Performing in the huey tecpan : A Sensorial Reading from the Cantares mexicanos

This study proposes an examination of the ritual paraphernalia and other performative elements of one cuicatl from the document known as the Cantares Mexicanos through a translation and close reading of one of the shortest, and perhaps simplest, examples entitled “Nican pehua tlamelauhqui teuccuicatl” (f. 62v–63r). This analysis will illustrate how an awareness of pre-Hispanic ritual and divinatory practices, in conjunction with related luxury items and tribute elements, offers a deeper understanding of this cuicatl.