Tlacaxipehualiztli (Festival of Xipe Totec)

Among the Aztec Indians of Mexico, Xipe Totec was a god of war. The observance of his festival took place in March according to the Gregorian calendar. Xipe Totec was often referred to as “Our Lord the Flayed One” (or, “the Flayer“), and images of him show the god wearing a human skin. The Festival was an occasion for Aztec warriors to mimic the god. They killed their prisoners of war and removed their skins from their bodies. They would then wear these skins for the entire 20-day month and hold mock battles, after which they would discard the now-rotting skins into caves or bury them. Discuss

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *