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HE
folk-lore tales of the settlement called Milpa Alta, in the Federal
District, Mexico, not far from Mexico City, have preserved many legends
from old Aztec times, as this community was originally settled by some
noble Aztec families· fortunate enough to escape with their goods from
the Spaniards at the time of the conquest by Cortes. In several of
«these legends the chalchihuitl (a green stone, often nephrite or
jadeite) is mentioned. Thus it is said that when some minor divinity
sees fit to confer upon a man or woman the endowments of a tlamatque or
"sage," he gave warning of this in a dream, and the truth of the vision
was confirmed when, during the ensuing day, the dreamer found on the
ground within his enclosure idols of chalchihuitl, or
fragments of obsidian, which were believed to have fallen from the
sky, this usually occurring during a rainstorm. Evidently the rain had
washed them out of the earth or volcanic ash in which they had been
buried. These objects were immediately picked up and preserved, as
they signified that the person whose dream had thus been verified was
admitted to the companionship of the gods. There appears to have
followed some initiation ceremony to render definite the consecration
of the chosen tlamatque,.and this was to be connected with a
fiery ordeal, the. traces of which in scars or severe burns, and
sometimes even in the loss of eyesight, served to recommend the "sage"
to those seeking his aid. This was called for in cases of illness and
also for the finding of hidden treasure and for predictions of the
weather. In attempting
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