House of Reeds

From the Annals of Cuauhtitlan

In the beginning was the First Sun,

4-Water was its sign;

It was called the Sun of Water.

For water covered the world,

Leaving nothing but the dragonflies above

And the fishy men below.

The Second Sun was born,

4-Jaguar was its sign;

This was called the Sun of the Jaguars.

In this Sun the heavens collapsed,

So that the Sun could not move in its course.

The world darkened, and when all was dark

Then the people were devoured.

The Giants perished, giving life to the Third Sun.

4-Rain was its sign;

It was called the Sun of Rain.

For this Sun rained fire from bleeding eyes

And the people were consumed.

From the torrent of burning stones,

The Fourth Sun was born.

4-Wind was its sign, and it was called the Sun of Wind.

In this Sun, all which stood on the earth was carried

Away by terrible winds.

The people were turned into monkeys,

And scattered from their cities into the forest.

Now, by sacrifice of the divine liquid, the Fifth Sun was born.

Its sign was 4-Motion.

As the Sun moved, following a course,

The ancients called it the Sun of Motion.

In the time of this Sun, there were

Great earthquakes and famine,

No maize grew, and the gods of the field

Turned their eyes from the people.

And all the people grew thin, and perished.

The Lord of Heaven cut the heart from his living son,

And so was born the Sixth Sun, which sustains

The universe with infinite light.

Its sign was 4-Flint.

Those who watch the sky say this Sun

Will end in annihilation, when the flint-knife

Severs the birthcord of the Sun, plunging all

Into darkness, where the people will

Be cut to pieces and scattered.

This is the time of the Sixth Sun…