Ometochtli

Ometochtli

Region of origin: Mexico and Central America

Children of the Aztec gods of agave and fertility, the Centzon Totchtin, or “Four Hundred Rabbits,” are a collection of minor rabbit-deities representing the numerous aspects of intoxication and drunken reveling, which they often partook in themselves (there may not be exactly four hundred of them, the term may be meant to imply there’s just too many of them to count). There were gods of excess, blurred vision and dance, but Ometochtli (“Two Rabbit,” also known Tepoztecatl) was the chief deity among the rabbits and considered the god of pulque, a traditional drink made from fermented agave, itself.

Sources referenced: [ X | X | X | X ]

The Badalisc

The Badalisc

Region of origin: Val Camonica, Italy

As part of local Epiphany celebrations, communities in the Val Camonica region of Italy will capture the beastly Badalisc (represented by a man in costume) and parade it through town. In the town square, he, or often a proxy, will deliver a speech or poem about bad deeds committed by the people of the town (as a way of encouraging better behavior through the year, lest the Badalisc shames you in his proclamation) followed by a party where the creature is a guest of honor, before he is released back into the wild the next day.

Originally posted on Tumblr on December 15, 2015

Mari Lwyd

Mari Lwyd

Region of origin: Wales

A local wassailing tradition in southern Wales, the Mari Lwyd (represented by a hobby horse made from a horse’s skull or crafted simulacrum) is led in a procession of revelers around a town at dusk during Christmastime festivities, knocking on doors and engaging the residents in a musical debate to be allowed inside and cause a ruckus. The exact etymology of the tradition is unclear but the Christmas connection may have developed as a combination of “mari” being homophonous with the Virgin Mary, and “Mari Lwyd” literally translating as “grey mare.”

Edit to add: Found this video on the Mari Lwyd tradition as it’s performed today.

Originally posted on Tumblr on December 14, 2015