Tarascan priesthood
E629235
The Tarascan priesthood was the religious elite of the Purépecha (Tarascan) state in pre-Columbian western Mexico, responsible for conducting rituals, maintaining temples, and upholding the spiritual authority that underpinned the cazonci’s political power.
Statements (48)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Purépecha religious elite
ⓘ
priesthood ⓘ religious institution ⓘ |
| associatedWith |
Purépecha Empire
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Tarascan state NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| centeredIn |
Tzintzuntzan
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
major Tarascan temple centers ⓘ |
| country | Mexico ⓘ |
| declineCause | Spanish conquest of the Tarascan state NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| ethnicContext | Purépecha people NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| function |
calendar keeping
ⓘ
conducting rituals ⓘ custody of sacred objects ⓘ divination ⓘ maintaining temples ⓘ oracular consultation ⓘ performing sacrifices ⓘ supervising local cults ⓘ upholding spiritual authority ⓘ |
| genderComposition | primarily male ⓘ |
| hierarchicalStructure |
high priests
ⓘ
novice priests ⓘ temple priests ⓘ |
| influenced |
legitimization of rulers
ⓘ
social norms in Tarascan society ⓘ |
| linkedTo |
agricultural fertility rites
ⓘ
royal investiture ceremonies ⓘ state administration ⓘ warfare rituals ⓘ |
| oversawCultOf |
Purépecha patron deities
ⓘ
fire deities ⓘ sun deities ⓘ war deities ⓘ |
| region |
Michoacán
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
western Mexico NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| religion | Purépecha religion ⓘ |
| replacedBy | Catholic clergy in the region ⓘ |
| socialRole |
ideological support of the state
ⓘ
religious elite ⓘ |
| source | Relación de Michoacán NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| subordinateTo | cazonci NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| supported | cazonci’s political power ⓘ |
| suppressedBy | Spanish colonial authorities ⓘ |
| timePeriod |
Postclassic Mesoamerica
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
pre-Columbian era ⓘ |
| training |
instruction in ritual knowledge
ⓘ
instruction in sacred calendar ⓘ specialized religious education ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.