YACATECUTLI = “LORD WHO GUIDES,” OR “GUIDANCE”
- Area of Worship: Plateau of Anahuac (worshipped by Mexican merchants while at home and when travelling).
- Festival: Panquetzalitztli.
- Symbol: The merchant’s staff.
ASPECT AND INSIGNIA
Sahagun MS. (Biblioteca del Palacio).—The ground of the face-painting is white, but portions of the face, especially the forehead, nose, and chin, and the region in front of the ears, are brilliantly coloured. The hair is puffed up and is bound with bands of quetzal-feathers. The ear-plugs are of gold. The large mantle which almost covers the body is decorated with the cross-hatching symbolic of water and has the red rim of the eye-motif. The shield bears the Greek key motif, such as is seen in the tribute-lists of the Codex Mendoza. In his hand the god bears the bamboo staff of the merchant or traveller, which typifies his nature and which was worshipped, as being symbolic of him, by all traders.
FESTIVAL
Panquetzalitztli.—Yacatecutli, says Sahagun,1 was the first merchant and prototype of traffickers, so was chosen by the merchants as their god. They dressed his statue with paper and greatly venerated the staff he carried, which was of massive wood, or else of dark cane, very light, but strong, such as the merchants carried on their journeys. He had four brothers and a sister, also reverenced by traders. He was usually depicted as a man on a journey, equipped with such a staff as has been mentioned.
Arrived at the place where they were to pass the night, the merchants laid their staves in a heap and drew blood from their ears and limbs, which