Xochipilli, the "flower prince" in Nahuatl, is the God of dance, music, arts, drunkenness, carnal love and, in his Macuilxochitl (5 flower) form, the patron of the game patolli.
Everyone in ancient Mexico had a God who protected and guided them, in exchange for sacrificial offerings. Xochipilli, in particular, is a God closely tied to sexuality, homosexuality and bisexuality.
Sahagún describes him with a floral headdress, which reflects his role as patron of music and songs, his body lightly painted in red, his figure adorned with jade, turquoise and mother-of-pearl.
His statue, which was unearthed on the side of the volcano Popocatépetl near Tlalmanalco, is decorated with carvings of different type of flowers, such as the ololiuhqui and the tobacco flower, as well as teonanácatl, also known as the Flesh of the Gods, which is a psychotropic mushroom usually eaten during the festivities and sacrifice, inducing an altered state of consciousness in their users.
As a matter of fact, his trance-like face carved in the statue has been interpreted as being in a state of spiritual ecstasy.
Xochipilli is certainly another mystical and important figure joining our pantheon of Gods you'll be seeing in Mictlan (have you checked out Tezcatlipoca: God of the Night Sky?)
Would you rather have him as an ally or an enemy? Let us know in the comments what you think!
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