The Toltecs was an ancient 'precolombian' people who lived around Tula a couple of hundreds of years ago. They where already extinct at the time when Cortez and his men invaded and defeated the Aztec people under Moctezumas II, I believe it was in the years 1519-1523.

Castaneda et al claims that their tradition has its root with the old Toltecs. They even claim that their tradition has roots long before that.

There are of course no evidence of these claims whatsoever. Any written documents from the Mayans or Aztecs was destroyed by the christian inquisition (except for a handful).

It is really rather unimportant (to the practices), but would be quite interesting if it where true. Too much emphasis was being put on these rather meaningless facets during the last years before Castandas anounced death.

I personally find it rather natural that such a complicated system, like the castanedian, must have developed over a considerable time, concidering the development of other systems like Buddhism. This has little purpose in the practice of Castanedas teachings...

...unless your system is older than mine, of course!