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Huematsin

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

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a Mexican sage, lived at Tezcuco in the 7th century, and was considered a doctor by excellence of that Atbens of the New World. To him has been attributed the composition of Teonaxtli (the divine book), a sort of encyclopedia, which gave information, it is said, of the emigrations of the race of the Aztecs after their departure from the borders of Asia until their arrival upon the plateau of Anahuac, specifying the various halts which the invading nation was obliged to male on the borders of the Rio Giba. It has been affirmed that the Teomaxtli was among the Aztec books that were condemned to the fire, without being examined, by the bishop of Mexico, Zumarraga. It is possible that, in point of mythology and history, the importance of these hieroglyphic collections has been exaggerated, and so it is hardly possible now to estimate the extent of the literary losses which Mexico suffered. If the work of Huematsin had been preserved to our time, we might have some information to establish the real signification of the Mexican hieroglyphics. When we remember that the palace of Tezcuco embraced certain departments intended only for the doctors who occupied themselves with special studies, and recall what has been told of the great treasures which were stored up both at Mexico and at Tezcuco, and consecrated exclusively to the study of the kingdom of nature, it is difficult to limit the office of Huematsin to that of a simple theorist, who developed barbarian traditions and fantastic ideas. This learned Aztec seems to have derived his learning from close observation. See Nouv. Biog. Generale, s.v.