Aztec offerings and ritual

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Aztec offerings and ritual

Written by Nathaniel Musselman

Aztec offerings and ritual

Here are some excerpts from my research while working on the Jaguar's Breath incense. Sources are noted in the text. (Cross filed in Yahoo! Incense Exchange.)

"Here Is Told in What Manner the Mexicans Made Offerings, and What They Made as Offerings in Their Temples.

Offerings.
Thus were offerings made: with food and with capes were offerings made, and with all kinds of living things—perchance turkeys, perchance birds; or capes. Or else whatever was newly formed—perchance maize, or chia, or flowers, or whatever [was newly grown].
And thus did the young [unmarried] women make offerings: Before dawn their mothers and fathers awoke them. So they went about making offerings of gifts carried in the palms of their hands—little tortillas, [which were] very small,—and thus they quickly proceeded to lay gifts before the devil; in bowls they carried them thus to present them [to the gods].
Only in the houses were the tortillas made. Thus did the young women make [their] offerings.

The Offering of Incense.
And thus was the offering of incense performed, with an incense ladle. It was made of clay, with [stones in its hollows making] a rattle.
Then they laid live coals in the incense ladle. When these blazed up, then they filled it with copal incense, and then came forth before the devil, or else in the middle of the courtyard, where arose the brazier. [This] was made of clay. And when they came up to the devil, then they dedicated the incense burner to the four directions, thus offering incense. And when they had offered [incense] to the four directions, then they threw [the incense and the coals] into the brazier. Here the copal incense lay smoking. And thus was it done: the mothers and fathers likewise at dawn awoke the children, [whether] men [-children] or women [-children]; that they might offer incense quickly, they awoke them; that they might not become slothful was this done in the houses.

The Casting of Copal [Incense].
And the casting of copal [incense] was thus done, when any weighty words were yet to be said, or a judgment was yet to be uttered: first one cast copal [incense] into the fire. [For] whoever was to speak [weighty words], here lay the copal in a gourd vessel. Or else the singer, before he was to sing, thus did: first he cast copal into the brazier, and then the singer began [to sing].

The Eating [Kissing] of the Earth.
The eating [kissing] of the earth was thus done, when men came into any place: everyone kissed the earth, with one finger [touched to the ground and then to the mouth], either before the devil or else in front of the hearth.
And thus was protested, thus was avouched one's word. When one put not much faith in [another's] word, thus he said unto him:
"If what thou sayest is true, do thou kiss the earth." Whosoever it was then thus kissed the earth, and thus he bore witness to [the
truth of] his words.

The [Ceremonial] Casting [of a Libation].
And thus was done the casting [of a libation]: When anything was to be eaten, and was not yet eaten, perchance of the food first a very small morsel was cut and cast in front of the hearth. When they had cast it, then they began to eat. No one first ate [before], indeed, libations had been cast in front of the hearth.

The [Ceremonial] Pouring [of a Libation],
Thus was done the [ceremonial] pouring [of a libation], when an offering was made [to the god], perchance at the feast of the wine gods: When anyone made new wine, when it [began to] increase, when thus it [began to] sound, they laid it as an offering in a bowl, in front of the hearth; and [they laid it] in small drinking vessels. And when men were to drink, they poured wine forth into the drinking vessel, and then poured a libation in front of the hearth. They poured the wine in a libation in the four directions. And when they had poured a libation of the wine, then everyone drank the wine, then all began the drinking."

Sahaguìn, B. d., Anderson, A. J. O., & Dibble, C. E. (1950). General history of
the things of New Spain: Florentine codex. Monographs of the School of American
Research, no. 14, pt. 3. Santa Fe, N.M.: School of American Research.
pp. 181-183.

"A True [Relation] of how They Served the Sun; and of how many Times Trumpets Were Blown During the Day and During the Night; and of how many Times Incense Was Offered.
Each day, when the sun arose, quail were slain and incense was offered. And thus were quail slain: they wrung the necks of the quail and raised them dedicating them to the sun.
And they invoked [the sun], saying: "The sun hath come forth—the shafts of heat, the turquoise child, the soaring eagle. And how he will go on, or how he may tarry [we know not]. Perchance something [ill] will be done his servants and vassals."
They said unto him: "Work; perform thy office [for us], O our lord." And this each day was thus done when the sun rose, [as hath] been said.
And thus was incense offered four times during the day, and five times during the night: The first time [was] when the sun burst forth. The second time [was] when [it was] time to eat [the first meal]. And the third time [was] at midday; and the fourth time [was] when already the sun had set. And at night, thus was incense offered: the first time, when it was dark; the second time, when it was time to sleep; the third time, when the shell trumpets were sounded; the fourth time, at midnight; and the fifth time, near dawn. And
when it was dark, incense was offered and a supplication was made to the night. It was said: "The Lord of the Night, he of the sharp nose, hath unfolded, and we know not how his office will end." And [his] feast day came upon the day of the day-count [called] naui ollin,
every two hundred and three days. And when the day had come, all did penances; all fasted for four days. And when they reached the day of the day-count, at noon, shell trumpets were blown, and straws were passed through the flesh to draw blood. And they cut the ears of little children lying in their cradles. And all the people bloodied themselves, and no supplications were then made. But everyone drew blood; straws were passed through tongue or ear-lobe, and incense was offered. Everyone [did so]; none were negligent.
And there was the image of that one, [the sun, at a pyramid temple] called Quauhxicalli. There was erected his image, his image was designed as if it had the mask of a man [but] with [the sun's] rays streaming from it.
His sun ornament was round, circled with feathers; surrounded with red spoonbill [feathers]. Here in his presence was the fasting done, and the passing of straws through the flesh, the laying of offerings, and the slaying of quail. And upon his feast day, also many captives died, and these were also called "those who died in war." These went to the house of the sun and dwelt with the sun."

Sahaguìn, B. d., Anderson, A. J. O., & Dibble, C. E. (1950). General history of
the things of New Spain: Florentine codex. Monographs of the School of American
Research, no. 14, pt. 3. Santa Fe, N.M.: School of American Research.
pp. 202-203.

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