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THE XALAQUIA CEREMONY the Present Study Is an Attempt To THE XALAQUIA CEREMONY CHARLES E. DIBBLE The present study is an attempt to explore the possible meaning or meanings of a ceremony called xalaquia. The term is apparently limited to Sahagún's Historia and his Primeros Memoríales. Saha­ gún's explanation thereof occurs only once in the corresponding Spanish texto The ceremony is first mentioned in Book II, in the month Uei tecuilhuitl. According to the Nahuatl text, after a woman had been arrayed as the likeness of the gooddess Xilonen, "she entered at four places" -nauhcampa yn aquja, "or she entered the sand"- anofo xalaquja. Thus the entering at four places is a ceremony which is equated with entering the sand, i.e., the xalaquia ceremony. The Nahuatl text gives the meaning of the ceremony: Hit was said 'she enters the sand' because in this way she made known her death -that on the morrow she wouId ynic mitoa xalaqui, ic quimachtilia }'1t jmiquizJ in miquiz muztla. The Nahuatl text con­ tinues by giving the four places she entered and uses the verb aquí or aquia. X alaquía does not occur in this portion of the texto In personal correspondance, Dr. Angel Maria Garibay K. suggested aquia is probably an assimilation of aaquia "enter the water" The four places of entry were Tetamazolco, Necoquixecan (Necoc Ixecan ), Atenchicalcan and Xolloco. These four places or stations "followed, accompanied the four year-bearers -acatl, tecpatl, calli, tochtli-" fá quitoctiaia, fan qujujcaltiaia yn nauhtetl xiuhtonalli yn acatl, in tecpatl in calli, in tochtli. 1 Sahagún's corresponding Spanish text adds further detail: "many women surrounded the woman [arrayed as the goddess XilonenJ and took her to offer incense at the four pIaces" -cercábanla mu­ chas mujeres; llevábanla en medio a ofrecer incienso a cuatro partes. 1 Sahagún, 1950, n, 97.8. 198 CHARLES E. DlBBLE THE "The offering took place on the aftemoon prior to her death" esta ofrendo. hacía a la tarde antes que muriese. "This offering was the water's edge where tl called xalaquia because she was to die the following day." A esta Tenayuca, as shown in a ofrenda llamaban xalaquia porque el día siguiente había de morir. The Nahuatl text states The four places are mentioned and Sahagún adds that "these four "there the water gushed places where the offerings were made commemorated the four year· "there the wind faded a'\\ bearers" estos cuatro lugares donde ofrecían era en reverencia de temple called Atenchicalc los cuatro caracteres de la cuenta de los años. 2 Cuitlahuac called Atenchi It seems probable that the four places mentioned can be related is a canal or break in the: to the four year-bearers and the four dÍrections as follows: Tetama· Caso interprets the name : zoleo -acatl- east; Necoc-Ixecan -tecpatl- north; Atenchi· Iocates it "entre San Juan calean -calli- west; Xolloco -tochtli- south. It is further and a fortification at the possible that the four places were Iocated along the four principal causeway that led to Ixt causeways at points where the causeways reached the lake shore. If there were the single The Nahuatl text and Sahagún's corresponding Spanish clearIy forro and meaning thefe(l relate the places to the year-bearers: Tetamazoleo, Necoc Ixecan, tined to be sacrificed el Atenchicalean, Xolloco -acatl, tecpatl, calli, tochtli-. The evidence places. The ceremony si! relating the four year-bearers to the directions appears in Sahagún's Iowing day. A secondal") Calendar Wheel (fig. 1), and its accompanying text as found in four year-bearers and th~ Book VII of the Florentine Codex. The text explains: pears elsewhere in Book ponding explanation in S It proceedeth in this way: they begin with the east, which is will be considered in the where the reeds are (or, according to others, with the south, where During the month Qt the rabbit is) and say One Reed. And thence they go to the honor of Mixcoatl. The: north, where the flint is, and they say Two Flint Knife. Then feast day had arrived, wll they go the west, where the house is, and there they say Three ed, then there was enteri House. And then they go to the south, which is where the rab­ die entered the sand. M' bit is, and they say Four Rabbit. And then they tum to the east. they would die. They toe and say Five Reed. s stone". Auh in oacic, i Sorne of the places mentioned have been Iocated. Tetamazolco cempoalli: vneá xalaeoa, was a deep stretch of water, a launching place for boats at the east in tonatiuh: mee qujnuicl end of the causeway which led eastward from the ceremonial center. • techcatl. Subsequently tt It wa,. said to be near Tepetzinco. 5 Necoc Ixecan (the place which kept them in vigiI during faces both directions) has not be en located. It could conceivablv ing day.13 be where the north causeway intersects the Tezontlalli canal the During the month of 1 boundary between Tenochtitlan and l1atelolco? 6 Or it could be at Iopochtli, the merchants , 2 Sahagún, 1956, I, 180. 7 Marquina, 1960, fig. 1. Sahagún, 1950, vrr, fig. 20. B Sahagún, 1950, u, 97. 4 Marquina, 1960, fig. 1; Sahagún, 1950, Il, 84. JO Gihwn, 1964, 12, 42. 5 Sahagún, 1956, IV, 62. 11 Caso, 1956, 17. 6 Caso, 1956, 9. 12 Marquina, 1960, 25. :la Sahagún, 1950, n, 127-3. CHARLES E. nmBLE 311 Calendar WheeI (Flof'entine Co4~). ~BBLE I THE XALAQUIA CEREMONY 199 r()(ln prior to her death" esta [muriese. "This offering was tbethe water's edge where the causeway bifurcates to Tepeyacac and Je the following day." A esta Tenayuca, as shown in a map attributed to Hemán Cortés? 1 ldfa siguiente había de morir. The Nahuatl text states that Atenchicalcan was so named because ~gún adds that "these four "there the water gushed forth" -vncan oalcholoia yn aatl, ti, and ~ommemorated the four year­ "there the wind faded away-" vncan oalpopoliujaia yn ecatl. 8 A ~recian era en reverencia de temple called Atenchicalcan can be ruled out. 9 A subdivision of 2 ~s años. Cuitlahuac called Atenchicalcan 10 is likewise unlike1y. A possibility ' mentioned can be related is a canal or break in the causeway to Tacuba called Atenchicalco. ctions as follows: Tetama­ Caso interprets the name as meaning "en la orilla del chichical" and tecpatl- north; Atenchi­ locates it "entre San Juan de Letrán y Zarco". n Xolloc was a canal htli- south. It is further and a fortification at tbethe soutbemsouthem edge of the island and along the ted along the four principal causeway that led to IxtapaIapa.Ixtapalapa. 12 ~ reached the lake shore. If there were the single reference to the xalaquia ceremony, the ~rresponding Spanish clearly fonuforro and meaning thereof wouIdwould be clear. The impersonator des­ ¡Tetaniazolco, Necoc Ixecan, tined to be sacrificed entered (andlor offered incense) at four ¡calli, tochtli-. The evidence places. The ceremony signified the participant wouIdwould die the fol­foI­ .rections .appears in Sahagún's lowing day. A secondary meaning related the four places to the ~mpanymg text as found in four year-bearers and the four directions. However, the term ap­ ~ text explains: pears elsewhere in Book n and in Book IX, but without a corres­ I ponding expIanationexplanation in Sahagún's Spanish text. These occurrences ~n with the east, which is will be considered in the order of their appearance. i0thcrs, witb the south, where During the montbmonth Quecholli, bathed slavessIaves were sacrificed in ¡And thence they go to the honor of Mixcoatl. The N ahuatl text relates that: "when the very y Two FIint Knife. Then and thcre they say Three feast day had arrived, when the twenty days of Quecholli had end­ th, which is where the rab­ ed, then there was entering into the sand, then those who were to thcn they tum to the east. die entered the sand. After midday they then took them to where ~ they wouIdwould die. They took them in procession around the sacrifíciaIsacrificial , stone". Auh in oacic, in vel iquac ilhujtl, Quecholli inic tlamj Ibecn located. Tetamazolco cempoalli: vnca xalacoa, vnca xalaquj, in mjqujzque: vmmotzealo, gplace for boats at the east in tonatiuh: mee qujnviea in vmpa mjquizque: qujmoiaoaloehtia in from the ceremonial center. 4 teehcatl. Subsequently they took them to the calpulco where they ~oc Ixecan (the place which kept them in vigil during the night and sacrificed them the follow­ bated. It could conceivabJv ingoiugo day.13 ~ the Tezontlalli canal the During the month of Panquetzaliztli, which did honor to Huitzi­ ~teIolco? 6 Or it could be at lopochtli, the merchants were charged with the sacrificing of bathed 7 Marquina, 1960, fig. 1,l. 8 Sahagún, 1950, 1I,II, 97. 10 Gibson, 1964, 12, 42. 11 Caso, 1956, 17. 12 Marquina, 1960, 25. 13 Sahagún, 1950, 11, 127-8. THE 200 CHARLES E. DlBBLE In an article presentIy j slaves. The Nahuatl text records: "when they had been completcly bathíng, Dr. Arthur J. O arrayed, when they had assembled, when they had been given gifts, tion and Durán's several r then they took the bathed ones that they might enter the sand. a calatl, suggests that "the : When they had reached the temple-pyramid of the demon, accompanied the drinking then al1 c1imbed up the pyramid. \Vhen they camecarne to the top, then a term which meant the they cirded the sacrificial stone" in ótecencaoaloc,óteeeneaoaloe, in oneenvetz, :Finally, apart from the in ontetlauhtiloe: njman ie ie qujnviea in tlaaltilti, xalaquizque: in milar ceremony is mentic onacique tlaeateeulotltlacateeulotl iteupan, mee tleeo in teuealtiepae, in vmpan­ curred during the month e vetzito: mee qujoaliaoaloa in teeheatl.
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