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The Aztec gods and goddesses were a bloodthirsty group whose constant warring with each other led to a cycle of death and rebirth for all humanity. Each of the first four ages was ruled by a different deity, or “sun,” and each age ended in violence before a new sun was chosen.
Aztec mythology is the collected myths and legends of the Aztec people. One of their best-known myths is the founding of the city Tenochtitlan, built on the spot where the travelers saw an eagle perched on a cactus and holding a rattlesnake, an image which endures on the Mexican flag today.
Unlike the newer gods of the Aztec pantheon, Quetzalcoatl shared his namesake with the feathered serpent deities of the K’iche’ Maya and the Yucatec Maya. The name of the K’iche’ Maya deity Q’uq’umatz meant “Quetzal Serpent” while the Yucatec Maya god Kukulkan translated to the less specific “Feathered Serpent.”
As with many Aztec gods, Tezcatlipoca had multiple names and titles. Several of his alternative names, Titlacauan and Ipalnemoani, refer to his important status among the Aztecs, literally meaning “We are his slaves” and “He by whom we live,” respectively. Tezcatlipoca’s other names included:
The Aztecs may have already regarded Xipe Totec as one of their major gods prior to this conquest, as they shared a significant portion of their pantheon with neighboring ethnic groups. Etymology While some Aztec gods had names that require interpretation to understand, Xipe Totec’s name simply meant “Our Lord the Flayed One.”
The famed Aztec god of war, Huītzilōpōchtli (pronounced Weet-zee-lo-pocht’-lee) was the patron god of the Mexica people and a key figure in the creation of the Aztec cosmogony. Huitzilopochtli led the Aztec people to Tenochtitlan, a fact that was not easily forgotten: half of the city’s Templo Mayor was dedicated to him.
Xochiquetzal played wife to many different Aztec gods. Such gods included: Piltzintecuhtli – god of the rising sun, healing, and hallucinogenic drugs. Tlaloc – god of rain. Tezcatlipoca – one of the four creator deities who served as omnipresent god of the night sky and knower of all thoughts. Centeotl – god of maize
As the Aztec lord of the underworld, Mictlantecuhtli played a similar role to that of Hades in Greek mythology. Rather than serving as the judge of the dead, Mictlantecuhtli simply tried to maintain order in his domain. This desire for order sometimes led Mictlantecuhtli to clash with other Aztec gods and their more creationary desires. Origins
According to Aztec beliefs, the current era is the fifth age. The previous four ages were defined by their unique sun—each of which was ultimately destroyed. After the fourth sun was destroyed, the Aztec gods gathered together to create the fifth and final sun: Tonatiuh. Tonatiuh as depicted in the 16th-century Codex Borgia. FAMSI Public Domain
This detail suggests that the water gods were tremendously important to the Aztecs, and that the rains they brought were paramount to the survival of Aztec civilization. The Fourth Sun. According to Aztec mythology, there have been a total of five suns, each represented by a god. The first sun was Tezcatlipoca, the second was Quetzalcoatl, the ...