ancient Mexicans understood the real cause of eclipses. They are represented in the picture-writings by a figure of the moon's disc covering part of the sun's, and this symbol, Humboldt remarks, "proves exact notions as to the cause of eclipses; it reminds us of the allegorical dance of the Mexican priests, which represented the moon devouring the sun."[1] Yet the Mexicans preserved the memory of an earlier state of astronomical knowledge, by calling eclipses of the sun and moon tonatiuh qualo, metztli qualo, that is, "the sun's being eaten," "the moon's being eaten," just as the Finns say, kuu syödää, "the moon is eaten," and the Tahitians, that she is natua, that is "bitten" or "pinched."[2] In the Mexican celebration of the Netonatiuh-qualo, or eclipse of the sun, two of the captives sacrificed appeared as likenesses of the sun and moon.[3]
When, a thing or an art is named in one country by a word belonging to the language of another, as maize, hammock, algebra, and the like, it is often good evidence that the thing or art itself came from thence, bringing its name with it. This kind of evidence, bearing upon the progress of civilization, has been much and successfully worked, but it has to be used with great caution when the foreign language is an important medium of instruction, or spoken by a race dominant or powerful in the country. As instances of words good or bad as historical evidence, may be taken the Arabic words in Spanish. While alquimia (alchemy), albornóz (bornoos), acequia (irrigating channel), albaricoque (apricot), and many more, may really carry with them historical information of more or less value, it must be borne in mind that the influence of the Arabic language in Spain was so great, that it has often given words for what was there long before Moorish times, alacran (scorpion), alboroto (uproar), alcor (hill), and so on; not satisfied with their own word for head, to express a head of cattle, the Spaniards must needs call it res, Arabic ras, head. So the New Zealanders' use
- ↑ Humboldt, Vues, pl. 56.
- ↑ Castrén, 'Finnische Mythologie,' pp. 63–5. Grimm, D. M. p. 669. Ellis, Polyn. Res. vol. ii. p. 415.
- ↑ Nieremberg, Hist. Nat.; Antwerp, 1635, p. 143. Humboldt, Vues, pl. 23.
p. 271. Dobrizhoffer, vol. ii. p. 84. Du Tertre, 'Hist. Gén. des Antilles,' etc.; Paris, 1667, vol. ii. p. 371. Turner, 'Polynesia,' p. 531.
