Xipeme and Tototectin. The skirmishes of skin bearers in tlacaxipehualiztli

Among the Mexica of the Mesoamerican central highlands, various forms of violent confrontations took place where opposing groups faced each other with the purpose of injuring or capturing their adversaries. These practices, identified as “ritual battles or skirmishes,” were performed in at least eig...

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Autor principal: Díaz Barriga Cuevas, Alejandro
Formato: Artículo revista
Lenguaje:Español
Publicado: Sección Etnohistoria, Instituto de Ciencias Antropológicas. FFyL, UBA 2025
Materias:
batallas rituales
desollamiento
Xipe Totec
tiza y zacate
ritual battles
flaying
chalk and zacate grass
batalhas rituais
esfolamento
giz e capim zacate
Acceso en línea:https://revistascientificas.filo.uba.ar/index.php/MA/article/view/17425
Aporte de:
Memoria Americana de Universidad de Buenos Aires
id I28-R258-article-17425
record_format ojs
institution Universidad de Buenos Aires
institution_str I-28
repository_str R-258
container_title_str Memoria Americana
language Español
format Artículo revista
topic batallas rituales
desollamiento
Xipe Totec
tiza y zacate
ritual battles
flaying
Xipe Totec
chalk and zacate grass
batalhas rituais
esfolamento
Xipe Totec
giz e capim zacate
spellingShingle batallas rituales
desollamiento
Xipe Totec
tiza y zacate
ritual battles
flaying
Xipe Totec
chalk and zacate grass
batalhas rituais
esfolamento
Xipe Totec
giz e capim zacate
Díaz Barriga Cuevas, Alejandro
Xipeme and Tototectin. The skirmishes of skin bearers in tlacaxipehualiztli
topic_facet batallas rituales
desollamiento
Xipe Totec
tiza y zacate
ritual battles
flaying
Xipe Totec
chalk and zacate grass
batalhas rituais
esfolamento
Xipe Totec
giz e capim zacate
author Díaz Barriga Cuevas, Alejandro
author_facet Díaz Barriga Cuevas, Alejandro
author_sort Díaz Barriga Cuevas, Alejandro
title Xipeme and Tototectin. The skirmishes of skin bearers in tlacaxipehualiztli
title_short Xipeme and Tototectin. The skirmishes of skin bearers in tlacaxipehualiztli
title_full Xipeme and Tototectin. The skirmishes of skin bearers in tlacaxipehualiztli
title_fullStr Xipeme and Tototectin. The skirmishes of skin bearers in tlacaxipehualiztli
title_full_unstemmed Xipeme and Tototectin. The skirmishes of skin bearers in tlacaxipehualiztli
title_sort xipeme and tototectin. the skirmishes of skin bearers in tlacaxipehualiztli
description Among the Mexica of the Mesoamerican central highlands, various forms of violent confrontations took place where opposing groups faced each other with the purpose of injuring or capturing their adversaries. These practices, identified as “ritual battles or skirmishes,” were performed in at least eight veintenas. One of the most significant occurred during tlacaxipehualiztli, a festivity dedicated to Xipe Totec, where flaying and the use of human skins constituted the central element. The participants, divided into xipeme (warriors) and tototectin (sick people who had made vows), wore the skins of sacrificed victims and engaged in a battle that transformed the city into a ceremonial field. The confrontation began at dawn, after the participants displayed themselves on zacate grass and chalk, symbolic elements that represented earth and sun respectively. The following twenty days included house visits to collect goods and sporadic confrontations between skin bearers, culminating with the ritual burial of the skins in the temple of Yopico.
publisher Sección Etnohistoria, Instituto de Ciencias Antropológicas. FFyL, UBA
publishDate 2025
url https://revistascientificas.filo.uba.ar/index.php/MA/article/view/17425
work_keys_str_mv AT diazbarrigacuevasalejandro xipemeandtototectintheskirmishesofskinbearersintlacaxipehualiztli
AT diazbarrigacuevasalejandro xipemeytototectinlasescaramuzasdelosportadoresdepielesentlacaxipehualiztli
AT diazbarrigacuevasalejandro xipemeetototectinasescaramucasdosportadoresdepelesemtlacaxipehualiztli
first_indexed 2026-01-13T05:14:46Z
last_indexed 2026-01-13T05:14:46Z
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spelling I28-R258-article-174252025-12-22T20:49:09Z Xipeme and Tototectin. The skirmishes of skin bearers in tlacaxipehualiztli Xipeme y Tototectin. Las escaramuzas de los portadores de pieles en tlacaxipehualiztli Xipeme e Tototectin. As escaramuças dos portadores de peles em tlacaxipehualiztli Díaz Barriga Cuevas, Alejandro batallas rituales desollamiento Xipe Totec tiza y zacate ritual battles flaying Xipe Totec chalk and zacate grass batalhas rituais esfolamento Xipe Totec giz e capim zacate Among the Mexica of the Mesoamerican central highlands, various forms of violent confrontations took place where opposing groups faced each other with the purpose of injuring or capturing their adversaries. These practices, identified as “ritual battles or skirmishes,” were performed in at least eight veintenas. One of the most significant occurred during tlacaxipehualiztli, a festivity dedicated to Xipe Totec, where flaying and the use of human skins constituted the central element. The participants, divided into xipeme (warriors) and tototectin (sick people who had made vows), wore the skins of sacrificed victims and engaged in a battle that transformed the city into a ceremonial field. The confrontation began at dawn, after the participants displayed themselves on zacate grass and chalk, symbolic elements that represented earth and sun respectively. The following twenty days included house visits to collect goods and sporadic confrontations between skin bearers, culminating with the ritual burial of the skins in the temple of Yopico. Entre los mexica del Altiplano central mesoamericano se llevaban a cabo distintas formas de confrontaciones violentas donde bandos opuestos se enfrentaban con el propósito de lesionar o aprehender a sus adversarios. Estas prácticas, identificadas como “batallas o escaramuzas rituales”, se realizaban en al menos ocho fiestas veintenales. Una de las más significativas ocurría en tlacaxipehualiztli, festividad dedicada a Xipe Totec, donde el desollamiento y uso de pieles humanas constituía el elemento central. Los participantes, divididos en xipeme (guerreros) y tototectin (enfermos que habían hecho votos), portaban pieles de sacrificados y se enfrentaban en una batalla que transformaba la ciudad en un campo ceremonial. La confrontación iniciaba al amanecer, tras exhibirse los participantes sobre el zacate y la tiza, elementos simbólicos que representaban la tierra y el sol respectivamente. Los veinte días posteriores incluían visitas domiciliarias para recolectar bienes y enfrentamientos esporádicos entre portadores de pieles, culminando con el entierro ritual de estas en el templo de Yopico. Entre os mexicas do Altiplano central mesoamericano realizavam-se distintas formas de confrontos violentos onde grupos opostos se enfrentavam com o propósito de ferir ou capturar seus adversários. Estas práticas, identificadas como “batalhas ou escaramuças rituais”, eram realizadas em pelo menos oito festas veintenas. Uma das mais significativas ocorria em tlacaxipehualiztli, festividade dedicada a Xipe Totec, onde o esfolamento e uso de peles humanas constituía o elemento central. Os participantes, divididos em xipeme (guerreiros) e tototectin (enfermos que haviam feito votos), portavam peles de sacrificados e se enfrentavam numa batalha que transformava a cidade em um campo cerimonial. O confronto iniciava ao amanhecer, após os participantes se exibirem sobre o capim zacate e o giz elementos simbólicos que representavam a terra e o sol respectivamente. Os vinte dias posteriores incluíam visitas domiciliares para coletar bens e confrontos esporádicos entre portadores de peles, culminando com o enterro ritual destas no templo de Yopico. Sección Etnohistoria, Instituto de Ciencias Antropológicas. FFyL, UBA 2025-12-22 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion application/pdf https://revistascientificas.filo.uba.ar/index.php/MA/article/view/17425 10.34096/mace.v33i2.17425 Memoria Americana. Cuadernos de Etnohistoria; Vol. 33 No. 2 (2025): Convocatoria abierta: 5 artículos y 1 reseña; 24-48 Memoria Americana. Cuadernos de Etnohistoria; Vol. 33 Núm. 2 (2025): Convocatoria abierta: 5 artículos y 1 reseña; 24-48 1851-3751 0327-5752 spa https://revistascientificas.filo.uba.ar/index.php/MA/article/view/17425/15612 Derechos de autor 2025 Memoria Americana. Cuadernos de Etnohistoria https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0

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