"O people of the hot land, you are wandering on the earth, like fallen leaves in the wind, falling to an unknown destination. O Quetzalcoatl, you illuminate the bright road ahead. The long migration road is full of rocks and thorns..."
Priest Papu told the horror of the north, the Chuchut leader made a decision, and the Snake Lake tribe immediately began to migrate. This migration was so hasty and without much hesitation, just like their ancestors. In the inherited epic, the ancestors of the tribe came from the extremely far north and traveled all the way from the desolate Gobi. And now, it is another migration to the hot land of the south.
In fact, the meaning of "totonac" is "hot soil". "Totonac people" are "people of the hot land".
Time is tight, there is shouting and rushing everywhere. The young men wore loincloths and were bare-chested, carrying baskets of grain on their backs. The women wore covered robes and skirts, lowered their heads, and carried cloth and pottery on their backs. The leader, Chu Chute, personally commanded several strong men to carry the dead wood that symbolized the tribe's inheritance.
As for the old people abandoned by the tribe, they stayed in the soon-to-be-empty village, looking at the lush farmland, waiting for a short and unknown fate. They sat cross-legged on the earth altar outside the village, beat ancient leather drums, and sang songs of gods to bid farewell to those who would never come back.
"The tall Sun God, guide the way south, toward her scorching light, looking for fertile soil for sowing corn. The Thunder God of the old days controlled the endless East China Sea. Remember to walk along the coast, and there will be food and water. O rain-god of the new sun, who brings up terrible hurricanes, do not travel in the season of her wrath to avoid the sweeping floods..."
The old song echoed in the fields and reached the ears of priest Papu, making him stop and look back.
In the traditional polytheistic beliefs of the Totonac people, in addition to the prosperous Quetzalcoatl, there is also the Sun God who controls sunlight crops, the old Thunder God who controls endless waters, and the New Sun God who controls hurricanes and heavy rains. Their Nahua faith has many similarities with the Mexica people of the highlands, but also has more unique gods.
"Headman Chuchut, he brought so many things with him and migrated so slowly..."
Priest Papu frowned, looking past the low huts made of palm leaves and branches to the silent green jungle in the north, feeling worried.
"How can we outrun the Aztec army heading south?"
"Without food, we can't survive the autumn harvest. Without cotton cloth and pottery, we can't get help from other tribes. And without the inherited wood, how can I lead the tribe in the name of my ancestors?"
After hearing what Priest Papu said, the leader Chuchute shook his head, with some disapproval in his eyes. Although he listened to the advice of priest Papu and decided to move his family. But he still felt lucky in his heart, and did not think that the Aztec army would reach here so quickly.
"What's more, there is the powerful Cempoalli and the Nishui City tribe with more than 20,000 tribes, blocking our north!"
"The powerful Qinbo Ali, the Nishui City Department with two to three thousand warriors..."
Hearing this, Priest Papu's face froze, and there was some hesitation in his heart. In the Nahua language, "cempoal" means "twenty." "Cempoalli" (cempoalli) is the "land of twenty waters", a rich city-state with many canals and lakes, the city of twenty waters.
Nishui City is located sixty or seventy miles south of the ancient city of Feathered Serpent. It is a truly ancient city-state. It was established at the end of the Olmec era and the early part of the Teotihuacan era, and has a history of more than 1,500 years. It is said that when the Teotihuacan kings conquered the Maya, they left a record board in Nishui City, where they sacrificed the blood of 600 captives to the gods of the past.
This ancient city is located inland on the coastal plain, close to the Aktopan (a) River and more than ten miles away from the coastline. When Priest Papu went south, he hurriedly rowed a boat to escape and did not see the situation in Nishui City.
"When guarding the ancient city of Quetzalcoatl, Nishui City sent out more than 700 warriors. Later, they were completely defeated by the Aztecs, with a lot of casualties. Nishui City, like many coastal city-states, has no city walls..."
Priest Pappu was worried and looked at the leader Chuchut.
"Chuchut, you have never seen the power of the Aztec Legion... In front of the thundering copper beasts and burning rockets, the Nishui City Department may not be able to resist for a few days!"
"Priest Papu, the Nishui City Tribe is a large tribe of 20,000 people! Even if hundreds of warriors are killed, they can still pull out three or four thousand militiamen. Although this city-state has no city walls, it has many small fortress-like temples. Those temples are located on the top of the pyramid more than ten meters high. They are all built with bricks and stones, and are bonded with mortar burned from snails and shells. They are extremely strong! Even if you try your best and poke with a stone spear, you cannot damage the stone temple. Not at all. The stone temple is not afraid of fire, not to mention it’s raining now..."
The corner of Chu Chute's mouth raised, recalling what he had experienced, and he was convinced of the strength of Nishui City. Such a powerful city-state, no matter how bad it is, can still hold off for several days.
"It only takes us two or three days to go to Jinwan City along the river and through the jungle. Counting the days you went south, the Nishui City Department will not be able to survive for three or four days, right?"
"Yeah... Indeed! If it's three or four days, the Nishui City Department should be able to hold on."
Priest Pap thought for a moment and nodded reluctantly. He stopped urging and just quietly watched the migration of the Snake Lake tribe. A trace of hidden worry lingered in his heart, but he couldn't distinguish it.
"Qinbo Ali... the Nishui City Tribe... was one of the first Totonac tribes to surrender to the Mexica Alliance and pay tribute. It was the 'account place' of the Mexica Alliance, and the alliance's troops were stationed there. Envoys, collect taxes and tributes from the vassal tribes of Totonac... There are envoys from the Mexica... There is no chance that something will happen, right?"
Priest Papu pursed his lips and thought for a long time, anger welling up in his chest.
"The western tribes of Totonac paid tribute to the Mexica Alliance for more than ten years! As a result, they were conquered by the Legion in the Lake for possible crimes and massacred the gods and priests! From now on, the Aztecs All the tribes in the world will know about their tiger and wolf heart! The nobles of Totonac can only unite and resist to the end... The Mixtec and Zapotec tribes further south will also establish an alliance. ..."
The feathered serpent priest's thoughts were swirling in the continuous drizzle, but fell into the moist fertile soil, and no real stream could be seen. He sighed, stretched out his hand, and helped the leader Chuchute to work together and direct the tribe to migrate.
Darkness enveloped the land, and torches were lit outside the village. The tribe was busy for most of the day before it was finally settled. The tribal people finally rested in the village for a day, and the crying and shouting never stopped. In the early morning of the next day, the tribe of more than 2,000 people set foot on the dirt road in the forest for migration. From early morning to dusk, everyone walked more than ten miles. At night, the tribe found a flat land by the river and lit a bonfire.
Soon, the desolate Totonac song sounded again by the river. This is a unique language. Although it has begun to blend with the Nahua language, it still retains the ups and downs of the distant plateau.
"...The Sun God sat on a high tree, watching the people on the hot land wandering on the barren land... She looked at the Totonak people for a long time, and then ordered generously...' You, people of the hot land, can rest under the shade of the trees and hide from My most majestic light. But you must close your eyes, go around the trees, and dance a sacrificial dance of prayer to Me'..."
"'Ah, Supreme Sun God! Thank you!...' The ancestors bent down and saluted the Sun God. They did not dare to step forward, and they did not know how to dance around the tree with their eyes closed. They also did not dare They retreated and did not dare to disobey the will of the gods. They thought, how can they have both?..."
"'I'm coming!' The wise heroic chief stepped forward. He lowered his head, tied a long rope around his waist, jumped up, and tied the rope to the tree. The sun god's blazing eyes looked down, but the chief He closed his eyes and stood upside down from the tree. He just closed his eyes and stood upside down, wrapping the rope around the tree, spinning and dancing in the air, like a brave and agile mountain eagle!..."
The desolate and cheerful song, with an unconcealed sadness, was sung outside the moonlight and woods. The tribesmen listened to songs and ate boiled dried pumpkins with dark and depressed expressions.
Priest Papu gnawed on the precious corn tortillas, and his brows jumped as he heard this. This ancient song also tells the story of the migration of Totonac’s ancestors. Along with the story, there is also a sacrificial custom of the Totonac people, which has been passed down to later generations. It was like an eagle hunting, a "trapeze dance."
"Cuchute! This singer really makes me panic! The migration of the heroic chief was tested by various gods, and he died along the way... Go and ask the singer to stop, it affects morale too much!"
The leader, Chu Chute, raised his brows, thought for a moment, and whispered a few instructions to his guards. The guards left in a hurry, and after a while, the singing stopped, and the camp became dead silent.
Priest Papu frowned, looked around at the resting Snake Lake tribe, and sighed. He sat in front of the campfire, his mouth blistered with anxiety, and spoke in a low voice.
"Chief Chuchute, we are walking too slowly! There are so many debris in big and small baskets, can't we leave some behind?"
"Priest Papu, the tribe has not migrated for many years... Today we are hurrying and moving slowly. We are not walking very slowly."
The leader Chu Chute shook his head, helpless and refused.
"These things I took away are all necessary for the reconstruction of the tribe. The Aztecs did not show up, so I forcibly took the tribe and left the fields and villages to migrate. I have exhausted my prestige. If the tribesmen are left behind again, If you lay down your property, the soldiers will stand up and oppose it!”
"If we wait until the Aztec army appears, it will be too late!"
Hearing this, Priest Pappu gritted his teeth and showed anger on his face.
"Chuchute! When the time comes, both you as the leader and I as the priest will only die!"
"...Pap, I believe what you said. I also want to walk faster to avoid the brutal Aztecs..."
Chu Chute was silent for a moment before answering in a low voice.
"However, the warriors did not think so. They felt that...compared with the terrifying long migration, being under the hands of the Aztecs might not be so bad...and forcing them..."
"hiss!"
Pappu gasped, his expression changing. After a while, he slowly lowered his head.
"Yes. What you said makes sense. Tomorrow I will hold a short prayer ceremony to show Quetzalcoatl's oracle...tell the truth about the Aztecs' collusion with demons..."
The night gradually fell into silence, and the bonfires flickered on and off, swaying with changing shadows, until the dawn came. A short prayer ceremony was held on the tidal flat by the river.
Priest Papu put on his feather crown and danced to communicate with the gods under the awe-inspiring eyes of everyone. However, he did not have time to speak a new oracle. Several patrolling scouts came in a hurry, covered in sweat. They brought back a wretched-looking divine noble, and two terrible latest news.
"Yesterday, the Nishui City tribe with more than 20,000 people surrendered to the terrifying Aztecs... no, the powerful Mexica Legion!"
"This morning, the red-haired barbarian's scout team appeared in the mountains and forests several miles away in the north. They and the scout hunters behind the palace looked at each other across the river for a long time! The migration of our tribe must have been discovered by them!"
