Yacatecuhtli
Yacatecuhtli (also Yacatecutli, Yacacoliuhqui, Yiacatecutli or Yiacatecuhtli) was the god of merchants, traders and travelers in the Aztec pantheon . His name means in Nahuatl lord with the pointy nose . Yacatecuhtli was also called Lord at the top , in the sense of the one who precedes .
presentation
In pictorial representations, Yacatecuhtli can be recognized by the crossed paths that he carries on his back and that show the travelers' footprints in the four cardinal directions and by a noticeably long nose. Often a group of slaves is assigned to him and almost as a rule a walking stick.
role
Yacatecutli was especially revered in a henotheistic way by the Pochteca (singular: Pochtecatl), the members of a merchant brotherhood that controlled the slave trade . Trade played an important role with the Aztecs. Accordingly, the merchants had a great reputation and their businesses were subject to strict legal controls. During their trade trips, the merchants also performed political tasks. On behalf of the Aztec rulers, they explored unknown areas, established diplomatic contacts, and made maps. On the way, the presence of Yacatecuhtli was symbolized by a walking stick, which the merchants posted in the temple after their happy return and honored with offerings. If a trader died on the journey, it was believed that, like a fallen warrior, he would immediately enter the highest level of the afterlife, the Tonatiuh Ichan (also Ichan Tonatuih Ilhuicac). During the 17th Aztec month tititl from December 31st to January 19th, Yacatecuhtli slaves were sacrificed. They were beheaded.
- The gentleman at the head was the god of the merchants ... they covered his staff with paper ... where they wanted to sleep they set it up ... they withdrew blood and offered it to him ... pleaded to him his favor .
Cultic traces in the present
In Otatitlan , a pilgrimage site between Mexico City and Oaxaca , Indian believers venerate a black Christ every year on May 3rd. However, the custom goes back to pre-Christian times and originally referred to Yacatecutli. Allegedly, Yacatecutli turned into a black statue of Christ through the conversion of the Aztecs to Christianity.
literature
- Heike Owusu: symbols of the Inca, Maya and Aztecs. Schirner Verlag, Darmstadt 2000, ISBN 3-89767-073-9 .
- Günter Lanczkowski: The religion of the Aztecs, Maya and Inca. Scientific Book Society, Darmstadt 1989, ISBN 3-534-03222-5 .
- Eduard Seler: Some chapters from the historical work of Fray Bernardino de Sahagun. Stuttgart 1927.
- Helmut Hermann: Mexico. Verlag Reise Know-How, Markgröningen 2006, ISBN 3-89662-313-3 .
