Truhanería y sexualidad: Techalotl entre los nahuas prehispánicos

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Truhanería y sexualidad: Techalotl entre los nahuas prehispánicos

Journal Title: Itinerarios. Revista de estudios lingüísticos, literarios, históricos y antropológicos - Year 2015, Vol 21, Issue

Abstract

The aim of the present paper is to carry out a preliminary study of the Nahua pre- Hispanic god called Techalotl. The first part focuses on the animal avatar of this deity, whose identification in colonial sources ranges from squirrel to skunk and mole, and which, at the same time, shares many characteristics with the opossum. Th e next step consists on the comparison of the limited data about Techalotl included in the alphabetic and pictographic documents from Central Mexico, in order to determine the domain of this god. It has been noted that on the iconographic level he resembles the “gods-Five” or macuiltonaleque, which links him to the fi eld of dances, songs, performances, mockery (hence his description as “god of buffoons”) and excesses. The latter aspect is reflected, among others, in his relation to sexuality and transgression, quite evident from the festive context in which the fi gure of the impersonator of this deity appears. The sexual connotations of squirrel are also visible in the symbolism of this animal among the Nahuas and, more broadly, in Mesoamerica, that has survived to this day in various indigenous communities.

Authors and Affiliations

Agnieszka Brylak

Keywords

squirrel sexuality performance deity Nahuas world view

EP ID EP192808
DOI -
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