Abstract

ROBICHAUX, David  and  MORENO CARVALLO, José Manuel. The Divine Face and the Dance of Santiagos in Northern Acolhuacan: ixiptla in the 21^st Century?. Trace (Méx. DF) [online]. 2019, n.76, pp.21-47.  Epub Mar 27, 2021. ISSN 2007-2392.

In a dance of Moors and Christians in the region of Texcoco, the character playing the role of St. James wears a realistic mask known as the Divine Face. People reject calling it a “mask” because they consider it a miraculous object, and they believe the person who wears it becomes a saint, or even Jesus Christ. This paper documents the practices and beliefs centered on the Divine Face, and the rules that must be observed by those who are in close contact with him, so he will “be happy”. We briefly review studies concerning the personification of gods, pointing out similarities between the ethnographic material and the concept of ixiptla among the ancient Mexicans. We discuss the distinctive features of the described phenomenon, and present a proposal of how this concept has persisted in spite of the apparent modernization of the region.

Keywords : ixiptla; personification; dance of Moors and Christians; St. James; Texcoco.