Aztec Mythology
In Aztec myths Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca stretched Hungry Woman to make the Earth. In an effort to smooth over her injured feelings because she was treated so roughly, the Gods filled the Earth with forests, flowers, valleys, waterfalls and other nice places over her skin. This did not stop her craving for human blood and hearts. This is why people are returned to the Earth. After this, the Gods made the first Sun.
Tezcatlipoca stole it for himself. He fastened the Sun to his belt and rose into the sky. Quetzacoatl grabbed a big stick and followed Tezcatlipoca. Quetzacoatl smacked the pilfering God back to the Earth where the evil god became the jaguar that ate the first people. In many myths Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca are enemies. Quetzacoatl was the Chief God of the Toltecs until they fell under Aztec dominion. Quetzacoatl then became one of the Chief Aztec deities.
The Aztecs built huge pyramid temples with carved sacrifical stones on top of them. Each day, night, week, month and year had its own deity demanding blood. The Aztecs thought that failure to honor the deities with blood sacrifices would cause the world to end at the end of their 52-year calendar (equal to our century). The sacrifices given to the Greatest God/desses usually required the living heart to be cut from the body of a human. Many times they used humans who were war captives.
The beating heart was then shown to the Sun and then thrown onto the sacrificial fire. After this was finished, the body was then skinned and cut up for cannibalistic ceremonies performed by the priests and warriors. This rite was held every year and the more elaborate forms of the rite were held every 13 years.
Ahuiateteo
Ahuiateteo :Lords of Excess The Ahuiateteo embody the dangers and consequences of overindulgence, including excessive drinking, gambling, and sex. Each ...
Ahuizotl
The dreaded Ahuizotl lives at the bottom of deep lakes and pools of freshwater. It cries like a baby to ...
Apizteotl
Apizteotl (hungry god) In Aztec mythology, god of famine. When a sacrifice was offered and human flesh eaten as part ...
Atlacamanc
Atlacamanc is in Aztec mythology, a storm god, often identified as the male counterpart of Chalchihuitlicue, the Aztec storm goddess ...
Atlatonan
Atlatonan In Aztec mythology, goddess “of the leprous and maimed,” according to Fray Diego Durán in his Book of the ...
Atlaua
Atlaua (master of waters) In Aztec mythology, a water god, also associated with arrows. Armed with reed arrows he emerges ...
Aztec Suns
Aztec suns : The Aztec told their history and recounted their mythology in eras, or ages, called Suns. These have ...
Aztlán
Aztlán The Mexica’s mythical place of origin and home to Huitzilopochtli and his mother, Coatlicue. The land on which they ...
Binding of the Years (new fire ceremony)
Binding of the Years (new fire ceremony) : Among the Mexica, this ritual ceremony took place outside of Tenochtitlán when ...
Chachalmeca
Chachalmeca is in Aztec ritual, a high-ranking priest in charge of sacrifices. Aztec priests were not allowed to marry, and ...
Chalchihuitlicue
Chalchihuitlicue (Chalchiuhtliycue, Chalchiuhcihuatl, Chalchiuhtlicue) (lady of the turquoise skirt) Aztec storm goddess, personification of whirlpools and youthful beauty; wife of ...
Chalchihuitlicue
Chalchihuitlicue : She of the Jade Skirt Chalchihuitlicue is queen of rivers, lakes, and standing, still waters. The meaning of ...
Chalmecaciutl
Chalmecaciuatl is in Aztec mythology, the paradise for children who died before they reached the age of reason. The concept ...
Chantico
Chantico is the Aztec goddess of fire and hearth. As a hearth goddess, she was venerated in the home as ...
Chiconquiahuitl
Chiconquiahuitl (seven rain) In Aztec ritual, a god who was impersonated by a slave during the feast of the god ...
Cihuacoatl
Cihuacoatl : Snake Woman Cihuacoatl, divine snake woman, is a native of the Valley of Mexico long before it was ...
Cihuateteo
The Cihuateteo are Aztec female warrior spirits, souls of women who died in childbirth, considered the equivalent of dying valiantly ...
Coatlicue
Coatlicue (Ciuacoatl, Civocoatl, Cihuacoatl, Coatlantona, Conteotl) (the serpent lady, robe of serpent) In Aztec mythology, mother of the Sun as ...
COYOLXAUHQUI
Coyolxauhqui: The Aztec Moon Goddess Coyolxauhqui, known as the Moon Goddess in Aztec mythology, holds a pivotal place in the ...
Ehecatl
Ehecatl In Aztec mythology, wind god, a manifestation of the god Quetzalcoatl. One day Ehecatl realized that besides the fruits ...
Huehecoyotl
Huehecoyotl : Old, Old Coyote Huehuecoyotl is a trickster spirit, Aztec lord of dance, music, and carnal delight. He can ...
Huemac
Huemac (strong hand) In Aztec mythology, god of earthquakes, sometimes equated with Quetzalcoatl. He was the last secular ruler of ...
Hueytonantzin
Hueytonantzin (our great ancient mother) In Aztec mythology, Great Mother goddess of the lords of the four directions: Hueytecptl (ancient ...
Huitzilopochtli
Huitzilopochtli (blue hummingbird on the left) In Aztec mythology, a war god associated with the sun. Ritual human sacrifices of ...
Itzpapalotl
ITZPAPALOTL : THE OBSIDIAN BUTTERFLY; THE CLAWED BUTTERFLY Itzpapalotl is a fierce, powerful mother goddess of birth and death. She ...
Ixtlilton
Ixtlilton (Yxtlilton) (the little black one) In Aztec mythology, god of medicine, fasting, and games, whose temple contained jars of ...
Iztaccihuatl
Iztaccihuatl (white woman) In Aztec mythology, mountain goddess described by Fray Diego Durán in his Book of the Gods and ...
Malinalxochitl
Malinalxochitl : Beautiful Wildflower The Aztecs spent centuries wandering, searching for their promised land, initially led by the warrior deity ...
Mayahuel
Mayahuel : Lady Maguey; The Woman of Four Hundred Breasts Mayahuel is the spirit of the maguey plant (Agave americana), ...
Metztli
Metztli (Metzli) In Aztec mythology, moon goddess. In order to make a light for the daytime Metztli sacrificed herself and ...
Mictantecutli
Mictantecutli is the Aztec lord of the underworld and king of Demons. Mictantecutli is the only Aztec deity besides the ...
Mictlampa
Mictlampa Pronunciation : (Mick-LAMP-ah) Variations: Lord of the Mictlampa, The Taker of Life Mictlampa ("The North Side") was a vampiric ...
MICTLANCIHUATL
Mictlancihuatl - Lady of Death Mictlancihuatl is Queen of Mictlan, the Aztec realm of death, which she presides over with ...
MICTLANTECUHTLI
Mictlantecuhtli (Mictlanteculi) (lord of death) In Aztec mythology, death god, lord of the land of the dead, who with his ...
Mixcoatl
Mixcoatl (Yemaxtli, Yoamaxtli) (cloud serpent) In Aztec mythology, god of hunting, lord of the chase, often identified with the god ...
Montezuma II
Montezuma II (Monteczoma, Motechuzoma, Moctezuma, Montecuzomatzin) (sad or angry lord) (1466–1520) is in Aztec history and legend, the last ruler, ...
Nanautzin
Nanautzin (Nanahuatzin) is the Aztec god of self-sacrifice, courage and bravery, and light. Nanautzin was considered the father of the ...
Omacatl
Omacatl (two reeds) In Aztec mythology, god of joy, festivity, and happiness; worshipped by the rich, who held banquets in ...
Ometecuhtli
Ometecuhtli (Ometecutli) (the dual lord, lord of duality) In Aztec mythology, supreme being, who was outside of space and time ...
Opochtli
Opochtli (the left-handed) In Aztec mythology, god of fishing and bird snaring, who invented the fishing rod and harpoon. Opochtli ...
Paynal
Paynal (Paynalton) (he who hastens) is in an Aztec rite, the name given to the man who played the part ...
Tezcatlipoca
Tezcatlipoca is the Aztec prince of the Underworld, sorcerer, and king of the witches. The name Tezcatlipoca means “smoking mirror,” ...
Tlaloc
Tlaloc (Tecutli, Tlaloque) (path under the earth, wine of earth, long cave?) In Aztec mythology, god of rain, thunder, and ...
Tlazolteotl
Tlazolteotl (Tlaculteutl) (lady of dirt) In Aztec mythology, sex goddess who produced lust and then forgave the sinner. The ritual ...
Toci
Toci (Tozi, Temazcalteci) (our grandmother) In Aztec mythology, goddess and one aspect of Tlalzolteotl. Fray Diego Durán, in his Book ...
Tonacatecutli
Tonacatecutli (Tonacateotle) (lord of our existence) is in Aztec mythology, consort of Tonacacihuatl, with whom he lived in the ninth, ...
Tonatiuh
Tonatiuh In Aztec mythology, a sun god, fourth in a series of sun gods. Tonatiuh gave strength to warriors, receiving ...
Tzitzimime
Tzitzimime are the brothers of TEZCATLIPOCA who were cast out of heaven for their acts of sacrilege and desecration against ...
Ueuecoyotl
Ueuecoyotl (the old, old coyote) In Aztec mythology, god associated with sex, useless expenditure on ornament, and unexpected pleasures—all three ...
Uixtocihuatl
Uixtocihuatl In Aztec mythology, salt goddess whose festival, Tecuilhuitontli, was held on 2 June. A woman was sacrificed in her ...
Vitzilopuchtl
Vitzilopuchtl (sorcerer) In Aztec mythology, a war god who could change himself into any shape. According to various Spanish accounts, ...
Xilonen
Xilonen In Aztec mythology, goddess of the growing corn, whose festival, Uei Tecuilhuitl (22 June), was celebrated with corn tortillas ...
Xipe Totec
Xipe Totec is the Aztec trickster vampire Demon of the underworld. Xipe Totec is called the “night drinker” because he ...
Xiuhtecuhtli
Xiuhtecuhtli (Xiuhtecutli) In Aztec mythology, fire god who governed the fifth cardinal point, the center. He was thus worshipped as ...
Xochipilli
Xochipilli : The Flower Prince Xochipilli is the lord of flowers, love, maize, beauty, fun, games, music, art, dance, shamanism, ...
Xochiquetzal
Xochiquetzal (lady precious flower, beautiful rose?) In Aztec mythology, goddess of sexual love and courtesans, patroness of painters, embroiderers, weavers, ...
Xochitl
Xochitl Pronounced: Show-CHEE-tul In Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, Xochitl literally means “flower” but also possesses other implications: • ...
Xolotl
Xolotl Huetzi (servant?) In Aztec mythology, lord of the evening star, twin brother of the god Quetzalcoatl. Though credited with ...
Yacatecutli
Yacatecutli (lord of travellers, he who leads) In Aztec mythology, god of merchants, whose symbol was a staff, often sprinkled ...