Ayoyotes

Ayoyotes – Ancestral Percussion Instrument

They are placed on the ankles or wrists of dancers, producing sounds similar to rattles. These instruments were considered sacred and used for ritual purposes, where their sound induced spiritual introspection and ecstasy.

For the Huichol (Wixárika) people, they represent the sound of rain and connect to Tatei Niwetsika, the Goddess of Rain. “…the Concheros enter a trance while dancing to the rhythm of the huehuetl, ‘which represents the heartbeat of the universe’, as the ayoyotes mark the pulse.”

In pre-Hispanic times, performing the pertinent rituals to maintain the ‘favor’ of Tlaloc with the request of rains, was fundamental to avoid drought or floods in the cultivated lands and in the cities.