Warriors of Tzintzuntzan

Elite warriors of Irechequa Tzintzuntzani, Taximaroa, 1476

The Irechequa Tzintzuntzani, or the Purépecha Empire, was a pre-Columbian polity whose capital was Tzintzuntzan. Its territory covers modern Michoacán, as well as parts of Guanajuato, Guerrero, and Jalisco. The Irechequa was the second-largest state in Mesoamerica at the time of the conquest, the first being the contemporary Mexica Empire. They were fierce enemies with each other and fought many wars. For example, the Mexica army led by Tlatoani Axayacatl (re. 1469–1481) suffered a major defeat against them at Taximaroa in 1476.

The drawing above are all based on descriptions and drawings from Relación de Michoacán.

1 : Kuangariecha

They were the valiant, elite warriors of the army. They painted their bodies black—with yellow or red decorations—and put on headdresses made of various feathers, such as macaw, eagle, and heron. They wore cotton armor and, on top of that, a long tunic decorated with colorful feathers. In this drawing, the warrior is wearing a red macaw-feathered tunic. On the neck are conch shell necklaces. The anklet made of deer hooves was worn by lords and elite warriors.

Kuangariechas’ special weapon was a copper axe. It was made of strong wood, about one braza (160cm) in length. The top was slightly curved and embedded with a pointed copper blade. They also armed themselves with bow, arrow, and feathered shield.

2 : Standard-bearer

The battle standard of the Irechequa is described in Relación de Michoacán as follows: “And those from the capital took two hundred banners—made of white feathers—pertaining to their god Curicaueri, and [the contingent] of Cuyacan forty, and [the contingent] of Patzcuaro another forty.” This particular banner is based on a drawing from the Relación. The Purepecha carried their standards in their hands and not on their backs like most other Mesoamericans. Also, it is slightly curved at the top.

This soldier is wearing a cotton armor called Xuratacherenguequa, similar to the padded cotton armor used in other parts of Mesoamerica. His headband is made of deerskin and hyacinth macaw feathers. The barbed club is based on the description of the Relación: “All the other people carried oak clubs. Others, at the heads of those clubs, put many sharp copper spikes.”

3 : General

This individual is a captain general of the army. Relación describes the attire of the general as follows: “He put on his head a large plumage of green feathers, a very large silver shield on his back, a quiver made of jaguar skin, golden earplugs and bracelets, a padded cotton armor, a loincloth lined with leather, golden bells for the legs, jaguar skin on the wrist, which is four fingers wide, and a bow in his hand.”

The drawing from the Relación is slightly different. The general is wearing a gold diadem with quetzal feathers, a loincloth, and underneath a stripped skirt of red leather (perhaps this is the leather that the text describes). Also, he is wearing deer hooves on his calves, not golden bells. His legs are painted blue, and his face is yellow. He is wearing feathered cotton armor.

The feather ornament on the arm is based on the Glasgow Manuscript (Codex Tlaxcala). It is very similar to the quetzalmachoncotl of Mexica. The ceramic pipe is based on the one from the Museo Nacional de Antropología. Purepecha were famous for their fondness of smoking.

Sources

· Jerónimo de Alcalá, Relación de Michoacán, 1539-1541

· Diego Muñoz Camargo, Glasgow Manuscript (Codex Tlaxcala), 1585

· Ian Heath, Armies of the 16th Century: The armies of the Aztec and Inca Empires, other native peoples of the Americas, and the Conquistadores 1450-1608, 1999

· Daniel Parada, Tarascan Postclassic Clothing 1300-1530, 2022