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OCTOBER, 1977
persecuted he took shelter and disappeared on the peak of Mount Cempoaltec "leaving only the print of his feet upon the rock”. Mackenzie discovers a Buddhist trait ("quite a Buddhist touch !”) in this story of leaving foot-print upon the mountain. (Ibid, p.267). Besides others the scholar mentions Viracocha of Peru. "Viracocha was supposed to have come from the west and to have returned westward, disappearing in the ocean.” (Ibid). According to Mackenzie,
"It is remarkable that these legends of white, bearded men, wearing long robes, should be so widespread and persistent over wide areas in America. In all cases they are sea-farers, teachers, and preachers, like the Buddhist missionaries who for centuries visited distant lands and left the impress of their teachings and the memory of their activities in the religious traditions of many different and widelyseparated peoples.” (Ibid, p.270).
SES
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Olmec figures recalling the dedication of the kayotsarga. Besides the coarsegrained one which is of terracotta the others are of jade and serpentine. Jade axes are seen behind.
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La Venta, Veracruz, Mexico. Reproduced from Natural History, Vol. LXXVI No. 7, August-September 1967
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