Codex Bodley, c. 1501-1550 (drawing)

Codex Bodley / Codex Ñuu Tnoo', c. first half 16th century. MS. Mex. d.1, p. 9. Obverse. Book I. Starting at bottom (following from p. 8). Band v (left to right). In the year 3 Flint (1080) on the day 4 Rain, Lord 8 Deer came out of a cave, where he may have been in retreat to fast and perform self-sacrifice. That day, going to another cave located at the foot of Curved (i.e. Big) Mountain, a place of visions, where dark vapours rose from the ground, he found a chest filled with jewels. It was in the land of Lord 3 Reed, who would later marry Lord 8 Deer’s younger sister, 12 Grass (not born until 1081). Big Mountain was a name of Monte Albán; the treasure may well have been the valuable contents of a tomb among the ruins of that classic acropolis. The next day, 5 Flower, Lord 8 Deer visited Lady 4 Rabbit ‘Precious Quetzal’ and her husband Lord 10 Flower ‘Bow Tail’ in Dark Specked Mountain, possibly Acuchi, ‘Place of Gravel’, now known as San Jerónimo Sosola. [On the same day, 5 Flower, Lord 8 Deer retired into yet another cave in order to venerate the Sacred Bundle. Afterwards, still on the day 5 Flower, Lord 8 Deer paid his respects to the Sacred Bundle in the Temple of Heaven of the nearby Town of the Pointed Objects, possibly Yucu Ndeque (Huauclilla). This temple was dedicated to 1 Death, the appropriate day for offerings to the Sun God and to the Great Mother of the Dynasty, Lady 1 Death. On the third day of the next year, the day 6 Serpent in the year 4 House (1081), Lord 8 Deer went to the River of Sacred Fish, in the territory of Dark Specked Mountain. Band iv (right to left). There, he played ball with the Sun God (Lord 1 Death) and the Venus God (Lord 1 Movement), probably represented by human impersonators. Apparently, he won, and in recompense, his former opponents helped him to conquer the Jewel Stone of Ash River, i.e., a precious object associated with the West, the realm of the descending Sun and Venus. Through this victory, Lord 8 Deer made Sun and Venus, both patrons of War, his allies. Probably the precious Stone of the West was an object of divine, magical power, the possession of which would guarantee good fortune.] On the day 13 Flower, the seventh day of the next year, 6 Reed (1083), Lord 8 Deer ‘Jaguar Claw’ went hunting on the Mountain of the Temple of Heaven, where offerings of knotted grass had been made in preparation for this act. With his arrows, he shot a coyote. This was in preparation to going to the Temple of Death (Vehe Kihin), the sanctuary where the ancient rulers of the Ñuu Dzaui village-states were buried together, near Ñuu Ndaya (Chalcatongo). There he met with the Patron Goddess of that funerary cave, Lady 9 Grass. Band iii (left to right). Following her orders, Lord 8 Deer descended to the tropical lowlands that border the Pacific Coast. There he presented hiCodex Bodley / Codex Ñuu Tnoo', c. first half 16th century. MSelf to Lord 1 Death ‘Sun Serpent’ and Lady 11 Serpent ‘Flower, Quetzal Feathers’, the rulers of the village-state of Town of Hand Holding Feathers. This place has been identified as Ñuu Sitoho, ‘Town of the Lords’, i.e. Juquila, the main town of the Chatino people, which in those days controlled part of the coastal region. After consulting with these rulers, Lord 8 Deer conquered Water of the Rubber Ball, burnt the place, and took its ruler, Lord 9 Serpent, prisoner. Probably, this conquest put him in control of the important Lagoon of Chacahua. Consequently, he was able to establish hiCodex Bodley / Codex Ñuu Tnoo', c. first half 16th century. MSelf as ruler of Stone of the Bird, i.e. Yuhu Dzaa (Tututepec), which was to become the main Mixtec capital on the Pacific Coast. The date accompanying this scene is heavily damaged. It might be year 6 Flint (1096), day 9 Jaguar. While Lord 8 Deer was seated as ruler of Yucu Dzaa, a red rodent approached him. Probably this animal helped him to gain power. [Soon afterwards, Lord 8 Deer received a group of 4 Toltecs, distinguished by specific attributes and names: Lord Wind, who was the Carrier of the Bone Flute, Lord ‘Serpent Ear-Ornament’, Lord ‘Smoking Shield’, and Lord Hummingbird. All hold a staff and a fan, the characteristic attributes of travellers and ambassadors. They came to transmit the words of Lord 4 Jaguar, the ruler of Town of the Cattail Reeds, which is the sign of Tollan-Cholollan, present-day Cholula, in Central Mexico. Lord 8 Deer welcomed them with a ceremonial salute. An omen was seen: when lord 8 Deer decapitated a quail as an offering to his visitors, an eagle came down from heaven and grasped the quail’s head. The scene recalls the omen at the birth of Lord 8 Deer. Band ii (right to left). The next year, Lord 8 Deer went on the warpath to conquer Mountain of the Moon Vessel, i.e. Yucu Yoo (Acatepec) fortress on top of the northern cliffs of Monte Albán. He captured its ruler, Lord 3 Alligator, and took him to the Toltec king,] Lord 4 Jaguar, in Cholula, to be sacrificed. One the day Wind of the year 7 House (1097), Lord 8 Deer underwent the ceremony of Toltec rulership. We see him reclining on a jaguar throne; a Toltec nobleman perforated his septum and placed in his nose the turquoise ornament, symbol of royal status. Band i (left to right). Lord 8 Deer returned to Ñuu Tnoo, where he deposited the Objects of Power: the Staff of Rulership, the Precious Shield, and the sacred Bundle. The day 4 Wind of the year 8 Rabbit (1098) marked his elevation to the status of great king. From here he again went on the warpath, now to the Place of Heaven, the East, where the Founders of the Ñuu Tnoo dynasty, Lord 4 Alligator and Lady 1 Death, were venerated. In a sanctuary there, he had a vision. Codices Iya Nacuaa (Colombino-Becker) and Tonindeye (Nuttall) explain that Lord 8 Deer undertook this campaign together with the Toltec ruler Lord 4 Jaguar and arrived at the Temple of the Sun God Lord 1 Death. Coming back in the year 9 reed (1099) [he visited Town of the Pointed Objects and the Eagle. Later, on the day 7 Flower of the year 12 Rabbit (1102), he returned here to celebrate a royal ritual, drinking pulque, the alcoholic drink made from maguey juice, and receiving the salute and recognition of Lord 13 Jaguar ‘War eagle’. Passing over dramatic events in Lord 8 Deer’s personal and political life (alluded to on the reverse of Codex Bodley, p. 34-v), the narrative proceeds directly to the day 13 Serpent in the year Reed (1103).]