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two tufts of eagle feathers and ornamented with silver flint knives; leather earplugs; a bright-red, rich, netting cape; a diagonally divided two-colored cape; and a leather cape.
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Taking another captive from Atlixco or Huexotzinco was considered an awesome accomplishment, and the captor was given further gifts: a long yellow labret (he could alternately use the yellow one and the blue one); a headband with two tufts of eagle feathers and ornamented with gold flint knives; a cape with several possible designsserpent mask, earthen vesselor a jaguar cape with a red border; a breech clout with long ends and having either the eagle claw or marketplace design; and black sandals with red or orange leather thongs. For his deeds the warrior received the title of tlacochcalcatl (commanding general) or tlacateccatl (general).53 |
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The awards to the warriors for their exploits were made at the feast of Tlacaxipehualiztli (Flaying of Men), held during the second of the eighteen months of the solar calendar. Then each veteran warrior was given four pieces of black cloth, and the telpochyahqui, or leading youths, were given capes.54 Thus, clothing was not merely a necessary or vanity item among the Aztecs but also a marker of martial and social status. |
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Commoner warriors were not entitled to wear the garb of the accomplished warriors but instead wore only a maguey-fiber mantle without special designs or fine embroidery and did not use sandals. Their mantle could not reach below the knee, on pain of death, unless it was concealing war wounds on the legs.55 Nor could insignia awarded for valorous deeds be worn by novices entering battle for the first time, whether commoners or nobles.56 For their first battle novices wore clothing of maguey fiber,57 and undistinguished warriors wore only a breechcloth (maxtlatl) and body paint.58 Only the military leaders wore body armor (ichcahuipilli).59 Valiant warriors and war leaders wore neck bands of shells or gold, netted capes of twisted maguey fiber and leather corselets, and turquoise earplugs, and they painted their faces with black stripes.60 Only nobles could wear lip plugs, earplugs, and noseplugs of gold and precious stones. Valiant warriors and military leaders could also wear plugs, but only of such common materials as wood or bone.61 Only the king and great lords could wear armbands, anklets, and headbands of gold.62 In peacetime the king wore a blue and white mantle, called a xiuhtilmahtli, which no one else could wear, on pain of death. In war he wore many jeweled ornaments as well as a helmet and an insignia called a cuah- |
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