The Huaxtec

[Huron34]

The Huaxtec

Huaxtec for the spanish conquistador
Cuaxtecatl for the Aztec
Teenek for "Haxtec"

The Huaxtec are a people of Mayan origin who left the Péten for the north of  actual mexico long before the birth of Téotihuacan. The latter it was found in Téotihuacan a neighborhood reserved for Teenek merchants.

It's therefore a very old civilization only 20% of his former territory has been opened to archeological excavations. Therefore we know little about this tribe. What do we know little about pre-Colombian Teenek armies.

First the Huaxteca was divided into two territories: the south and the noth. According to the Mexicas the armies of the south wore little cotton unlike those of the noth wich ressembled very much the Aztec armies.
The Mexicas who only sought to mock their ennemies sais that the Teenek fought naked. Today archaeologist are reserved on these statements (but my figurines are like this).

Very well then, for the Huaxtec, their skulls were lying like the Mayans, especially for the nobles, dyed ther hairs red, yellow essentially but also with other colors. Possibility to dye half with one color and the other half with another.
The teeth were filed in tip and tinted in black or red. The front of the skull is shaved. The hair is pulled over the back of the head and a ponytail is carried on the back.
The nose was often perforated to be able to thread a feather or an ornament made of woof or bones. The ears are perforated to receive all kinds of ornaments.

Body painting : forearms and lower legs are often painted in yellow ochre, black or red for nobles, or in the form of rings of colors superimposed on each other (yellow then black above etc... from foot to knee for exemple), like the mayan too.
These color rings could be paint on face and on body.
Tatto: these could be done on any part of the body; Hands and heads remaining the privilege of the nobles.
Leather bracelets that can be decorated with feathers can be worn on the upper legs and arms.
Feathers are not green because the Quetzal bird not live in the Huaxteca. Only parrot in red or yellow and blue.

[Huron34]

The Teenek warriors had rattles or bells attached to their belts, backs and feet , all of these making a weird noise

[mikedemana]

Nice! It's always cool when gamers research new armies and spread what they've found out about them to the rest of us... 

Mike Demana

[Huron34]

Thank(s Mike.

Class of veteran warriors: Tiachems (teenek language) or tiachcauhqueh (Azrtec language)

South Huaxtec. On the left warrior and on the right warrior nobility

[Huron34]

The Tiachems wore filet feathers on the heads (Codex or "Dibujos de Tamuin or Duran notes)

[Huron34]

Tiachems of North Huaxtec wears a conventional tlahuiztli war-suit . A lot of multi-coloured cotton, all kinds of blue, red, green, yellow, brown, etc.
It bears the characteristic double-bar "hawk scratches", which the Aztec considered typical of the Huaxtec costume.
The codex Borbonicus shows Huaxtec with such markings painted or tattooed directly onto their bodies.
In many studies, mention is made of circle feather fan construction hung in the back as the Mayan.
It was the breechclout that circled the basin and maintened the fan feather.

[Huron34]

Two Huaxtec from the South:

On the left, the typical hat of the Teenek (codex)
On the right, a feather headress for a chief (noble) or priest (sculpture)

[Basementboy]

Fantastic! Never heard of this people before, so thank you for educating me here

[Huron34]

With pleasure BasementBoy.
Indeed many civilisations or tribes of mesoamerica are still little treated or simply forgotten in 28mm.
The best treated are the Mexicas ans the Tlaxcaltec and still many oversights or mistakes.
Who will have the good idea to create Mixtec, Zapotec, Cholultec, Meztotec, Perupecha (Tarascan), Mayan of Guatemala (Quiche and Cakchiquel) and Otomi (two great tribes, one on the border of the territory of Tlaxcala and another at the border of the Huasteca)
A lot of work ahead.
Morever I seek all information on these two Otomi tribes (clothing and body paint).....

Thank's for all

[Huron34]

The conical Hat.
From the south: It was often decorated with a gold pattern

From the north: It was often decorated with a rosette of feathers of colors of two bands of colors in spiral

[Huron34]

Still a Southern and a Northern Huaxtec.
The pointed hat could also be truncated or truncated at the base and pointed on the top like the favorite goddess of the Huaxtec : Tlazolteotl

[Huron34]

Truncated hat for Southern and Northern Huaxtec

[Huron34]

Banners bearers south and north

[mikedemana]

When do your fine feathered friends take to the wargaming table? Looking forward to seeing all these guys in action? 

Mike Demana

[Huron34]

Thank you, but I have never played with my figurines.
These are the representation of my research on pre-colombian armies : 25 years of research.