CODICES, A RITUAL FOR THE AFTERDEATH AND BEYOND

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Its use in pre-Hispanic times had a great relationship and importance as a support for codices in which the Tlacuilos wrote history with glyphs and in the celebrations of mortuary ceremonies and rituals. In general, ancient Mexicans made use of  amate paper as an offering to the gods of the underworld.

 

Among other rituals, next to the corpse is they placed six pieces of paper, according to their cosmogony, the first was used to pass between two great hills that continually collided with each other, the second to cross a dangerous path guarded by a huge snake, the third to offer to the earth monster. Each of the remaining pieces of paper freed them from various dangers and led them to their destination.

 

When a character died he was cremated, for this he was prepared, dressed in beautiful clothes, he was placed with his knees bent close to his chin, keeping him in this position by means of ropes as a bundle. The corpse was adorned with paper and feathers, a mask was placed on the face that could be made of silver or a mosaic turquoise. During the Spanish conquest and colonization, the codices were hunted down and destroyed by the action of fire in order to exterminate both its history, as all vestige spiritual, religious or magical of the indigenous world. Therefore the elaboration of paper of amatl declines as well as its use, due to the prohibition of friars and priests as well as the introduction of European cotton paper of totally different consistency and color to First.

 

Despite the multiple religious prohibitions throughout the colony, some towns, especially those who were far from the roads traveled by the Spanish, continued to elaborate and use the role of the earth in healing religious ceremonies and agricultural that were carried out within the strictest secrecy.

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