 Re: Write a 500-600 Word Hypothesis for me.
In Aztec mythology, Xipe Totec ("our lord the flayed one") was a life-death-rebirth deity, god of agriculture, the west, disease, spring, goldsmiths and the seasons. He flayed himself to give food to humanity, symbolic of the maize seed losing the outer layer of the seed before germination. Without his skin, he was depicted as a golden god.
Annually, humans were selected as sacrifices to Xipe Totec. These people were carefully flayed to produce a nearly whole skin which was then worn by the priests during the fertility rituals that followed the sacrifice. Some accounts indicate that a thigh bone from the sacrifice was defleshed and used by the priest to touch spectators in a fertility blessing. Paintings and several clay figures have been found which illustrate the flaying method and the appearance of priests wearing flayed skins.
Tlacaxipehualiztli was a springtime festival in honor of Xipe Totec. Xipe Totec, the god of Spring and new vegetation, flayed himself so that the plants would grow. During this time, gladiatorial sacrifice, Xipe Totec�s favored method of sacrifice, took place for him. In these sacrifices, war captives would have a foot tied to the gladiatorial stone. They would be given maquahuime armed with feathers rather than obsidian. Then, a warrior armed with real weapons would be sent in to fight him. Usually, the captive died in the fighting. However, if he proved himself by besting four warriors, he would be given the option of either being freed for proving himself a great warrior, or being sacrificed the traditional way in the temple.
Those who died in temple sacrifices to Xipe Totec during this time had their skins flayed from them after death. Then, their skins would be worn by priests of Xipe Totec, to symbolize new plant growth sprouting from dead husks. This was referred to as the �garmet of gold�. The priests would wear the skins for the twenty day period following the sacrifice, and during this time they would dance throughout the city blessing the people by touching them with a thigh bone.
Also,The east is the house from which the sun is born. It is identified with the color red and with the glyph Acatl or reed. It is presided over by "Our Lord the Flayed One." It is the masculine side of the universe. The festival of Xipe-Totec is called Tlacaxipehualiztli, which means "flaying of men" and it is celebrated during the days of March, which is the time of planting. This god participates in the process in which water, seed and sun also intervene. Xipe-Totec symbolized the regeneration of the earth and thus he is related to fertility, renovation and change. Representation of Xipe-Totec from the Codex Borbonicus, in which the skin of a sacrificial victim may be seen on the figure, and which is distinguished by the double set of hands.
Interesting enoug, he festival of Xipe-Totec is called Tlacaxipehualiztli, which means "flaying of men" and it is celebrated during the days of March, which is the time of planting in their region. This celebration also usually included the flaying of a slave's skin and then wearing it. Xipe-Totec was the god of goldsmiths. This god participates in the process in which water, seed and sun also intervene. Xipe-Totec symbolized the regeneration of the earth and thus he is related to the three steps of fertility, renovation and change. You often see Xipe-Totec with a double set of hands . . . something I now see in the card, and had wondered at but not understood.
No need to thank me, im a natural know it all genius
[This message has been edited by Quageschi (edited 03-19-2006).]
|
2006-03-19, 04:50
