Mexican

The iconic figure Xipe Totec, "our lord the flayed one," was the god of Spring, linked primarily with the renewal of crops. As such, the rituals surrounding his worship were designed to ensure the fertility of the land. During the second month of the year, the Tlacaxipehualiztli, "the flaying of men," the priests sacrificed their victims by removing their hearts. The bodies were then flayed and the skins dyed yellow. These "golden clothes" (teocuitlaquemitl) were then worn by young devotees, until they rotted away. The idea behind this was to mimic the growth of a maize kernel, with the new plant emerging from the husk of an old seed.

These sacrificial practices were reflected in the many cult images of Xipe Totec, which usually take the form of masks or statues, such as this one. Invariably, they show the god or one of his priests wearing the skin of a freshly flayed victim. Artists took delight in highlighting the gory details. The closed lips of the figure are often visible behind the gaping mouth of the pelt. Similarly, the flayed hands of the victim are often depicted dangling limply from the wrists of the wearer, so that the figure appears to have an extra pair of hands.

TASKS

Read the text and translate it into Ukrainian.

2. Answer the following questions:

1. Where is the city of Teotihucan located?

2. When did Teotihucan reach a peak of creativity?

3. Where did the Aztecs incorporate Teotihucan?

4. How did Teotihucan function?

5. What does “Teotihucan” mean?

6. What have archaeologists identified at Teotihucan?

7. What was the city of Teotihucan notable for?

8. What were the rituals surrounding Xipe Totec worship designed for?

9. Where were sacrificial practices reflected?

10. How did the figure of Xipe Totec look like?

3. Give Ukrainian equivalents to the following words and phrases:

magnificent religious architecture

to reach a peak of creativity

to remain a dominant force

to exert a powerful influence

extensive excavations

to filter down

to be deliberately aligned

to be notable for

to revolve

to ensure the fertility

invariably

to take delight in

visible

similarly

4. Give English equivalents to the following words and phrases:

розкішний та винятковий

стародавній

брати початок

залишатися домінуючою силою

відмовлятися від

очевидно

навмисне

жахливий

оточувати

забезпечувати достаток

здирати шкуру

гинути

відчувати захоплення

кровопролитний

жертва

зап’ясток

Make up sentences of your own with the given words and phrases.