The origin of the worship of Xipe Tótec in Jalisco and its dual nature

Abstract

The place of origin of the worship of Xipe Tótec is still uncertain. Archaeological studies of central Mexico have argued that this cult dates to Teotihuacan or even Olmec times. Nonetheless, said archaeological and iconographic evidence has never been systematically compared with that found in the west of the México, even ignoring Bernardino De Sahagún’s assertion regarding its western origin. In contrast, I propose that the worship of Xipe originated in pre-Columbian Jalisco, employing an analysis based on contrasting early colonial sources and previously recovered archaelogical evidence from the region. The latter includes the identification of pre-Hispanic pieces from the museum collections of the Zapotlán and Zapotiltic area.