--- title: Xipe Totec author: Mark Cartwright source: https://www.worldhistory.org/Xipe_Totec/ format: machine-readable-alternate license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) updated: 1970-01-01 --- # Xipe Totec _Authored by [Mark Cartwright](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/markzcartwright/)_ Xipe Totec (*pron.* Xi-pe To-tec) or 'Flayed One' in Nahuatl, was a major [god](https://www.worldhistory.org/God/) in ancient Mesoamerican [culture](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/culture/) and particularly important for the Toltecs and Aztecs. He was considered the god of spring, the patron god of seeds and planting and the patron of [metal](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/metal/) workers (especially goldsmiths) and gemstone workers. He is equivalent to the Red [Tezcatlipoca](https://www.worldhistory.org/Tezcatlipoca/), patron of Cuauhtli (eagle), the unfavourable 15th [Aztec](https://www.worldhistory.org/Aztec_Civilization/) day-name and he was represented by the date 1 Océlotl. ### Early Origins Xipe Totec perhaps originated with the [Olmec](https://www.worldhistory.org/Olmec_Civilization/) culture and developed from their ancient God VI. Another possible origin is from the Yope [civilization](https://www.worldhistory.org/civilization/) in the southern highlands of Guerrero. The first representations of the god in art, however, date to the Post-classical period (9th to 12th century CE) in the Mazapan culture at [Texcoco](https://www.worldhistory.org/Texcoco/). The god was a major Aztec deity and was also worshipped by the Tlaxcaltecans, Zapotecs, Mixtecs, Tarascan and Huastecs. The late Post-classical [Maya](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Maya/) also adopted Xipe Totec and representations of the god survive at Oxkintok, [Chichen Itza](https://www.worldhistory.org/Chichen_Itza/) and Mayapan. In Mesoamerican [mythology](https://www.worldhistory.org/mythology/) Xipe Totec was the son of the primordial androgynous god Ometeotl and, specifically in Aztec mythology, he was the brother of those other three major gods Tezcatlipoca, Huizilopochtli and [Quetzalcoatl](https://www.worldhistory.org/Quetzalcoatl/). Sometimes credited with being a creator god along with his brothers, Xipe Totec was also closely associated with death, which resulted in him being considered the source of diseases amongst mankind. However, the god also received many offerings from worshippers calling for him to cure illnesses, especially eye ailments. ### The Tlacaxipehualiztli Every spring in the third month of the solar year the festival of Tlacaxipehualiztli (a.k.a. Coailhuitl or the Snake Festival) was held in honour of Xipe Totec and human sacrifices were made to appease the god and ensure a good harvest that year. The sacrificial victims, usually [war](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/War/) captives, were then skinned in symbolic imitation of the regeneration of plants and seeds which shed their husks and thereby provide new seeds. The festival was preceded by an even stranger practice of an impersonator dressing as Xipe Totec for 40 days before the big day, splendidly decked out in bright red spoonbill feathers and sparkling golden jewellery. Then, on the day of the festival at dawn, the impersonator was sacrificed - often actually regarded as an honour in Mesoamerican [religion](https://www.worldhistory.org/religion/) - and skinned along with impersonators of another eight gods including Quetzalcóatl. The skins of all these victims were dyed yellow and called *teocuitlaquemitl* or golden robes and were either worn by priests who performed ritual dances in them in the ceremony known as Tozoztontl held the following month or worn by young men for 20 days who then went around begging until the skins rotted away and the remains were then buried in the god's [temple](https://www.worldhistory.org/temple/). The significance of these impersonations and sacrifices was once again one of regeneration related to [agriculture](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Agriculture/). ### The Tlahuahuanaliztli One of the highlights of the Tlacaxipehualiztli festival was the Tlahuahuanaliztli gladiatorial contests. These involved captives who had displayed most courage being placed on a circular stone platform (*temalacatl*), bound up and made to fight elite Eagle and Jaguar warriors or knights. However, there was no chance of survival as the knights were armed with the vicious *macuauhuitl*, a hardwood sword edged with razor-sharp obsidian, whilst the captive had a sword edged with feathers so, aside from tickling to death his opponents, the contest was a foregone conclusion and merely a more elaborate form of sacrifice than meted out to the other victims of the festival. ### Representations In Art In art Xipe Totec was a popular subject both in statues and masks. He is most often represented rather grotesquely with a bloated face (sometimes striped), sunken eyes and double lips. He can cast a ghoulish figure wearing the skin of one of his sacrificial victims which is elaborately tied with a string at the back, shows the incision where the victim's heart was removed and with even the flayed hands hanging from the god's wrists. #### Editorial Review This human-authored definition has been reviewed by our editorial team before publication to ensure accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards in accordance with our [editorial policy](https://www.worldhistory.org/static/editorial-policy/). ## Bibliography - [Encyclopedia Britannica](http://www.britannica.com "Encyclopedia Britannica"), accessed 1 Dec 2016. - [Jones, D. *Mythology of Aztec & Maya.* Southwater, 2007.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/1844763978/) - [Miller, M.E. *The Art of Mesoamerica.* Thames & Hudson, 2012.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0500204144/) - [National Geographic. *National Geographic Essential Visual History of World Mythology \[Hardcover\] \[2008\]..* National Geographic, 2013.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/B00E7JONKI/) - [Read, K.A. *Mesoamerican Mythology.* Oxford University Press, USA, 2002.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0195149092/) - [Taube, M.E. and Karl Miller. *An Illustrated Dictionary of the Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya..* Thames & Hudson, 2013.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/B00E27Y8IM/) ## About the Author Mark is WHE’s Publishing Director and has an MA in Political Philosophy (University of York). He is a full-time researcher, writer, historian and editor. Special interests include art, architecture and discovering the ideas that all civilizations share. ## Timeline - **1200 BCE - 300 BCE**: The [Olmec](https://www.worldhistory.org/Olmec_Civilization/) Period which saw the rise of the Olmec [culture](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/culture/)'s work in stone, first major [cities](https://www.worldhistory.org/city/) appear. - **250 CE - 950 CE**: The Classic [Maya](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Maya/) Period which saw the height of the [Maya Civilization](https://www.worldhistory.org/Maya_Civilization/) in [cities](https://www.worldhistory.org/city/) such as [Chichen Itza](https://www.worldhistory.org/Chichen_Itza/), [Palenque](https://www.worldhistory.org/Palenque/), [Tikal](https://www.worldhistory.org/Tikal/), [Copan](https://www.worldhistory.org/Copan/) and [Uxmal](https://www.worldhistory.org/Uxmal/). - **c. 1345 CE - 1521 CE**: The [Aztec civilization](https://www.worldhistory.org/Aztec_Civilization/) flourishes in Mesoamerica. ## External Links - [Xipe Totec Temple To The "Flayed God" Discover By Archaeologists](https://allthatsinteresting.com/xipe-totec) ## Cite This Work ### APA Cartwright, M. (2013, August 06). Xipe Totec. *World History Encyclopedia*. [https://www.worldhistory.org/Xipe\_Totec/](https://www.worldhistory.org/Xipe_Totec/) ### Chicago Cartwright, Mark. "Xipe Totec." *World History Encyclopedia*, August 06, 2013. [https://www.worldhistory.org/Xipe\_Totec/](https://www.worldhistory.org/Xipe_Totec/). ### MLA Cartwright, Mark. "Xipe Totec." *World History Encyclopedia*, 06 Aug 2013, [https://www.worldhistory.org/Xipe\_Totec/](https://www.worldhistory.org/Xipe_Totec/). ## License & Copyright Submitted by [Mark Cartwright](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/markzcartwright/ "User Page: Mark Cartwright"), published on 06 August 2013. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en). 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