CHAPTER XII.

MISCELLANEOUS TRIBES OF CENTRAL AMERICA.

SCARCITY OF HISTORICAL DATA-THE TRIBES OF CHIAPAS-THE FOUNDERS AND HEROES OF THE CHIAPANEC NATION-WARS WITH THE AZTECS-THE PEOPLE OF THE SOUTHERN COAST-THEY ARE VANQUISHED BY THE OLMECS-THEIR EXODUS AND JOURNEY-THEY SETTLE AND SEPARATE-JUARROS' ACCOUNT OF THE ORIGIN AND LATER HISTORY OF THE PIPILES-PIPILE TRADITIONS THE FOUNDING OF MICTLAN-QUEEN COMIZAHUAL-ACXITL'S EMPire of the EAST THE CHOLUTECS-VARIOUS TRIBES OF NICARAGUA-SETTLEMENTS ON THE ISTHMUS.

It is my purpose to relate in this chapter all that is known of the scattered tribes of Central America, exclusive of the Quiché-Cakchiquels. The historical information that has been preserved respecting these tribes is, however, so meagre and of such a vague and unsatisfactory character that the reader must expect nothing more than a very disconnected and incomplete account of them.

Chiapas, which is geographically the most northerly portion of Central America, though politically it belongs to Mexico, was inhabited in its northern part by the Tzendales and Zoques, in its central and southern region by the Chiapanecs, Zotziles, and Quelenes.1 The Tzendales lived in the vicinity of Palenque, and are said to have been di

1 See for location of these tribes, vol. i., pp. 681-2.

rectly descended from the builders of that city. Of

the Zotziles and Quelenes that they, together with Zoques, were at a late date

3

nothing is known, save the Tzendales and the subjugated by the Chia

The Chiapanecs, according to some authorities, came originally from Nicaragua. After a long and painful journey they arrived at the river Chiapa. Finding the region to their taste they resolved to settle, and founded a strong city upon the neighboring heights. Fuentes asserts that they were descended from the Toltecs, and that their kingdom was founded by a brother of Nima Quiché, one of the chiefs who led the Toltecs to Guatemala. There can be no doubt that the Chiapanecs were a very ancient people; indeed their traditions refer us back to the time of Votan.5 Boturini, on the authority of Bishop Nuñez de la Vega, speaks of an original record in which Votan is represented as the third figure in the Chiapanec calendar. The record also enumerates the places where Votan tarried, and states that ever since his visit there has been in Teopixca a family bearing his name. Vega believes that the original population of Chiapas and Soconusco were of the race of Cham. The twenty heroes whose names are immortalized in the calendar of the Chiapanecs are commonly said to have been the founders or first rulers of that nation. We are told that they all distinguished themselves, and that some died in their beds, some on the battle-field, others at the hands of their rivals, but beyond this scarcely any record of their lives or deeds has survived. One of them named Chinax, a military leader represented with a flag in

2 Herrera, dec. iv., lib. x., cap. xi.; Remesal, Hist. Chyapa, p. 264; Brasseur, Hist., tom. iii, p. 16.

3 Remesal, ib.; Herrera, ib.; Murguia, Estadist. Guajaca, in Soc. Mex. Geog., Boletin, tom. vii., p. 187.

Juarros, Hist. Guat., p. 8.

5 Clavigero, tom. iv., p. 52, tom. i., pp. 150-1; Larrainzar, in Soc. Mex Geog., Boletin, tom. iii., p. 92; Bradford's Amer. Antiq., p. 202. • Boturini, Idea, pp. 115, 118-19.

his hand, was hanged and burned by an enemy; of another named Been, it is stated that he traveled through Chiapas, leaving special marks of his visits in the places through which he passed. It appears by the calendar that Imox, sometimes called Mox, and accasionally Ninus, was the first settler in Chiapas. According to the worthy prelate above mentioned, this Ninus was the son of Belo, who was the son of Nimrod, who was the son of Chus, who was the grandson of Cham. He was represented by or with the ceiba tree,' from whose roots, it is said, the Chiapanec race sprang. It is Orozco y Berra's opinion that the Chiapanecs should be placed before the better known tribes and after the builders of Palenque and Copan. Their language has not been classified, but is said to resemble that of the Nicoya region.

10

The spot on which the pioneer settlers of the Chiapan region established their first stronghold was so difficult of access as to be almost unassailable, and was fortified so strongly both by nature and art, that it was practically impregnable. From here the inhabitants kept up a constant warfare with the Aztec garrisons at Tzinacatla, Soconusco and elsewhere." They cordially hated the Mexicans, and persistently refused to intermarry with them. Their enemies seem to have been stronger than they, but by their valor they not only maintained their independence

'Five-leaved silk-cotton tree, Bombax Ceiba.

8 Piñeda, in Soc. Mex. Geog., Boletin, tom. iii., pp. 344-5. The names of these heroes were: Imox, Igh, Votan, Chanan, Abah, Tox, Moxic, Lambat, Molo or Mulu, Elab, Batz, Evob, Been, Hix, Tziquin, Chabin, Chic, Chinax, Cahogh, Aghual.

9 Who these 'better known tribes' are is not stated.

10 Piñeda, in Soc. Mex. Geog., Boletin, tom. iii., p. 346. The history, position and civilization of the Chiapanecs shows that they preceded, or were at least contemporaries of the first tribes or factions of the Aztec family. They were certainly a very ancient people, and of Toltec origin, while their civilization undoubtedly came from the north and not from the south. Orozco y Berra, Geografía, pp. 44, 60, 120.

n Clavigero, tom. iv., pp. 267-8; Bernal Diaz, Hist. Cong., fol. 73, 178; Herrera, dec. iv., lib. x., cap. xi.; Larrainzur, in Soc. Mex. Geog., Boletin, tom. iii., p. 92; Brasseur, Esquisses, p. 17.

until the time of the Conquest, but, as we have seen, they subjugated the surrounding nations. They incurred the bitter enmity of the Chinantecs, because they forced the Zoques to pay tribute."

The southern coast region of Chiapas, between Tehuantepec and Soconusco, was occupied by a people whose origin is involved in some mystery. Brasseur relates that they came from Cholula; probably in the ninth century, at the time when Huemac took that city and persecuted the followers of Quetzalcoatl. Torquemada identifies them with the Pipiles of Guatemala and Salvador, 13 of whom I shall speak presently. These coast people were an industrious, frugal race, and for a long time they held peaceable possession of their territory, and prospered exceedingly. But their happy life was destined to be rudely and suddenly changed to one of bondage and oppression. A horde of fierce Olmecs invaded and conquered their country, and immediately reduced the vanquished to a state of miserable slavery. Not only were they forced to pay excessive and ruinous tribute, but they were compelled to yield up their children of both sexes to gratify the unnatural lusts of their masters. They were, besides, made amenable to a most rigorous system of laws, the least infraction of which was punished with death. For a time they groaned passively under this cruel yoke, but at length it grew unbearable. Then in their deep trouble they appealed to their priests for help and advice. The priests consulted the oracles and at the end of eight days announced to the people that the only way in which they could escape from their persecutors was to leave the country in a body, and go in search of another home. At first the people seemed disposed to question the prudence and feasibility of this step, but they were speedily re

12 Herrera, dec. iv., lib. x., cap. xi.; Remesal, Hist. Chyapa, p. 264. 13 Monarq. Ind., tom. i., p. 333. Brasseur, Hist., tom. ii., p. 76, identifies them with the Pipiles and Xuchiltepecs.

assured by the priests, who declared that the gods. would aid and protect them in their flight. A day was then set for their departure, and they were instructed in the meantime to provide themselves with everything necessary for a long journey. At the appointed time they assembled secretly, and set out at once. It would be difficult to believe that an entire nation of slaves could have made such an exodus unknown to and against the will of their masters, even though we read of a parallel case in Holy Writ; but, however this might be, they seem to have taken the road towards Guatemala without hindrance, and to have been pursued by no Olmec Pharaoh.1

According to the tradition, they continued their march down the coast for twenty days, until they came to the banks of the river Michatoyatl. Here their chief priest fell sick, and the country being very pleasant, they halted for a time. Before long the priest died, and they then proceeded on their journey, leaving, however, some families behind, who settled here and founded a city, afterwards known in Guatemalan history by the name of Itzcuintlan. After this there is some confusion in the different accounts. Following the plainest version, similar circumstances caused them to make another halt twenty leagues lower down, in the neighborhood of the volcano Cuzcatlan. 15 Here they found a lovely climate, and a productive soil, and that part of them that has since borne the name of Pipiles resolved to settle. The others went farther south, towards the Conchagua Gulf; but of these I shall speak again presently.

14 Torquemada, tom. i., p. 332.

15 Cuzcatlan was the ancient name of Salvador.

16 Brasseur, Hist., tom. ii., pp. 78-9. Torquemada, tom. i., p. 332, relates that twenty days after starting, one of their high-priests died. They then traversed Guatemala, and journeying a hundred leagues farther on, came to a country to which the Spaniards have given the name of Choluteca, or Choroteca. Here another priest died. After this the author goes on to tell the story which, according to the version followed above, applies to the Xuchiltepecs who proceeded to the Gulf of Conchagua, and which will be referred to elsewhere.