When the Earth laughs. Notes on Ritual Humor among the pre-Hispanic Nahuas

This article proposes an approach to ritual humor in the cycle of the religious festivals of the prehispanic Nahuas. The phenomenon of humor and laughter manifested in sacred contexts will be studied during the veintena of Ochpaniztli. The living representation of the Goddess of the Earth, Toci-Teteo Innan, was the object of a series of jokes and rejoicings whose purpose was to propitiate her joy, the outburst of her laughter and the oblivion of her sadness before her death. This state of mind was considered necessary for the effectiveness of the rite. In this text we will analyze the techniques used to achieve divine fun and the characters in charge of it. Likewise, we will try to understand why the laughter of the earth was necessary in the development of the ceremonies.