Aztec mythology

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Mictlantecuhtli (left), god of death, the lord of the Underworld and Quetzalcoatl (right), god of wisdom, life, knowledge, morning star, patron of the winds and light, the lord of the West. Together they symbolize life and death.

Aztec mythology is the body or collection of myths of the

Aztlan, the last of seven nahuatlacas (Nahuatl-speaking tribes, from tlaca, "man") to make the journey southward, hence their name "Azteca." Other accounts cite their origin in Chicomoztoc, "the place of the seven caves", or at Tamoanchan
(the legendary origin of all civilizations).

The Mexica/Aztec were said to be guided by their god

Coat of Arms of Mexico
.

Creation myth

Huitzilopochtli is raising up the skies of the South
, one of the four directions of the world, surrounded by their respective trees, temples, patterns, and divination symbols.

According to legend, when the Mexica arrived in the Anahuac valley around

Tollan
, which they also identified with the more ancient Teotihuacan.

Because the Aztec adopted and combined several traditions with their own earlier traditions, they had several

Coyolxauhqui by tearing out her heart using a Xiuhcoatl
(a blue snake) and throwing her body down the mountain. This was said to inspire the Aztecs to rip the hearts out of their human sacrifices and throw their bodies down the sides of the temple dedicated to Huitzilopochtli, who represents the sun chasing away the stars at dawn.

Our age (

Nanahuatl the smallest and humblest of the gods, who was also covered in boils, sacrificed himself first and jumped into the flames. The sun was set into motion with his sacrifice and time began. Humiliated by Nanahuatl's sacrifice, Tecuciztecatl too leaped into the fire and became the moon.[3]

Pantheon

Embodied spirits; Tonalleque (1), Cihuateteo (2).
Xipe-Totec
.
Tonatiuh
.
  • Star deities
    • Centzonmimixcoa
      , 400 gods of the northern stars
    • Centzonhuitznahua
      , 400 gods of the southern stars
    • Citlalicue, goddess of female stars in the Milky Way
      .
    • Citlalatonac, god of female stars (Husband of Citlalicue)
    • Itzpapalotl, warrior and death goddess, obsidian butterfly, leader of the Tzitzimimeh
    • Mixcoatl, god of the hunt and identified with the Milky Way, the stars, and the heavens
    • Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, god of the morning star (Venus
      )
    • Tzitzimimeh, monstrous deities associated with stars, often described as "demons" or "devils"
    • Xolotl, god of death, associated with Venus as the Evening Star (Double of Quetzalcoatl)

See also

Bibliography

References

  1. ^ Kirk, p. 8; "myth", Encyclopædia Britannica
  2. .
  3. ^ Smith, Michael E. "The Aztecs". Blackwell Publishers, 2002.

External links