"Tlazolteotl's image appears above the small door to the steam bath (temazcal) -- Tlazolteotl, the "deity of trash;' guarded the steam bath because she, along with a series of related fertility goddesses, controlled the process in which individuals cleansed themselves, both metaphorically, through ritual, and literally, through washing ing one's body. The Nahuas [sic] did not distinguish between the metaphorical and literal cleanings, because when one cleaned oneself, one also kept at bay all of the other things signified by the term tlazolli"
Later posts in this series will include a wee bit of commentary on why I pulled whatever quotation I am posting out of the text, but this one from the first few pages really seems to need little if any comment.
No comments:
Post a Comment