a pre-Columbian game, still played today in Mesoamerica, with religious and divinatory elements; beans were cast onto a mat painted black, with stripes; Molina calls it a game of fortune; apparently it could also be played on a ball court
In tlatoanj, in jquac qujnequja iiellelqujçaz tlanaoatiaia injc patoz, mjcujloa, ce patolpetlatl, ica tlilli, papatlactic in tlaxotlalli ic mjcujloa ce patolpetlatl, ica tlilli, papatlactic in tlaxotlalli ix mjcujloa, in vncan nepoalo ic netlanjoa: auh njman no mjxcoionja nauhtetl aiecotli, injc patolo injc netlanjoa = When he wished to be amused, the ruler commanded that they play patolli, that a mat on which patolli was played be painted black, in widely spaced stripes. So was it painted that there might be kept the count whereby the game could be won. And then also holes were drilled into the surfaces of four large beans with which patolli was played and the game was won (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
Auh in aqujn patoanj, in qujchaiaoa in etl, intla centetl etl ic teequechili, in moquetzticaz etl, in vmpa ic tzinmjmjltic: cenca tetzammachoia, cenca tlamaujçolli ipan mottaia: njman muchi qujtlanj, in jxqujch tlaçotli. = And he who played patolli, who cast the beans, if then he made one [of them] stand, if the bean stood up there on its thicker end, it was taken as a great omen; it was regarded as a great marvel. Then he won all the costly goods. (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
Patoa ica aiecotli, vevej etl nauhtetl in tlaixcoionjlli injc motlanj immatica in qujchaiaoa in nauhtetl etl, qujcujloa ce petlatl, tliltica, papatlactic in tlilli, injc mjcujloa patolpetlatl, in vncan mopouhtiuh tlapoaltetl matlactetl omome chichiquacentetl imaxca intlapoalteuh icecemme = Patolli was played with large beans -- four large beans with holes bored into the surfaces. The game was won when from their hands they scattered the four beans on a mat painted in widely spaced black [lines], with which the patolli mat was designed. There went to be added the counters -- twelve [of them], six the property of each, the counters of each of the contenders. (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
Ca ōpatōlōc. Ho Ho! Tlamalōc. Ye iuhqui = A game of fortune has been played. Ha ha! People have captured things [i.e., a captive has been taken]. It is already over with (Atenango, between Mexico City and Acapulco, 1629)
Auh in patolli ça vel neneuhqui in tlachco mochioaya yn ollamaniztli ça no vmpa mochioaya in patololli = And patolli is much similar to the ball game played on the ball courts; patolli is also played there (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
oncā poliuhq̄ yn patolquachtli ȳ tiq̉macaya yn imomextin Alōso valençia yvan juᴼ perez de artiaga. auh ȳ tictemacaq̄ yn patolquachtli yexiquipilli yn nauhxiuhtica = At that time the patolquachtlis that we had been given to both Alonso de Valencia and Juan Pérez de Artiaga were stopped. We gave twenty-four thousand of them during four years.
in vncan oonquetzaloc in patolco, in tlachco: ca oontlatlalililoc in maiehoatl in queceoatl, in nelpilonj = when he hath been placed there in the patolli game, in the ball game; for the glove, the leather hip-guard, the girdle have been placed on (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
Yhuan ma tipato, ma ahuillotl ticmocuitlahui; oncan ticmonamictiz in ohui, in etic. = Y no te dediques a jugar patolli, a cosas vanas; ahí te toparás con lo peligroso, lo pesado.