In the Nuttall and the Vindobinennses Codices, there are pictures of striated men with lobs on their arms, legs and bodies. These personages are called "Stonemen." The stone identified is limestone. By the time this part of the story reached Greek myth, the people of this land were said to be born of stones (or trees which would also show wood grains as striations).
However, there should be a perfectly logical answer for their existence within the Mixtec Codices. Since they are not found on Maya monuments, or even in Aztec codices, the reason must be local. The Mixtec southern area has been defined as Oaxaca and the Pacific Ocean, while the northern boundary is Puebla. Within these confines, one must find how men can be made of stone, but not be statues. How else would the natives be able to describe men "of stone?"
Near Oaxaca is an archeological site known as Monte Alban. From a spring on top of cliff, water filled with travertine type calcium flows. It has so much calcium, it actually fossilized the canal system in the valley. (Anthropology, Class, Univ. of Michigan, February 5, 1982). Since there was an incursion of Aztecs to the Oaxaca area, it was probably there that the Aztecs learned how to make light-weight cotton armor dipped in "brine." Armor of Aztec warriors was a tight-fitting and padded quilted cotton suit (soaked in brine) adopted by the Conquistadores. (Jon E. M. White, p. 115; Doris Heyden, p. 335) Common sense alone would elicit the information that brine or vinegar would be a disaster during a battle. Perspiration mixed with either the vinegar or brine would irritate the skin and create lesions where the hardened cotton would rub against the skin. If Aztecs defeated by the Spaniards had to describe the making of such light-weight armor, they would not want the opposition to know just what kind of material was used. In spite of the transmission of such faulty "knowledge" from the Aztecs, the Conquistadores apparently used captured cotton quilted armor to their advantage. Yet it seems they were never successful in making duplicates of it. If they had, the designation "salt" and "vinegar" would have never been used in texts in which Fray Duran described the Aztec clothing.
The presence of stone men within these two codices, (the Nuttall and the Vindobinennses) tell a different story however. The Nuttall indicates that these creatures (the ñuhu) are actually stars (here probably meteorites that landed on earth) from the star grids found in the heavens. (p. 32, p. 33, and p. 34.). They are also present in a major battle with Seven-Serpent (similar to the comet serpent in the Codex Ríos) and hummingbirds who defeat the Hill of Flowers. (page 3) A few frames later, they are defeated and the red and white stripped men from the Place of Heaven fall to the earth carrying stones, fire and water (page 4). Red and white striped body paint is attributed to Ome Tochtli, "Two Rabbit" who was the God of Drunkenness. This is the first fall-out of erratic (drunken) star creatures. After this event, the ñuhu are captured and imprisoned. One is identified as the head of the bleeding eagle, probably Four-Wind. One Jaguar, the eagle, has his "stone" heart removed. The stone men died and are bundled in prison. Gifts are taken to a remaining ( star) stone man and a conference with the black star cutters (or counters) occur. Major Gods such as Tlaloc and the Star man, Two Dog (Xolotl ?) decide on an acceptable path of the star dancers (those constellations which move directly around the North Star and indicated in Aztec and Maya literature as a Monkey glyph). They also partition out the four quarters of the heavens. One page 8, partial leg armor of stone man vintage is found on a warrior who may be protecting the star-grid (observatory) temple of the red and white bundles (dead drunken stars or meteorites?).
By page 19, men painted black carry temples and staves of authority fall to earth. One of these "men" is called Three Flint. New constellations and planets march across the mountain tops. The earth at the foot of Star Mountain splits asunder (p.19). Three Flint is again present as a red and white bundle female. New plants and vegetation appear on earth (p. 20). Huitzilopochtli comes to the Hill of Flint (knives) and battles with the falling "drunken" stars (p. 21).Here I believe pages 20 and 21 are reversed. The red and white stars fall with stones, wind and waters. There is a major battle by Flint Helmet called Nine Wind on the Hill of Knives. This would be the battle of Huitzilopochtli against the four hundred star men. (p. 21) And sure enough on page 20, Flint Helmet (Huitzilopochtli) defeats two times four hundred red and white bundles, indicated by a flag number on each red and white bundle. Stone men are killed. New vegetation grows wild. Two special "drunken stars" are captured and imprisoned: Three Monkey and Four Star Grid Temple. Again there is a conference in the heavens and events on earth are altered. Three Flint appears for the last time as a male carrying a Temple of the eagle talons (p. 22). Apparently this becomes a new Flint Temple (of the Knives) for Huitzilopochtli on top of the mountain. On the next page, the last stone man is retrieved from the maw of the river (p. 23) while red and white stripes are worn as ceremonial dress from this point onwards (p. 25).It is an interesting creation story, the appearance of new vegetation just after the arrival of the stone men is found in the Vindobinennses. The quartering of the skies is also found there, but in more detail. These scenes probably not only indicate a very drastic change in the climate but also show that the waters of the inland sea, after flowing through the new rift between Popocatepetl and Ixtaccíhuatl and has now been contained within
the confines of Lake Texcoco walled-in by the volcanoes.
