THE PILGRIMAGE AND CIVILIZATION OF THE TOLTECS 
BY 
DAVID CEKNA, M. D., Ph. D. 
Demonstrator of Physiology and Lecturer on the History of Medicine in the Medical 
Department of the University of Texas. 
[From Transactions of the Texas Academy of Science.] THE PILGRIMAGE AND CIVILIZATION OF THE TOLTECS. 
David Cerna, M. D., Ph. D. 
Bead June 19, 1893. 
I need not state, perhaps, that of the three principal branches of the 
historical human races, the Hamitic, the Semitic, and the Aryan or Indo- 
European, this last one has always been considered as the most important 
in every respect. From it, undoubtedly, have sprung the peoples that 
have more largely contributed to the progress and development of civili- 
zation . The Semitic branch is especiallay noted for having given to the 
world three religions, each one of which proclaims, singularly enough, 
the existence of One, All-Powerful God, Ruler of the Universe: the 
Jewish, the Mohammedan, and the Christian. The Hamitic branch com- 
prises chiefly the venerable Egyptians and the Chaldeans. To another 
Eastern nation the world is indebted for modern civilization, although 
not generally admitted, but nevertheless true. I mean, of course, China. 
Regarding the contributors to modern human progress we shall not, nay, 
we can not stop here. We shall find, if we carefully consult and examine 
the annals of human existence, that two other peoples have also con- 
tributed to the common stock of civilization, and that these two peoples 
belong to our own Continent. As you may surmise, I have reference to 
the Peruvians and the Mexicans; especially to these latter tribes that 
once inhabited and held full sway over beautiful Anahuac: tribes to 
which belonged Netzahualcoyotl, the king-poet, and the poet-king of our 
primitive Continental literature; Guatimotzin the Aztec Philopoemen, 
the last and heroic martyr of his race, and a host of other brilliant stars 
that shall forever shine in the firmament of our own history. 
There is no doubt that all these Mexican tribes contributed more or 
less to the establishment of the great Aztec Empire and to the origin and 
development of a wonderful civilization. 
Whether all these ancient peoples had or not a common origin; whether 
they were aborgines or had sprung from Eastern nations, a topic in itself 
extremely interesting from a historical and scientific point of view, the 
matter remains unsettled, notwithstanding the many beautiful theories 
promulgated on both sides of the question. 
It has been maintained that the Mayas and the Maya-Quiches, the races 
peculiar to Yucatan and Chiapas, perhaps the most ancient of American 
peoples, proceeded either directly or indirectly from Egypt and other 
Eastern nations, their appearance on this Continent being accounted for 
in different ways, but without the light of positive proof. 
Be this as it may, these tribes differed in many respects from the rest 58 
TRANSACTIONS OF THE TEXAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 
of the Anahuac races. Without entering, then, into a discussion of 
problematical questions, permit me to relate briefly the story of these 
latter people, especially, for the present at least, that of the remarkable 
Toltecs, considered as the most ancient of the civilized Mexican nations. 
History tells us that the Toltecs were among the first of the ambulent 
tribes to traverse the countiy and penetrate the beautiful and picturesque 
land of Anahuac. Other tribes followed, or preceded them, such as the 
Chichimecs, the CoJhuas, the Acolhuas, the Tlaxcaltecs, the Chiapanecs, 
the Zapotecs, the Olmecs, the Huastecs, the Otomies, the Tarases, the 
Matlatzincs, and others, the principal one of all these being that which 
formed, in the course of time, the most famous and powerful Empire of 
this Continent, and which, as you well know, succumbed finally to the 
Spanish Conquest. I refer to the Aztecs or true Mexicans. 
The Toltecs lived within the limits of the territory situated on the 
northern part of the country, in a city founded, built and called by them 
Tlapallam or Huehuetlapallam of the Tollan kingdom. Their chief oc- 
cupation had been the tilling of the land and the working of metals. 
They were especially advanced in agriculture. 
The Toltecs, in this seclusion, lived many years of prosperity in 
Huehuetlapallam and other neighboring towns, but as the demands of 
their ever increasing population became greater and greater, they re- 
solved to remove farther on towards the South. 
After wandering hither and thither for several years, and having met 
with various experiences, they came across a better country where they 
resolved to settle, founding towards the year 552 the city of Tlalpallan- 
conco or the small Tlapallam. Engaged in their favorite occupation, 
agriculture, that afforded them the principal means of support, the Tol- 
tecs continued to live in their new abode for a period of three years, at 
the end of which, under pressing circumstances, and especially through 
the advice of their wise and honored prophet Huemac or Iluematzin, they 
again proceeded on their southern journey in their eager desire of find- 
ing the promised land.* 
According to Huematzin (the word signifying “big hands,” and also 
figuratively “intelligent, wise and powerful”), their chief adviser, the 
existence near by of a fierce and warlike tribe, the Chichimecs, was a 
hindrance to their peace and prosperity. Besides, the future greatness 
of the Toltec family was to be found in a land situated farther on, where 
they could reign supreme and give rise to a happy and prosperous nation. 
Thus stimulated by the hopeful and eloquent words of the great Ilue- 
matzin, the intelligent Indians, during the year 555, again abandoned 
* It may be of interest to learn that the Toltecs, at the beginning of their long 
pilgrimage, made vows of chastity, vows which were to hold good for a period of 
twenty-three years. The object of such step can be clearly understood, and it is 
said that they faithfully kept their pledged word, DAVID CERNA PILGRIMAGE AND CIVILIZATION OF THE TOLTECS. 
59 
their last homestead, and, after a twelve-day journey, they arrived at a 
place named Hueyralan, or better still Hueixallan (near the sandy place), 
where a stay of four years was decided upon. 
In the course of time, and a little farther on, they established them- 
selves in the beautiful plains of Xalisco. There, under an excellent cli- 
mate, and highly pleased with the exhuberant fertility of the surround- 
ing country, they lived and prospered for a period of eight years. A 
city was built, and as a result of their incessant labors, the land was 
yearly covered with numerous and abundant crops consisting especially 
of corn or maize, cotton, beans, and pepper. 
Again continuing their pilgrimage, the Toltecs arrived, in 567, at a 
place called Chilmalhuacan where they settled for a period of five years. 
From Chilmalhuacan (the word signifying “a place where reside the 
owners of the 1 chimallV ” or shields) the Toltecs proceeded, in 572, to 
Tochpan or Tuxpan; thence respectively to Quiahuiztlan or Quiyahuiztlan, 
and Zacatlan. Other places were successively visited and occupied for 
short periods of time, such as Totzapan, Tepetla, Mazapec, Xiuhcoac, and 
Iztachuexolla. 
In 645 they arrived at Tollantzinco. The Toltecs were still under the 
guidance of the great Huehuematzin and seven other Indian chiefs: 
Zacatl, Chalcatzin, Tzihuacuatl, Metzotzin, Checaizin, TlapaImetzotzin, and 
Cxhuatzon. 
Tollantzinco was a beautiful and fertile country, situated about fifty 
miles north of the future capital of the Mexican Empire, that is, the 
present City of Mexico. The country offered the best advantages, and 
the Toltecs, ever eager to improve their condition, resolved to make of the 
new place their home. They did so for a period of sixteen years, dur- 
ing which peace, happiness, and prosperity crowned all their efforts. 
But the venerable Huehuematzin, who never abandoned the tribe that 
was to become the originator of a great civilization, with his continued 
counsel once more induced the wandering Indians to remove to another 
and better place, and finally in 661 the Toltecs arrived at Tollan or Tula, 
which was decided upon to be the termination of their long pilgrimage. 
Although the exact point from which the Toltecs originally started in 
their wanderings is shrouded in speculation if not mystery, there is no 
doubt that the itinerary followed by them in their southern journey, as 
referred to by the Indian historian, IXTLILXOCHITL, is exact in some 
respects, if not in all. While the situation of Tlapallam or Iluehuetla- 
pallam, on the north, is doubtful, there remain Xalisco in the modern 
State of Xalisco, or Jalisco, as it is called at present, in Mexico. There 
is Tochpan or Tuxpan now in the State of Michoacan, and again in the 
State of Vera Cruz, where is also known to have existed Quiahuiztlan. 
In the State of Puebla there is the town of Zacatlan, while Huexutla, 60 
TRANSACTIONS OF THE TEXAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 
Tollantzinco, and Tollan or Tula can at present be examined in the State 
of Hidalgo. 
The starting point of the Toltecs in their pilgrimage is summarily 
treated by EUSTAQUIO BUELNA* in a recent study. This writer 
traces such a point as far north as the territories traversed by the Col- 
oi’ado and Gila rivers, an opinion entertained by other ancient and mod- 
ern writers. He believes that the tribes in their wanderings must have 
passed by the Tulare lake found between the modern cities of San Fran- 
cisco and Los Angeles, in Upper California. Singularly enough the same 
name Tulare is still retained by a small town, in the county which also 
bears the same appellation, in that State. Nay, could not these wonder- 
ful people have come from farther north? I find that in the State of 
Nevada, in Elko county, on the northeastern portion, there is a little 
town called Tulasco. Be this as it may, again, in New Mexico, we come 
across with another place that bears the name of Tularosa. 
All these terms have in common the prefix tula, which is neither of 
English nor Spanish origin. Tula is a nahoac or Toltec term, and comes 
from tollin, or tule, a name applied to a marshy plant, presumably 
abundant in the neighborhood of the first Tollan or Tula. The plant 
here referred to is not found about the Mexican Tula, and it is but fair 
to infer that the modern city derived its name from the ancient town. 
Traveling South, then, the Toltecs must have arrived at the confluence 
or thereabouts of the two rivers mentioned, the Colorado and the Gila. 
Now, the word Gila is undoubtedly derived from Xilla, itself composed 
of xilotl, which drops the particle otl and takes that of tla or la, meaning 
“a country abundant in green corn.” Once more, it may be inferred 
that somewhere in this vicinity the first Huehuetlapallam or Tlapallam 
must have been built, from the fact that this last term, tlapallam, signi- 
fies in the Toltec language “ a place near the red soil.” 
The character of the ruins of ancient towns, discovered later in the 
regions just alluded to, points strongly to the probability of said towns 
having been the Avork of cultured races, and not of the numerous North 
American Indian tribes which have never shown any tendency to progress 
or civilization. 
In the course of years, of centuries perhaps, the Toltecs in their pass- 
age from Gila to Anahuac must have followed a route by way of Sonora 
and Sinaloa, along the coast, until they reached the high tablelands of 
Mexico, founding the city of Tula first and of Texcoco afterwards. 
Tula or Tollan, situated about forty miles north of the actual Capital 
of the Republic, and almost perfect as regards the excellency of the 
climate and the fertility of the soil, was looked upon by the Toltec fam- 
ily as their promised land. Indeed, Tula was the realization of their 
* Peregrination de los Aztecas, Mexico, 1887, DAVID CERNA—PILGRIMAGE AND CIVILIZATION OF THE TOLTECS. 
61 
happiest dreams. It seemed as if their desires, their hopes, and their 
ambitions were to be fulfilled; as if the gods, moved by the trials and 
tribulations of their children, tribulations and trials patiently endured 
for a period of over one hundred years of a wandering life, and as a re- 
ward for their perseverance, the gods, in lieu of all this, had at last an- 
swered their summons, opening to them a new but permanent field upon 
which to lavish their greatest energies for their own and for the good 
of future generations! The die was cast, and the Toltecs, elated at their 
promising prospects, resolved to settle definitely in the newly found land. 
But the Toltecs were not, as some historians suppose, the sole founders 
of the new city and the other towns that afterward submitted to their 
rule. Other tribes were in possession of the land on the arrival of the 
new comers. The new capital, Tula, in fact had been the home of the 
Otomies, and was called by these Mamemhi. It may be said, therefore, 
that Tula is the most ancient city spoken of in the annals of beautiful 
Anahuac, and the Toltecs the first historical race of Mexico. 
Once definitely established, the Toltecs converted Tula into the 
metropolis of the nation and the abode of future able rulers. The 
shrewd and intelligent Indians, after proper deliberations, and bearing 
in mind the absolute necessity of creating a common power to regulate 
and conduct their affairs on the one hand, and, on the other, to promote 
the welfare of the nation, which may be looked upon as the natural tend- 
encies of a progressive and enlightened people, assumed a monarchial 
form of government. 
The newly foi’med monarchy began to exercise its power in the year 
667. The Toltecs elected Chalchiutlotonac, or C' hale hiu htlanetzin, as 
their first king. Under this monarch, naturally of a humane and just, 
and, at the same time of an energetic and progressive character, all the 
resources of the country were largely developed. The arts, agriculture, 
and science, all in their turn received from the monarch a decided and 
vigorous protection. It was during the reign of this ruler that a con- 
gress of the wisest men of the land, under the presidency of the most dis- 
tinguished astronomer of those times, Huematzin, convened, and it was 
then that the great Teomaxtli or Divine Book was produced. The Teo- 
maxtli came to be considered afterwards as the Bible of the Toltecs. 
After a prosperous reign of fifty-two years the first monarch of the 
Toltecs abdicated the throne, according to law, in favor of IxtUlcueclia- 
huac, and retired into private life. 
Ixtlilcuechahuac ascended the throne in 719. The reign of this mon- 
arch was attended by no remarkable event. Neither was that of his son 
Huetzin, who succeeded him. 
After Huetzin the throne was occupied by Totepeuh, the fourth king. 
This monax-ch was an enthusiastic protector of the arts, and it was during 62 
TRANSACTIONS OF THE TEXAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 
his distinguished reign that the most costly cotton fabrics and the most 
imposing works of Toltec architecture and ornamentation were produced. 
The cities were embellished with magnificent edifices, particularly that 
great mystic town Teotilmacan, which in the native Toltec tongue signi- 
fies habitation of the gods. It was in Teotihuacan where the great tem- 
ples of Tonatiuh Itzacual (house of the sun) and Meztli Itzacual (house of 
the moon) were raised. 
After Naxacoc, the next ruler, the government was entrusted to Mitl- 
zin. The new king, rich in personal and social virtues, ascended the 
throne in 979 amidst the joyous manifestations of the people. Mitlzin, 
or Mitl, patriotic and possessed naturally of a spirit of progress, spared 
no pains in promoting the welfare of his country. He soon conquered 
the admiration and love of his fellowmen by stimulating with undying 
enthusiasm progress in all conditions of life and society. Thus, industry, 
the arts, agriculture and science, all and each received protection, but 
that kind of protection that can alone contribute to the greatness and 
happiness of nations. Mitlzin was certainly the greatest of the Toltec 
rulers. The monarch, imbued with religious ideas, and solicitous of the re- 
ligion of his ancestors and of his people, promoted and carried into effect 
the erection of a new temple which, for its gorgeousness, grandeur and 
magnificence, should surpass the many other sanctuaries already in ex- 
istence, especially at Teotihuacan. That temple was the great Teocalli, 
dedicated to the Frog, the goddess of water. It was also during his 
reign that a seminary was founded for the assemblage of the most eminent 
men in the aids, literature, science and philosophy. 
His period being about to expire, the king prepared himself to receive 
his successor, but his most loyal caciques and the people in general, in 
recognition of the monarch’s important services to the country at large, 
laid aside for the first time the prescription of the law, and the king was 
urged upon to continue at the head o*f the government. The acceptance 
of a second term was hailed with universal satisfaction. Mitlzin con- 
tinued in power amidst the most enthusiastic manifestations of private 
and public rejoicings. 
During seven years of his second term the monarch continued to give 
complete satisfaction in the management of the government, when death 
came to cut short a most worthy life, a life consecrated to the good of 
the country he loved so well and of the people by whom he was so 
beloved. 
According to law women were exempt from occupying the throne as 
rulers of the nation. But the Toltecs, true to the memory of the defunct 
monarch, grateful for his distinguished services, and as an honor they 
desired to confer upon the faithful and intelligent wife that had so aided 
her husband in the discharge of his high duties, once more disregarded DAVID CERNA—PILGRIMAGE AND CIVILIZATION OF THE TOLTECS. 
63 
the established statutes in order to entrust the government into the hands 
of Xiuhtlaltzin. The lawful heir to the throne, Tecpancaltzin, not only 
consented to conform with the wishes of the people, but promised on his 
part the most submissive obedience as a dutiful son and a loyal subject. 
There being no dissension, the distinguished widow, in 1038, took charge 
of the government as the first Queen of the Toltecs. Her reign, which 
only lasted four years, owing to the premature death of the sovereign, 
was an era of peace and prosperity. 
During the latter part of these periods of peaceful and progressive 
government, the imposing pyramid of Cholula was built. This teocalli 
(house of God) which was dedicated to Quetzalcoatl, the god of the air, 
was so far the greatest addition to the numerous works of art already in 
existence throughout the kingdom. 
On the death of Queen Xiuhtlaltzin, occurring in 1042, her son Tec- 
pancaltzin, the rightful heir, was elevated to the throne. The new mon- 
arch followed closely the great path of progress and public good marked 
out by his worthy predecessors, and soon gave proofs of his ability as a 
ruler. But it was only during the first period of his eventful reign that 
the nation continued on its onward march of prosperity. Subsequent 
events, in which the failings, the weakness of the king, manifested them- 
selves to a degree shocking alike to private and public morals, marked 
the beginning of the decline, final fall, and destruction of a great mon- 
archy . 
During the reign of Tecpancaltzin the beautiful legend of the discovery 
of Pulque, the Mexican national beverage, appears to have been invented. 
Papantzin, kindred to the king, had been able to extract from the maguey 
{metl) or century plant (Agave americana), a certain liquid said to have 
been identical with the one known at present as pulque. Papantzin com- 
municated to his daughter Xochitl (flower) the secret, and both resolved 
to make the discovery known to the king. They did so, but Tecpan- 
caltzin, more than with the new liquor, was taken with the surpassing 
beauty of the dark-eyed Xochitl. He became desperately and passionately 
enamored of .the Indian maiden. Forgetting his high social position, his 
wife, his own dignity, and laying aside all scruples and moral principles, 
the monarch managed to abduct the innocent girl, and placed her in pri- 
vate apartments of the palace. Xochitl, in the course of time, intoxi- 
cated also with a strong love for the king, at last yielded to his entreaties, 
allowing herself to become the victim of a fiery and disastrous passion. 
As a result of these illicit relations there was born unto them a child. 
To it the name of Meconetzin was given, the word meaning “son of the 
metl,” or maguey plant. 
The queen consort soon afterward died of grief, overcome by the in- 
fidelity of her royal husband. As there was no legitimate heir to the 64 
TRANSACTIONS OF THE TEXAS ACADEMY OP SCIENCE. 
throne, Meconetzin, under the name of Topiltzin, became in 1094 the 
ninth and last ruler of the Toltec nation. 
The assumption of the governmental power by Topiltzin was looked 
upon with disfavor, and this sad condition of affairs continued until all 
respect for the new king was entirely lost among the people. Add to 
this, the conduct observed by the monarch himself, whose laxity of 
morals was upheld and even honored by a few of his caciques and court 
sycophants. 
The curly hair, presenting the form of a tiara, which had been noticed 
on the head of the infant Meconetzin at birth, was turning out to be, as 
it had been expected, of an evil omen. 
In the course of time immorality and corruption invaded all conditions 
of life and all grades of society. While the king and many of his ca- 
ciques and court flatterers were leading a life of shame and vice, totally 
regardless of government and the good of the people, these were prepar- 
ing a just vengeance, alone to be found in rebellion and war. 
Internal dissensions gave rise to invasions by neighboring tribes; to 
confusion, anarchy, and a series of terrible encounters, all this lasting 
for a period of three years. In one of the most bloody battles the mon- 
arch’s old father Tecpancaltzin and his mother Xochitl lost their lives, 
and Meconetzin himself escaped through flight. The fate of the last of 
the Toltec kings was never known. 
According to ALFREDO CHAVERO,* the high priest Huemac, leav- 
ing Tollan with his followers, wended his way towards Xaltocan. The 
march was a direct one from North to South, traversing Coatliyapan, 
Mepocatlapan, Tepetlayacac, and Huehuecuauhtitlan. From here the 
emigrants followed a course from East to West, over the northern part of 
the Vallejo of Mexico, and passed through Nepopoalco, rIemacpalco, Aca- 
titlan, Tenamitliyacac, Atzcapotzalco, and Tetlilincan, where Cihuatlatonac 
was then reigning, and in his care they left the two infirm old men, 
Xochiolotzin and Coyotzin-Teotlicuacomalli; then, taking a southern course 
and turning towards the east, after going through Chapultepec, they ar- 
rived at Cullmacan, and there the wanderers, having abandoned the 
theocratic form of government, elected Nauhyotl as their ruler. But in 
the year chicome tochtli, 1122, Huemac, seeing himself abandoned by all 
his people, the Toltecs, hung himself in Chapultepec at a place known as 
Cincalco. 
Desolation and total devastation of the country was the final result of 
such disturbances and changes. A most terrible famine soon followed, 
which gave rise to an enormous loss of life. The populous nation was 
soon converted into a desolate cemetery. 
Thus perished a great people; thus disappeared from the face of the 
*Mexico a Traves de los Sighs, Tom. I, p. 384. 65 
DAVIT) CERNA PILGRIMAGE AND CIVILIZATION OP THE TOLTECS. 
earth, after a prosperous reign of a little over four hundred years, the 
great Toltec nation, one of the most powerful and civilized monarchies 
that once inhabited the imposing regions of Anahuac. 
A great people passed forever, it is true, but their civilization was the 
foundation of that of the other nations that followed and that were, with 
the Toltecs themselves, destined to excite the wonder and admii'ation of 
future generations all over the world. 
The preceding paragraphs relating to the pilgrimage of the Toltecs are 
based chiefly on the writings of IXTLILXOCHITL.* The first history, 
however, that treats of the wanderings of the Toltecs and of the genea- 
logy of the Toltec kings is that of TORQUEMADA.t Later writers, 
such as CLAYIGERO, YETANCOURT, and YEYTIA follow closely the 
works of IXTLILXOCHITL and TORQUEMADA. 
CHAVERO+ in his recent excellent work, after examining very care- 
fully all previous researches, takes issue with most of these, especially 
those of IXTLILXOCHITL. CHAVERO says that, according to YEY- 
TIA who followed the chronology presented by IXTLILXOCHITL, the 
Toltecs, after founding their city, established a monarchical form of gov- 
ernment, electing Chalchiuhtlanetzin their first king, through the advice 
of Huemac. Chalchiuhtlanetzin was the son of Icuauhtzin, emperor of 
the Chichimecs. According to Toltec law, the reign of a monarch was 
limited to fifty-two years. Chalchiuhtlanetzin occupied the throne from 
719 to 771, at the end of which term he died, and was succeeded by 
Ixtlecuechahuac. Then followed the son of this latter, Huetzin, who 
reigned until 875. Huetzin was succeeded by Totepeuh, who also ruled 
fifty-two years, that is, till the year 927. The fifth king was Nacaxoc, 
who reigned up to 979. Nacaxoc was followed by Mitl, who so distin- 
guished himself in the management of public affairs that he was allowed 
to rule until his death, having reigned till the year 1035. His wife, 
Xiuhtlatzin, was then made queen, but this sovereign was only four years 
in power, when she died, and the government was placed in the hands 
of her son Tecpancaltzin. After the fifty-two years’ rule Tecpancaltzin 
was succeeded, in 1091, by his natural son Topiltzin, the last of the Toltec 
kings, the monarchy having come to an end in the year 1116. 
CHAYERO finds contradiction in these historical relations. Thus he 
says that TORQUEMADA took the names of Tecpancaltzin and Topilt- 
zin, for one king only. The name of Quechaocatlahinotzin is given by 
that writer also to Chalchiuhtlanetzin; and Ixtlilcuechahuac receives not 
less than five other different appellations, that is, Izacatecatl, Tlaltocatl, 
Tlilquechcthuac, Tlachinotzin, and Tlilquechaocatlahinotzin. Mitl is known 
*Belaciones historicas de la Nacion Tolteca; also Ilistoria Chichimeca. 
fMonarquia Indiana. 
\Loco Citat., p. 358. 66 
TRANSACTIONS OP THE TEXAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 
likewise under the name of Tlacomihua. Queen Xiuhtlatzin is sometimes 
also called Xiuhquentzin, and at others Xiuhcaltzin; and, in fact, TOR- 
QUEMADA took her for a king. The name of Iztaccaltzin is often given 
to Tecpancaltzin, and, finally, Meconetzin is the allegorical term applied 
to Topiltzin. 
CHAVERO, therefore, considers as false the chronology of IXTLIL- 
XOCHITL, and places more reliance in the historical data furnished by 
the Anales de Cuaulititlan (Annals of Cuauhtitlan). According to him 
these annals are authentic and of the highest importance. The original 
document was written in the Mexican language, between the yeai’S 1563 
and 1569, according to AUBIN, or in 1570 according to RAMIREZ, the 
Mexican historian. These Annals were translated into Spanish by 
FAUSTINO GALICIA CHIMALPOPOCA, and are at present known as 
the Codex Chimalpopoca. 
According to this history, the occupation of Tollan by the Toltecs took 
place in the year 674. Their first king was Mixcoamazatzin, who reigned 
fi'om 700 to 765. The monarchs that followed were Huetzin and Tote- 
peuh, the govexmment of the latter lasting up to 887. The fourth king, 
Ilhuitimaiil, occupied the throne till the year 925; and the fifth mon- 
arch, Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl, till 947. After this came the succession of 
the following kings: Sixth, Matlacxochitl, up to 982; seventh, Nauhyot- 
zin, to 997; eighth, Matlacoatzm, up to 1025; ninth, Tlicoatzin, to 1046; 
tenth, Huemac, to 1048; and eleventh, the second Quetzalcoatl, and last 
of the Toltec rulers, up to 1116, in which year the city of Tula was de- 
stroyed and an end put to the Toltec dynasty. 
The principal differences between the data furnished by the Annals of 
Cuauhtitlan and those given by IXTLILXOCHITL consist in that in the 
the latter the governmental periods were chiefly conventional, that is, each 
one placed at fifty-two years; in the former instance they are spoken of 
as occurring in a natural order. Again, IXTLILXOCHITL refers to 
nine kiixgs only; the Annals give the names of eleven distinct monarchs. 
The names of the rulei-s, common to both soui-ces of information, are 
only four: Huetzin, Totepeuh, Topiltzin, and Xochitl. The latter, 
however, with a different attributive radicle in the Annals (Matlacxo- 
chitl?) is hei-e spoken of as king. 
Of the civilization of the Toltecs much can be said, but I will only 
mention for the present some of the most important points. 
Society.—Three classes of society predominated among the Toltecs: 
The Nobility, the Priesthood, and the Populace; this latter included the 
artisans and hard-working people. 
The priests represented the intellectual portion of society. They com- 
prised the privileged class. They were the lawyei’s, the physicians, the 
scientists, the educational mentoi'S, and, above all, the only holders of DAVID CERNA PILGRIMAGE AND CIVILIZATION OP THE TOLTECS. 
67 
the sacred offices, the interpreters of the divine word; the only ones, in- 
deed, to intervene in and direct the practice of their peculiar religious 
rites. As among the nobility, there were among the priests certain dis- 
tinctions of rank. 
The priests passed most of their time within the temples, engaged in 
prayer. They usually went barefooted, with eyes cast down, showing 
in every way a condition of the greatest humility. They never mar- 
ried, but lived in absolute chastity. They usually wore white or black 
tunics, long enough to reach the ground; their heads were covered with 
white caps, and their hair, arranged in rolls artistically twisted, hung 
gracefully over their backs. The priests were wont to fast and do pen- 
ance for a certain number of days at the beginning of the month and 
year. They spoke but little, and when not in religious meditation or 
in the discharge of sacred duties, they engaged themselves in the educa- 
tion of the youth, who were generally taught according to their social 
ranks. 
Marriage bore, it may be said, a Christian character, and polygamy 
was severely punished. 
Government.—As may have been observed, the form of the Toltec 
government was a hereditary and absolute monarchy. Each monarch, 
according to law, could only reign for a period of fifty-two years, 
which number comprised the Toltec century. If the sovereign survived 
the period allotted by law, he was obliged to deliver the government, at 
the expiration of his term, to his successor. If he died within the period, 
a member of the nobility was appointed to exercise provisional power for 
the rest of the term, when the rightful heir would assume the control of 
the government. The existence of this law of fifty-two years is denied 
by CHAYERO, based on the Annals of Cuauhtitlan. 
Although the scepter was always wielded by the royal family, the 
priesthood exercised a powerful influence in the management of public 
affairs. 
The king wore the most gorgeous costume. This consisted of a plain 
white or gray mantle, over which was placed the tunic, xicalli, bearing 
the most brilliant colors and adorned artistically with golden trimmings 
and precious stones. The collars, similarly arranged, completed the 
whole attire which, hanging gracefully to a little below the knee, is said 
to have been simply superb. The shoes, species of sandals, made of 
some woven cotton stuff, had soles of metal, this being generally pure 
gold. 
The royal palaces were grand in every respect, and so spacious as to 
contain gardens for the cultivation of the numerous rare plants, and the 
keeping of the different kinds of animals. The Toltecs were great nat- 
uralists, and I may here state that many of the medicinal plants, properly 68 
TRANSACTIONS OP THE TEXAS ACADEMY OP SCIENCE. 
classified and used by them in the treatment of diseases, have come down 
to us and are yet employed as valuable drugs. 
The monarch slept but little, and usually rose at an earty hour. Meals 
were served to him twice a day only, at midday and at night. He spoke 
but little also, following the example of the priests, and did not allow 
himself to be seen except on great occasions, and especially when these 
bore a national character. Dead, he was buried with all royal magnifi- 
cence in the corresponding teocalli or temple. 
The king was the representative of the Supreme Being. Here we 
have, singularly enough, put into practice the principle of divine rights, 
a principle in existence among the most ancient theocracies the world 
over. According to the Toltecs, the kings were immortal, and when 
these died, they were transformed into gods or changed into the heavenly 
planets. 
Agriculture.—Although the tilling of the land may have been prac- 
ticed by previous races, the Toltecs seemed to have attained a high de- 
gree of perfection in' agricultural procedures. They introduced the 
cultivation of maize and cotton especially, but they also raised many 
other useful plants, such as the different kinds of pepper, beans, toma- 
toes, and other vegetables. Certainly, agriculture constituted among 
the Toltecs one of the principal sources of the nation’s wealth. 
Arts and Manufactures.—In the practical arts and manufactures the 
Toltecs were quite proficient, especially in the preparation, through 
spinning and weaving, of cotton textures, in the dyeing of which they 
employed the most brilliant colors. The fabrics varied in kind, from 
the coarse linen to the finest cloths resembling damask, velvet, and even 
satin. 
The different artisans, such as carpenters, blacksmiths, architects, and 
so forth, excelled in their respective trades, particularly the mozaic and 
feather manufacturers, whose exquisitely delicate workmanship remains 
unrivaled to the present time. 
The Toltecs were familiar with the working of the metals and the cut- 
ting of gems and precious stones, and were well acquainted with the 
qualities and virtues of those products. This extensive knowledge is 
exhibited in the stone, silver, and gold ornaments used in their dresses 
and in the interior of their houses, palaces, and temples. 
The Toltecs were great lovers of the fine arts, and although of a primi- 
tive nature, their architectural designs, exhibited in the constructed 
roads, cities, and monuments, evince a high order of taste and a high 
degree of civilization. 
In Teotihuacan, which may be considered as the Jerusalem, the holy 
city of the Toltecs, were built by order of King Totepeuh the great tem- 
ples of Tonatiuh Itzacual and Meztli Itzacual, already referred to, whose DAVID CERNA PILGRIMAGE AND CIVILIZATION OF THE TOLTECS. 
69 
colossal proportions gave them the character of two sentinels placed there 
to guard the security of the kingdom. The edifice consecrated to the 
Sun measured at its base about 250 yards in length and nearly 200 yards 
in width, having a height corresponding to these measurements. It 
contained a huge model-idol made of a very hard stone, and literally 
covered with gold. It represented the deified king of day. In a con- 
cavity, upon the breast, was placed an image representing the Sun and 
was made of the purest gold. 
The temple dedicated to the Moon exhibited measurements a trifle 
smaller than those of its companion. It likewise contained a colossal 
statue, covered with gold, to represent the mythological queen of night. 
Each building was composed of four great compartments, with as many 
stairways, made of polished stones, and within them were scattered here 
and there numerous statuettes, covered also with gold plates, represent- 
ing various other minor deities. Around these temples small pyramids 
of about ten metres in height were constructed to represent the stars, ac- 
cording to their knowledge and their traditions. These pyramids, how- 
ever, appear to have been used as tombs for the dead members of the 
nobility. 
Religion.—The primitive religion of the Toltecs consisted in the adora- 
tion of the sun, the moon, and the stars. The fecundating force of the sun 
was personified by Tonacatecuhtli. To this god they made yearly offer- 
ings of flowers, fruits, and sometimes animals. It appears that they also 
entertained a religious veneration for fire. This primitive religion, born 
of their observations of the heavenly bodies, induced them to admit the 
existence of twelve heavens. Upon the highest of these heavens resided 
Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl, man and wife, the rulers of the twelve 
heavens and of the earth. The Toltecs held, in their superstitious phi- 
losophy, that all things were subject to the great Ometecuhtli. This 
deism mixed with astrology was, however (due no doubt to the influence 
exercised by the conquered and other neighboring tribes), gradually 
transformed into a polytheism as we see it in the religions of later nations. 
The principal divinities of the Toltecs were these: Tonacatecuhtli, the 
Sun; Tezcatlipoca, the Moon; Quetzalcoatl, the Evening Star; Tlaloc, the 
God of Rain; Chalchiuhtlicue, the Goddess of Water; Xiutecuhtlitletl, the 
God of Fire; Centeotl, the Earth, and Xochiquetzalli, the Goddess of Love. 
With regard to their religious rites, these were at first peaceful, and 
simply consisted in the assemblage of the people within the temples and 
at certain periods of time to do homage, under the direction of the 
priests, to the different deities. Afterwards, however, the Toltecs as- 
sumed the custom every year to sacrifice very young girls in honor of the 
god Tlaloc, or Tlalocatecuhtli. Their little hearts were taken out, offered 
to the god represented by a huge model, and their little bodies properly 70 
DAVID CERNA PILGRIMAGE AND CIVILIZATION OF THE TOLTECS. 
buried afterwards. Again, at certain periods of the year, they would 
select the most notorious criminal, place him between two big stones, and 
thus crush him to death. This sacrifice, called Tetlimonamiquian (the 
crushing of the stones), was also performed in honor of the same god. 
Here we have, it may properly be said, the foundation of the human sac- 
rifices so extensively practised by later tribes, especially by the Aztecs, 
or true Mexicans. 
Science.—The Toltecs had a profound knowledge of astronomy and of 
hieroglyphics.- They are said to be the people to have first arranged or 
measured time according to astronomical knowledge, that is, according 
to the movements of the planets. Their magnificent calendar is a monu- 
ment of their science. They knew and classified the principal stars of 
the firmament, named them, studied their relations, and were almost 
thoroughly acquainted with their movements. But, like most of the 
ancient peoples, the Toltecs applied their astronomical knowledge to the 
formation, largely, of astrology to suit their religious and traditional 
ideas. 
The Toltecs were the first to introduce into Analiuac hieroglyphical 
writing, whether they invented this themselves, or whether they acquired 
it from pre-existing races. Their language was the Nahoa or Nahuatl, 
which afterwards came to be known as the Mexican. 
As a whole, the Toltecs were of a good moral character, little addicted 
to war, and great admirers of virtue; they detested lying and deceit. 
They were singers, musicians, and great dancers. In their private as 
well as their public festivities, wooden instruments and drums were 
abundantly used. They were devout, good orators, and great conversa- 
tionalists; polite, courteous, and of attractive manners. 
In their hieroglyphical writings they inscribed religiously their history, 
their customs, and manners; in fact, their whole system of civilization, 
a civilization of which I have endeavored to give a general idea. 
In one word, agriculture, the arts, science, and all that evidence which 
afterwards served to throw distinction and lustre upon the subsequent 
inhabitants of the beautiful valley of Mexico, were due cliiefty to the in- 
fiuence of the Toltecs. They were so noted in the different arts and in 
science that the name of Toltec, given to the distinguished of later na- 
tions, was held as a great honor. Their paintings and hieroglyphics are 
remarkable for the general knowledge they contain. Whosoever studies 
the history of these ancient people will find that they were a progressive 
and enlightened race, the founders of the subsequent civilizations of 
Analiuac. They were the first people to raise in that magnificent garden 
of this continent, Mexico, imposing monuments to be compared only to 
those of Egypt and India. The great ruins of Cholula and Teotihuacan DAVID CERNA PILGRIMAGE AND CIVILIZATION OF THE TOLTECS. 
71 
especially are immortal proofs of the existence of the first civilized na- 
tion of America. 
It has been maintained by some, let me repeat, that the Mayas and the 
Maya-Quiches, the races peculiar to Yucatan and Chiapas, perhaps the 
most ancient of the American peoples, proceeded either directly or in- 
directly from Egypt and other Eastern nations; that the Mayas and the 
Maya-Quiches gave origin to the Toltecs, and that thus the series of other 
tribes came gradually into existence. But be this as it may, certain it 
is that the Mayas and the Maya-Quiches differed in many essential char- 
acteristics from the rest of the Anahuac nations. Other tribes may have 
existed during and even prior to the time of the Toltecs, but none have 
left the brilliant records of this great people. 
Undoubtedlj' the Toltecs were the first race to disseminate over the 
virgin regions of the American continent the true germs of civilization. 
If nothing else, it was the first historical race, the representative of the 
most primitive nations of Mexico, the same race, in point of fact, that 
was met by the Spaniards under the great Aztec monarchy. But the 
Toltec, all in all, and embracing as it does the sum of all the knowledge 
found in the most ancient human history of the American continent— 
the Toltec, may be regarded as the golden era of ancient Mexican civilza- 
tion.