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Table of Contents
THE DEADLY DANCE (AZTEC) 32
the-deadly-dance-pages_from_alcheringa_1-1_fall-1970-4.pdf
Original pages 32-33. Alcheringa 1-1
Overview
This is a short poem about an Aztec mythical ritual of death ceremony. In this ceremony, both rich and poor Toltecs alike follow the loud wailing of the cryer to the city of Texcalpa. There, from sunset until half past midnight, they participate in a ceremony led by the local Shaman. Participants become so entranced by the Shaman's beating of the drum and chanting that they begin to dance in unison. At the climax of the Shaman's performance, many of the Toltecs unconsciously commit suicide by either jumping off of the cliffs or off of the bridge and into the canyon depths. To kill off any of the Toltecs that did not jump, the Shaman then destroys the bridge they were standing on. All of the dead Toltecs magically turned to stone. Unfortunately, this poem depicts the end of the Toltec civilization.
Commentary
According to shaman a Shaman was a person who acts as an intermediary between the natural and supernatural worlds, using magic to control the spiritual entities.
According to Google, the Toltec were religious warriors who spread their cult of their god Quetzalcoatl to all corners of the Empire; they were broken down into groups representative of animals such as the jaguar and of their various gods. They resided in the Mesoamerican area of Mexico from 900-1150 AD, were accomplished sculptors and artists, practiced human sacrifice, and were revereered and their characteristics were interwoven into Aztec society.
This poem appears in the first issue of Alcheringa Magazine Fall 1970
Context
Bibliography
Kissam, Edward
Original source referenced: Sahagún, Bernardo de. Historia general de las cosas de nueva España. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florentine_Codex
Online edition: https://wellcomecollection.org/works/qk584fja/items?canvas=7
See: Volume 193801. Historia general de las cosas de Nueva España / por Fr. Bernardino de Sahagún, de la Orden de los frayles menores de la observancia.
Sahagún, Bernardino de, -1590. p. 274: https://wellcomecollection.org/works/qk584fja/items?canvas=368
See also, World Library scan of the selection including Spanish and Nahua: https://www.wdl.org/en/item/10096/view/1/444/
