Notes.
Reading edition
Ixcoçauhqui, “the Yellow Faced,” was the Mexican God of Fire. Torquemada gives as his synonyms Xiuhtecutli, “Lord of Fire,” and Huehueteotl, “the Ancient God” (Monarquia Indiana, Lib. VI., cap. 28). Elsewhere he identifies him with the Sun-god (Ibid., Lib. XIV., cap. 4). Sahagun describes his annual festival (Hist., Lib. II., cap. 38), and gives another of his names, Cueçaltzin, a reverential form of cuezalotl, flame (Hist., Lib. I., cap. 13).
The tzonmolco so often referred to in this hymn was the sixty-fourth edifice in the great temple of Tenochtitlan, and was devoted to the worship of Ixcoçauhqui (Sahagun). The word literally means “the place of spreading hairs,” the rays or ornaments spreading from the head of the statue of the god representing flames (Sahagun).
The reference in v. 6 seems to be to one of the women who were sacrificed at the festival, as related by Sahagun (Lib. II., App.).