Corporal expression of fear among ancient Nahuas

Abstract

Emotions are socio-historical constructs whose content forms part of the normative and moral systems. Emotion can be embodied through corporal attitude, and at the same time, that expresses a kind of specific behavior. Among ancient Nahuas, fear was corporally expressed in a different way between women and men, attitudes that reinforced roles and ideological associations expected of each gender. In this manner, woman and child expressed their fear through weeping; in contrast, man expressed it through a warrior attitude. These gestures were not limited to being mere expressions of fear, but they were also regarded as defensive practices designed to reduce the risk. Finally, in this paper we also analyze some concepts of fear which involve physiological responses as well as their context.