 Rain dedicated to Tlaloc. These men might also be twins. The elder hires them to take the princess 6 Monkey 'Serpent Quechquemitl' to the place which can be called Xipe Bundle, the town of his wife 11 Wind. Band III (left to right). The ambassadors leave on the day 9 Serpent of the year 13 Rabbit (1038). M 3 Alligator 'Jade Pheasant', who is in front, carries a staff decorated with jades and quetzal plumes; the part where he grasps it is covered with cloth or paper decorated with red stripes. He is carrying some branches with leaves and flowers. M 2 Flower 'Xiuhcoatl Eye' follows behind him; his staff is decorated with a solar half disk and topped with an adornment of quetzal plumes and a flint knife. He carries the princess 6 Monkey on his back (her head is visible). As they pass through the towns called Hill of the Moon and Hill of the Bumble-bee, the lords of these places M 6 Lizard 'Twisted Hill-Cotton(?)' and M 2 Alligator 'Cacaxtli-Cotton (?)' speak insultingly to them, that is, as sharply as flint knives (note flint knives added to the shapes symbolising their speech, which come out of their mouths). Band IV (right to left). The princess 6 Monkey 'Serpent Quechquemitl' arrives at the town of Skull and complains before the goddess 9 Grass 'Jawbone' of the treatment she has received.