Xipé Totec - “Our master is spread out.”

The Aztec fertility god of the land, Xipe Totec, was usually depicted in a spread human skin, symbolizing the death of the old and the growth of new vegetation. The eerie-sounding nickname in Nahuatl originated from the legend that the Aztec god spread his skin to feed mankind.

The veneration of Xipe Totec was usually accompanied by human sacrifices, which were performed during the March festival of Tlacaxipehualiztli, which literally translates to “spreading people.” The captive was tied to a stone, given a makuahuitl, a wooden club with obsidian blades made of feathers instead of knives, and forced to “fight” an Aztec warrior.

His skin was then ritually processed and put on Xipe Totec reconstructors, who were worshipped and treated as gods. These reconstructors were then killed, their hearts cut out, their skins worn by Aztec priests for 20 days, and then discarded to represent the rebirth aspect of Xipe Totec.