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"The annual festival of Xipe Totec was celebrated on the spring equinox before the onset of the rainy season; it was known as Tlacaxipehualiztli. This festival took place in March at the time of the Spanish Conquest. Forty days before the festival of Xipe Totec, an Indian slave who was captured at war was dressed to represent the living god who was honored during this period. This occurred in every ward of the city, which resulted in multiple Indians being selected. The central ritual act of "Tlacaxipehualiztli" was the gladiatorial sacrifice of war prisoners, which both began and culminated the festival. On the next day of the festival, the game of canes was performed in the manner of two bands. The first band were those who took the part of Xipe Totec and went dressed in the skins of the war prisoners who were killed the previous day, so the fresh blood was still flowing. The opposing band was composed of daring soldiers who were brave and fearless, and who took part in the combat with the others. After the conclusion of this game, those who wore the human skins went around throughout the whole town, entering houses and demanding that those in the houses give them some alms or gifts for the love of Xipe Totec. While in the houses, they sat down on sheaves of tzapote leaves and put on necklaces which were made of ears of corn and flowers. They had them put on garlands and give them pulque to drink, which was their wine. Annually, slaves or captives were selected as sacrifices to Xipe Totec. After having the heart cut out, the body was carefully flayed to produce a nearly whole skin which was then worn by the priests for twenty days during the fertility rituals that followed the sacrifice. This act of putting on new skin was a ceremony called 'Neteotquiliztli' translating to "impersonation of a god". The skins were often adorned with bright feathers and gold jewellery when worn. During the festival, victorious warriors wearing flayed skins carried out mock skirmishes throughout Tenochtitlan, they passed through the city begging alms and blessed whoever gave them food or other offerings. When the twenty-day festival was over, the flayed skins were removed and stored in special containers with tight-fitting lids designed to stop the stench of putrefaction from escaping. These containers were then stored in a chamber beneath the temple."
- Annual festival of Tlacaxipehualiztli, Wikipedia.
Sometimes reality is creepier than fiction.
Pencil doodle on A6 sketchbook from my Great Old Ones & Their Kin series for an upcoming Elder Gods Tarot project:
The Black Man
The Bringer of Pests
The Dark One
The Floating Horror
The Green Man
Shugoran
Xipe Totec
The Tick-Tock Man
The Dweller in Darkness
The Haunter of the dark (v1)
The Haunter of the dark (v2)
The Bloody Tongue
The Faceless God
The Bloated Woman
The Black Pharaoh
- Annual festival of Tlacaxipehualiztli, Wikipedia.
Sometimes reality is creepier than fiction.
Pencil doodle on A6 sketchbook from my Great Old Ones & Their Kin series for an upcoming Elder Gods Tarot project:
The Black Man
The Bringer of Pests
The Dark One
The Floating Horror
The Green Man
Shugoran
Xipe Totec
The Tick-Tock Man
The Dweller in Darkness
The Haunter of the dark (v1)
The Haunter of the dark (v2)
The Bloody Tongue
The Faceless God
The Bloated Woman
The Black Pharaoh
Image size
836x1280px 1.79 MB
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© 2017 - 2023 Astanael
Comments1
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The Conquistadors were horrified by all this, esp. when some of them were murdered for the rituals. One had the smallpox and these blood maniacs died by the millions from it. It hasted the conquest of the Americas.