These interesting questions I cannot discuss in full at this time.  All that concerns my present purpose is to treat of them so far as they are connected with the mythology of the race.  Incidentally, however, this will throw some light on these obscure points, and at any rate enable us to dismiss certain prevalent assumptions as erroneous.

One of these is the notion that the Toltecs were the originators of Yucatan culture.  I hope I have said enough in the previous chapter to exorcise permanently from ancient American history these purely imaginary beings.  They have served long enough as the last refuge of ignorance.

Let us rather ask what accounts the Mayas themselves gave of the origin of their arts and their ancestors.

Most unfortunately very meagre sources of information are open to us.  We have no Sahagun to report to us the traditions and prayers of this strange people.  Only fragments of their legends and hints of their history have been saved, almost by accident, from the general wreck of their civilization.  From these, however, it is possible to piece together enough to give us a glimpse of their original form, and we shall find it not unlike those we have already reviewed.

There appear to have been two distinct cycles of myths in Yucatan, the most ancient and general that relating to Itzamna, the second, of later date and different origin, referring to Kukulcan.  It is barely possible that these may be different versions of the same; but certainly they were regarded as distinct by the natives at and long before the time of the Conquest.

This is seen in the account they gave of their origin.  They did not pretend to be autochthonous, but claimed that their ancestors came from distant regions, in two bands.  The largest and most ancient immigration was from the East, across, or rather through, the ocean—­for the gods had opened twelve paths through it—­and this was conducted by the mythical civilizer Itzamna.  The second band, less in number and later in time, came in from the West, and with them was Kukulcan.  The former was called the Great Arrival; the latter, the Less Arrival[1].

[Footnote 1:  Cogolludo contradicts himself in describing these events; saying first that the greater band came from the West, but later in the same chapter corrects himself, and criticizes Father Lizana for having committed the same error.  Cogolludo’s authority was the original MSS. of Gaspar Antonio, an educated native, of royal lineage, who wrote in 1582. Historia de Yucatan, Lib. iv, caps, iii, iv.  Lizana gives the names of these arrivals as Nohnial and Cenial.  These words are badly mutilated.  They should read noh emel (noh, great, emel, descent, arrival) and cec, emel (cec, small).  Landa supports the position of Cogolludo. Relacion de las Cosas de Yucatan, p. 28.  It is he who speaks of the “doce caminos por el mar.”]