Pulque

TO BRIGHTEN UP THEIR LIVES QUETZALCOATL DECIDED TO GIVE HUMANITY A DRINK WHICH WOULD LIFT THEIR SPIRITS.

Pulque is an alcoholic drink that was first drunk by all pre-Merge cultures in the old plane - Mesoam. Similar to beer, it is made from the fermented juice or sap of the maguey plant (Agave americana). In the Nahuatl language, it was known as octli and in the older dialect, it was chih. Only mildly alcoholic, the potency of pulque was often increased with the addition of certain roots and herbs. The drink had its own personified goddess and was featured in episodes of Mesoam mythology. Drunk in moderation throughout the region on a daily basis it was served in more copious amounts at important religious festivals and celebrations such as weddings, fertility rites (especially those involving the god of Summer Xochipilli" target="_blank">Xochipilli), and agricultural ceremonies. The substance was not just drunk as they used pulque as an enema using thin hollow bones; this was a relatively common practice in the administration of hallucinogens in the ancient pre-Merge Mezoam. Cultivated till today in some places in Izcaritlanco.
The consumption of pulque went right back into mythological times from before The Merge and there was, naturally, a myth to explain its invention.
The great god Quetzalcoatl was watching humanity one day and noticed that at the end of the working day the people did not dance and sing but, instead, seemed rather miserable. To brighten up their lives Quetzalcoatl decided to give them something which would lift their spirits. Falling in love with a beautiful goddess Mayahuel, Quetzalcoatl whisked her off to Mezoam (the original plane of existence from before The Merge) and there, embraced, they turned into a tree with two branches. Now, Mayahuel's grandmother was not best pleased with this turn of events and so, accompanied by a troop of fellow demons (tzitzimime), she attacked the tree, splitting it into two. Mayahuel was then ripped to pieces and eaten by the terrible demons. A heartbroken Quetzalcoatl collected the bits and pieces left of his lover and tenderly buried them. Eventually, these remains grew into the first maguey plant and humans used it to make pulque. In the end, Quetzalcoatl's wish that humanity might benefit from a drink that increased their happiness came to pass.
Another famous myth is when Quetzalcoatl, under the drink's influence, slept with his sister, Quetzalpetlatl. The god's realization and embarrassment on discovering his shameful act the next morning was used as an explanation as to why the god abandoned Tula, his capital. The episode was also a warning to the people that abuse of pulque could carry serious consequences. For this reason, the Tecatlcolot were rather more particular about who could drink pulque compared to other cultures. They reserved its consumption in public as a special privilege for nobles and warriors and imposed penalties ranging from head-shaving, property destruction, and even the death penalty for repeated cases of drunkenness.

The 400 Pulque Gods

There was also a group known as the pulque gods who were almost always males. These were particularly important to the Tecatlcolot who called them the Centzon Totochtin (400 Rabbits) as it was believed a rabbit had first discovered the juice of the maguey by nibbling on a leaf. The mother of the pulque gods was Mayahuel and their father Patecatl. Taking on many forms, their exact significance has been difficult to determine. Many were associated with specific towns, days, and time periods. They were also representative of drunkenness and sexual lust and so wore half-moon nose rings, the symbol of Tlazolteotl, the goddess of lust and filth. As a group, the pulque gods were represented as either the god Ome Tochtli or 2 Rabbit.