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Espace, guerre et prospérité dans l'ancien Mexique central : les dieux des marchands à l'époque postclassique

1999; Society of Americanists; Volume: 85; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.3406/jsa.1999.1730

1957-7842

Guilhem Olivier,

Indigenous Cultures and History

Space, war and prosperity in ancient Central Mexico : the gods of the merchants in the Postclassic period. This article assembles the iconographical and written information relating to the gods of the merchands (pochteca) in Central Mexico during the Postclassic period. Beyond the analysis of the numerous names and representations of these deities, their adornments and the rituals associated with each of them illustrate the warlike character of commercial activities. The present study also deals with the problem of the poorly known specifity of the gods worshipped by the pochteca. An analysis of the links that relate the gods of that guild to three of the major Mexica deities — Quetzalcoatl, Tezcatlipoca and Xiuhtecuhtli — allows us to understand how they included the latter in their pantheon, in a strategy whereby they sought assimilation in the Aztec elite.