for this purpose in the court, where the priest consecrated them with much solemnity and fervent prayers, the artists having previously washed themselves from the soot with which they were covered as a sign of fasting, they said, for all the time that they were at work. Having accordingly driven away the evil spirit and burnt the consecrated incense, they placed the new images in a flat basket, wrapped in linen, and carried them back to their owner, who received them with much devotion.
The priest then addressed the artists for some time on the excellence of their profession, that of making the new gods, and on the danger they incurred by working without regarding the rules of abstinence and fasting. After this, they partook together of an abundant repast and drank more freely than usual.
K.—The month Tax. In one of the two months Chen and Tax, whichever was selected by the priest, they celebrated a feast called Ocna, which means the renovation of the temple in honor of the Chacs, whom they regarded as the gods of the fields. In this feast they consulted the prognostics of the Bacabs, which is spoken of more at length in chapters CXIII, CXIV, CXV, and CXVI, and after the manner already mentioned. This feast was celebrated every year. Besides, they renovated the idols of baked earth and their braziers; for it was the custom that each idol should have its little brazier, in which was burned their incense, and, if it was found necessary, they built a new house or repaired the old one, taking care to place on the wall an inscription commemorating these things, written in their characters.
L.—The month Zac. On one of the days of the month Zac, designated by the priest, the hunters celebrated another feast similar to that which they had celebrated in the month Zip. This took place at this time for the purpose of appeasing the anger of the gods against themselves and their descendants, on account of the blood they had shed during the chase; for they regarded as abominable all shedding of blood except in their sacrifices; also they never went to hunt without first invoking their idols and burning incense before them; and if they afterwards succeeded, they smeared their faces with the blood of their game.
