Tōxcatl
toxcatl nahuatl pronunciation ˈtoːʃkat͡ɬ name fifth twentyday month veintena aztec calendar lasted approximately th nd may festival held every year month festival toxcatl dedicated god tezcatlipoca featured sacrifice young man impersonating deity full year toxcatl massacre turning point spanish conquest mexico occurred spaniard tolerated guest tenochtitlan attacked massacred unprepared aztec celebration toxcatl caused outbreak open hostility aztec spaniard noche triste week later spaniard fled city aztec calendar composed two separate cycles—one day called tonalpohualli day count one day called xiuhpohualli year count day xiuhpohualli consisted twentyday month veintenas plus additional day end year description aztec calendar state also included leap day allowed calendar cycle remain aligned agrarian cycle year year description state leap year unknown aztec correlation month astronomical year would change time case description spanish conquistador witnessed celebration toxcatl know year feast fell month may according fray diego durán name toxcatl derives nahuatl verb toxcahuia meaning wither thirst toxcatl mean drought many meaning since proposed name many necklace grilled maize worn reveller festivity aztec also used name tepopochtli smoking fumigation refer month toxcatl name corresponding month mesoamerican culture often smoke steam cloud otomi word feast atzibiphi biphi meaning smoke kaqchikel name cibixic meaning cloudy smoke matlatzinca word feast however unditini meaning going grill maize ritual aztec carried feast toxcatl described bernardino de sahagún florentine codex fray duráns description god rite chronicle juan bautista pomar important part toxcatl ritual sacrifice young man impersonating tezcatlipoca since last toxcatl festival selection new man take role year come youth chosen ixiptlatli impersonator tezcatlipoca normally war captive taught courtly speech singing play flute throughout year would parade street tenochtitlan treated great reverence skin painted black except ribbon across eye dressed precious jewellery cotton embroidered clothes wore snailshell lip pendant eagle headdress turquoise bracelet golden bell ankle walked city playing flute smoking tobacco smelling flower people would salute living image god building called quauhxicalco would sometimes burn copal incense play flute several time year would meet aztec ruler tlatoani would ritually adorn month huey tozoztli preceded toxcatl would ritually wed four maiden impersonated goddess xochiquetzal xilonen atlatonan huixtocihuatl lived twenty day four day main ceremony tlatoani secluded palace tezcatlipoca impersonator four wife paraded city fifth day travelled canoe place called acaquilpan left wife near temple tlacochcalco house dart freely walked stair pyramid breaking flute step summit priest would lay sacrificial stone open chest obsidian dagger remove heart beheaded skull placed tzompantli skull rack body flayed flesh distributed among noble city eaten warcaptive next impersonator tezcatlipoca also took part flesh probably also wore skin predecessor feast deity impersonator also sacrificed offering food flower paper banner made throughout festival offering presented people danced leap toxcatl men would also perform dance serpent woman dance named grilled corn dance would kissing playing men woman dance participant ritually scarred priest tezcatlipoca tlatlacanahualtin lifesize figure huitzilipochtli made amaranth dough painted dressed decorated clothes gold jewelry symbol deity sculpture built platform carried female attendant ground seed made dough dressed sculpture fasted year part ritualistic role pedro de alverado thought evidence aztec think going attack spaniard ordered men attack aztec festival many people died including village noble eduard seler saw toxcatl ritual symbol change season represented death rebirth tezcatlipoca likens toxcatl kiche maya equivalent feast jun raqan celebration new year michel graulich advocate different calendrical correlation place toxcatl fall see festival harvest feast celebrating abundance maize olivier stress importance action tlatoani ritual see feast way ruler offer worthy sacrifice lord rulership tezcatlipoca hvidtfeldt arild teotl ixiptlatli central conception ancient mexican religion general introduction cult myth copenhagen munksgaard miller mary karl taube god symbol ancient mexico maya london thames hudson isbn olivier guilhem mockery metamorphosis aztec god tezcatlipoca lord smoking mirror michel besson translator university press colorado isbn