Page 23 - All About History - Issue 54-17

PLAY PRETEND

Before they were allowed to fully participate in a
battle on their own, the students first practised
their skills in mock fights. These were sometimes
held as part of religious festivals, when the
boys would be up against enemy prisoners who
had been captured in war, or they were staged
between students as competitions, with the winner
receiving food and gifts as his prize.

FIND A SPONSOR
Part of a warrior’s training programme
was mock fighting By the time a boy left school he was a warrior, but
he still couldn’t go to war alone. First he had to find
a sponsor, a veteran who could accompany him
into his first battle. Parents would use food, drink
and gifts to bribe these veterans to watch over their
sons, and so it was usually the richer boys who had
greater success in war.
TAKE A BEATING

The rules of the tēlpochcallis were strict and
anyone who broke them or deviated from their
training was severely punished. For example, a
student caught with alcohol could be beaten or
even hanged, and leaving school to live with a
prostitute warranted being burnt with a stick.
Even the teachers could be punished, with their
valuables taken and hair cut if they misbehaved.
EAT AND BATHE

The students had to return home for all of their
meals, as food was not provided by the tēlpochcalli.
After eating, they would return to school to
continue their training and then perform their
evening rituals at sunset. This involved having
a bath before painting their entire bodies black,
putting on a mesh cape and neckbands and then
lighting a fire.

SING AND DANCE

After sunset, the students gathered to sing songs
about gods, warriors and cultural heroes and dance
around the fire until midnight. This encouraged
spiritual bonding, improved agility and enhanced
coordination ready for hand-to-hand combat and
troop movement in battle. This was their only form
of entertainment, although they were permitted to
keep a mistress if they could afford one.

Warriors progressed
through the ranks from
commoner to porter and .Students graduated © Alamy
.fr
then noble soldier .from the tēlpochcalli as
.warriors after five years
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