Abstract

ALATORRE REYES, Daniel. The Rite of Enthronement of the Tlatoani and Cazonci: Analogies and Discrepancies. Relac. Estud. hist. soc. [online]. 2020, vol.41, n.164, pp.1-24.  Epub Oct 11, 2021. ISSN 2448-7554.  https://doi.org/10.24901/rehs.v41i164.699.

This article elaborates a detailed comparison of the enthronement rites performed for the Mexica ruler, called tlatoani, and the Purépecha ruler, known as cazonci. On the one hand, it establishes their similarities and differences. On the other, it explains the coincidences and discrepancies in certain aspects of their respective rites. The argument is based on a comparative analysis of 16th-century chronicles of the Mexica and Purépecha traditions, in which their history, religion and political ideas were compared to interpret the rites. From the comparative analysis of those sources, the paper concludes that both rites shared the same structure because the Mexica and Purépecha peoples held similar conceptions about religion and government. Both ceremonies emphasized the importance of the patron god, the values of war, and the worship of deities related to the sun and earth. It is important, however, to recognize the lack of diversity for the Purépecha case, since only one chronicle contains information on their rite. Because the enthronement rite of the tlatoani has been studied in greater detail, the value of this paper lies in its contribution to our understanding of the cazonci rite, its interpretations, and its elucidation, for the first time, of similarities and differences with the Mexica.

Keywords : Mesoamerica; Postclassic; patron gods; sacred war; power.