Aztec mythology. 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 Aztec civilization of Central Mexico.[1] The Aztecs were Nahuatl speaking groups living in central Mexico and much of their mythology is similar to that of other Mesoamerican cultures.
According to legend, the various groups who were to become the Aztecs arrived from the north into the Anahuac valley around Lake Texcoco. The location of this valley and lake of destination is clear – it is the heart of modern Mexico City – but little can be known with certainty about the origin of the Aztec. The Mexica/Aztec were said to be guided by their god Huitzilopochtli, meaning "Left-handed Hummingbird" or "Hummingbird from the South. " Creation myth[edit] Pantheon[edit] Bibliography[edit] Grisel Gómez Cano (2011). Aztec Creation Story. How did the world begin? The Aztec creation story has its own answer - or you could say, answers, to that question. The five suns were the key to the rebirths of the world. The story of creation in ancient Mexico and surrounding areas actually changed as time went by. It was likely adapted by the Aztecs for their own political purposes, though even within the Aztec empire there were variations of the story. But basic components of the story had evolved over centuries and centuries, so we do see similarities between the Aztec's stories and the beliefs of earlier cultures.
The Aztec Creation Story: Rebirth The story of creation, according to the Aztecs, is actually a story of birth, death, and rebirth. But it's not a story of endless cycles, as you may see in other cultures. In the beginning was the void. These four gods began to create. As the gods continued to create, they had a problem - their creations would fall into the water and be eaten by the dreadful Cipactli. Aztec mythology. The Aztecs were a people who, through military alliances with other groups, dominated central and southern Mexico from the 14th to the 16th century. After the death of Montezuma II in 1520, the divisions and internal strife among the 38 tributary provinces and the fiercely independent peoples at the fringes of the Aztec Empire, made it easy for the Spanish conquistadors, led by Hernán Cortés, to defeat it in 1521.
The name Aztec is derived from a mythical homeland to the north called Aztlán; the Aztecs also called themselves the Mexica. Their language belongs to the Nahuatlan branch of the Uto-Aztecan family. » Browse through the list of available articles in this area. Aztec Gods - Most Important Aztec Deities. The Aztecs had a complex and diversified pantheon (which means ensemble of gods). Scholars studying Aztec religion identified no less than 200 gods and goddesses, divided into three groups, with each group supervising one aspect of the universe such as the heaven or the sky; the rain, fertility and agriculture; and finally the war and sacrifice.
Among the most important deities, we can list: 1. Huitzilopochtli Huitzilopochtli (pronounced Weetz-ee-loh-POCHT-lee) was the patron god of the Aztecs. 2. Tlaloc (pronounced Tlá-loc) was the rain god and one of the most ancient deities in all Mesoamerica. 3. Tonatiuh (pronounced Toh-nah-tee-uh) was the sun god. 4. (pronounced Tez-cah-tlee-poh-ka). 5. Chalchiuhtlicue (pronounced Tchal-chee-uh-tlee-ku-eh) was the goddess of water and all aquatic elements. 6. Centeotl (pronounced Cen-teh-otl) was the god of maize. 7. 8. (Pronunciation: Shee-peh Toh-tek) His name means “Our Lord with the flayed skin”. 9. (Pronunciation: My-ya-whale). Aztec Gods or Deities. Aztec Calendar > Gods and deities Centeotl Centeotl, the God of Maize. Chalchihuihtotolin Chalchihuihtotolin, the Jewelled Fowl, a nagual of Tezcatlipoca. Chalchihuitlicue Chalchiuhtlicue, She of the Jade Skirt, goddess of oceans, rivers and running water, goddess of birth, patron of women in labor.
Chalmecatecuhtli Chalmecatecuhtli, a god of one of the levels of the Underworld. Chantico Chantico, She Who Dwells In The House, the goddess of hearth fires, personal treasures and volcanoes. Cihuateteo Cihuateteo, the Divine Women, spirits of women who died in childbirth. Citlalicue Citlalicue, Her Skirt is Stars, goddess of the Milky Way and the stars. Huehuecoyotl Huehuecoyotl, Old Coyote, the Trickster, god of deception. Huitzilopochtli Huitzilopochtli, Hummingbird of the South, is the central deity of the Mexica. Itztlacoliuhqui-Ixquimilli Itztlacoliuhqui-Ixquimilli, the Curved Point of Obsidian, the god frost, ice, cold, winter, sin, punishment and human misery. Itzpapalotl Itztli Mayahuel Mictlancihuatl. Aztec Gods - Who's Who. The study of Aztec gods and Aztec religion has been the subject of a lot of speculation and misinformation.
The sacrifices performed by Mexica priests at the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon are legendary. However, there's more to Aztec religion than just blood, though many of their rituals were bloody. Here's a look at some of the major Aztec gods in the pantheon and their significance in Aztec religion. The pantheon (numerous gods) of the Aztec civilization was enormous, with hundreds of gods and goddesses worshipped. Many of these gods were agricultural, since the culture relied heavily on farming. Elements of nature, heroes, and ancestors were also revered.
The Aztec gods didn't all come from the same source. Huitzilopochtli, for instance, was a Mexica god (the Mexicas being the people who founded what is commonly called the Aztec empire), while the traditions of existing cultures were adopted into a series of creation myths. Major Aztec gods See a mask representing Xipe Totec. Aztec Legends (Nahuatl Folklore, Myths, and Traditional Indian Stories)
Aztec Myths - Windows to the Universe.