aztec gods

Tezcatlipoca was an omnipresent Aztec deity who, together with Quetzalcoatl, created the world and everything in it. © 2019 Wasai LLC – All Rights Reserved. Wolfgang Sauber/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 3.0. According to legend, when the Mexica arrived in the Anahuac valley around Lake Texcoco, they were considered by the other groups as the least civilized of all, but the Mexica/Aztec decided to learn, and they took all they could from other people, especially from the ancient Toltec (whom they seem to have partially confused with the more ancient civilization of Teotihuacan). He was a nourishing god who provided warmth and fertility to the people. Tlaltechutli (Tlal-teh-koo-tlee) is the monstrous earth goddess. The famed Aztec god of war, Huitzilopochtli was the patron god of the Mexica people and a key figure in the creation of the Aztec cosmogony. Xochiquetzal was one of several Aztec deities associated with the moon; she also served as the goddess of erotic love, fertility and weaving. Explore the Aztec pantheon and rediscover the classic Mexica gods including Ometeotl, Quetzalcoatl, Xipe Totec, Huitzilopochtli, Tezcatlipoca and more. He was the patron of knowledge and learning and also a creative god. Huitzilopochtli (pronounced Weetz-ee-loh-POSHT-lee) was the patron god of the Aztecs. A powerful figure who served as a co-creator of the Aztec universe, Quetzalcoatl was often depicted as a benevolent and clever deity. The sacrifices performed by Mexica priests at the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon are legendary. The following are the most important of the 200 deities of the Aztec religion. Her name means "The one who give and devours life" and she required many human sacrifices to sustain her. Codex Telleriano-Remensis/Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain. His image has black stripes on his face and he carries an obsidian mirror. Rios Codex/Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain. The goddess Coatlicue, or Snakes-Her-Skirt, was the mother of the Mexica patron and god of war Huitzilopochtli. A god of many origins, Mixcoatl was responsible for introducing mankind to fire by giving them the gift of the bow drill. katepanomegas/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY 3.0. He appeared early on in Aztec creation myths, reflecting their view of death as an integral part of life. Aztec legends identify the Toltecs an… Huitzilopochtli (pronounced Weetz-ee-loh-POSHT-lee) was the patron god of the Aztecs. Tezcatlipoca (pronounced Tez-cah-tlee-poh-ka)'s name means “Smoking Mirror” and he is often represented as an evil power, associated with death and cold. Privacy Policy. Beyond her powers of sexuality, Xochiquetzal was also revered as the patron saint of young mothers, pregnancy, weaving and embroidery. The Aztec Religion and Gods of the Ancient Mexica, Tlaloc the Aztec God of Rain and Fertility, Tezcatlipoca: Aztec God of Night and Smoking Mirrors, Xipe Totec: Grisly Aztec God of Fertility and Agriculture, The Founding of Tenochtitlan and the Origin of the Aztecs, Aztec Sacrifice - The Meaning and Practice of Mexica Ritual Killings, Quetzalcoatl - Pan-Mesoamerican Feathered Serpent God, Tonatiuh, the Aztec God of the Sun, Fertility and Sacrifice, Chalchiuhtlicue - Aztec Goddess of Lakes, Streams, and Oceans, Profile of Huehueteotl-Xiuhtecuhtli, Aztec God of Fire, History of Animal and Plant Domestication, Chalchiuhtlicue. Codex Borgia/Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain. Tlaloc (pronounced Tláh-lock), the rain god, is one of the most ancient deities in all Mesoamerica. His shrine, on top of the pyramid of the Templo Mayor in Tenochtitlan, was decorated with skulls and painted red to represent blood. Such deities are known as pan-Mesoamerican gods and goddesses. During the great migration from their legendary home of Aztalan, Huitzilopochtli told the Aztecs where they should establish their capital city of Tenochtitlan and urged them on their way. Aztec Gods - Who's Who The study of Aztec gods and Aztec religion has been the subject of a lot of speculation and misinformation. He was closely related to Tlaloc and is usually represented as a young man with a maize cob sprouting from his headdress. The Aztec water goddess Chalchiuhtlicue governed oceans, rivers and lakes. She also served as the sun of the fourth age, although a jealous Tezcatlipoca taunted her and caused her to cry herself from the sky. Scholars studying the Aztec (or Mexica) religion have identified no fewer than 200 gods and goddesses, divided into three groups. Tezcatlipoca was the patron of the night, of the north, and in many aspects represented the opposite of his brother, Quetzalcoatl. Quetzalcoatl (pronounced Keh-tzal-coh-atl), “the Feathered Serpent”, is probably the most famous Aztec deity and is known in many other Mesoamerican cultures such as Teotihuacan and the Maya. And while he could be a forgiving, nourishing god, he could also be vengeful and use hail and thunderstorms when angered. Tonatiuh (pronounced Toh-nah-tee-uh) was the Aztec sun god. While Xipe Totec lacked a dense mythology, he nevertheless played an important role in Aztec life. Xipe Totec was the Aztec god of agriculture, seasons, goldsmiths, and disease. Tlaloc's main shrine was the second shrine after Huitzilopochtli's, located on top of the Templo Mayor, the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan. The Aztec god of rain, Tlaloc ensured that rains vital to the harvest arrived on time. However, there's more to Aztec religion than just blood, though many of their rituals were bloody. The fifth Aztec sun god, Tonatiuh was created through the sacrifice of several Aztec gods. Often, the origins of the Aztec gods can be traced back to those from earlier Mesoamerican religions or shared by other societies of the day. She is most often illustrated wearing a green/blue skirt from which flows a stream of water. His name means “Hummingbird of the Left” and he was the patron of war and sacrifice. His gifts of life and maize were as famous as his clashes with his brother, Tezcatlipoca.

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