Twenty Day Cycle 4
This is the feast called Toxcatl. It was a great feast because in it they celebrated Tezcatlipoca, which means the smoking mirror. He was the greatest of the greatest of their gods that they revered and to him they attributed the dances and songs and roses and feathers, which is the thing that they most esteemed… They made tamales from the seed of bledos (amaranth) and corn, which they called the body of the god and these tamales were eaten with great festivity. Source: Codex Ixtlilxóchitl, (1553): 096r.
The ritual food was called “body of the god”, certain tzoalli tamales. These were large dishes filled with tzoalli (amaranth) kneaded with honey, covered with blankets painted with skulls of the dead and crossbones. Source: Durán, (1984): 44
On this day they all danced and had in the middle made the figure of Tezcatlipoca. It was made of uautli (amaranth) seeds. And then ate it. Source: Motolinia, (1971): 5
Current solar position at Cañada de la Virgen
According to the design of the main building of Cañada de la Virgen, this is the fourth twenty day count of the solar cycle.
The sun is located over Room 3 at the northern sunken patio platform.
Ideally, the corn seed is already in the ground and germination has begun awaiting the heavy rains of July and August. We are approaching the time of the summer solstice, so the apparent position of the sun will remain practically in the same position until July 14.
