Tovar Codex, Nemontemi, Unlucky Days Aztec Calendar

A bald man with protruding tongue is shown holding an incense bag and wearing sandals. He wears a flayed human skin and mask. On his shoulders are knotted red epaulettes and he wears a necklace of blue beads with golden pendants. The five days at the end of the Aztec calendar year were called the Nemontemi, or the five unlucky or useless days. It was considered a dangerous time, when people kept to their houses and did not even cook to avoid attracting the attention of unfavorable spirits. The man pictured is probably an impersonator of Huitzilopochtli. The epaulettes were the iyequachtli (tobacco pouches) worn from the shoulders by the temple priest. The Tovar Codex (16th century) contains detailed information about the rites and ceremonies of the Aztecs. The codex is illustrated with 51 full-page paintings in watercolor. Illustration taken from a 19th century transcript of Juan de Tovar's Historia de la benida de los yndios apoblar a Mexico (the Codex Tovar)

Picture No

12696125

Media ID

47670819

Size

3294px x 4200px (2.0MB)

Credit

LOC/Jay I. Kislak Collection/Science Source/Mary Evans