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 :Lords of Excess The Ahuiateteo embody the dangers and consequences of overindulgence, including excessive drinking, gambling, and sex. Each ...
The dreaded Ahuizotl lives at the bottom of deep lakes and pools of freshwater. It cries like a baby to ...
Apizteotl (hungry god) In Aztec mythology, god of famine. When a sacrifice was offered and human flesh eaten as part ...
Atlacamanc is in Aztec mythology, a storm god, often identified as the male counterpart of Chalchihuitlicue, the Aztec storm goddess ...
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Aztec suns : The Aztec told their history and recounted their mythology in eras, or ages, called Suns. These have ...
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) : Among the Mexica, this ritual ceremony took place outside of Tenochtitlán when ...
Chachalmeca is in Aztec ritual, a high-ranking priest in charge of sacrifices. Aztec priests were not allowed to marry, and ...
Chalchihuitlicue (Chalchiuhtliycue, Chalchiuhcihuatl, Chalchiuhtlicue) (lady of the turquoise skirt) Aztec storm goddess, personification of whirlpools and youthful beauty; wife of ...
Chalchihuitlicue : She of the Jade Skirt Chalchihuitlicue is queen of rivers, lakes, and standing, still waters. The meaning of ...
Chalmecaciuatl is in Aztec mythology, the paradise for children who died before they reached the age of reason. The concept ...
Chantico is the Aztec goddess of fire and hearth. As a hearth goddess, she was venerated in the home as ...
Chiconquiahuitl (seven rain) In Aztec ritual, a god who was impersonated by a slave during the feast of the god ...
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The Cihuateteo are Aztec female warrior spirits, souls of women who died in childbirth, considered the equivalent of dying valiantly ...
Coatlicue (Ciuacoatl, Civocoatl, Cihuacoatl, Coatlantona, Conteotl) (the serpent lady, robe of serpent) In Aztec mythology, mother of the Sun as ...
Coyolxauhqui: The Aztec Moon Goddess Coyolxauhqui, known as the Moon Goddess in Aztec mythology, holds a pivotal place in the ...
Ehecatl In Aztec mythology, wind god, a manifestation of the god Quetzalcoatl. One day Ehecatl realized that besides the fruits ...
Huehecoyotl : Old, Old Coyote Huehuecoyotl is a trickster spirit, Aztec lord of dance, music, and carnal delight. He can ...
Huemac (strong hand) In Aztec mythology, god of earthquakes, sometimes equated with Quetzalcoatl. He was the last secular ruler of ...
Hueytonantzin (our great ancient mother) In Aztec mythology, Great Mother goddess of the lords of the four directions: Hueytecptl (ancient ...
Huitzilopochtli (blue hummingbird on the left) In Aztec mythology, a war god associated with the sun. Ritual human sacrifices of ...
ITZPAPALOTL : THE OBSIDIAN BUTTERFLY; THE CLAWED BUTTERFLY Itzpapalotl is a fierce, powerful mother goddess of birth and death. She ...
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Iztaccihuatl (white woman) In Aztec mythology, mountain goddess described by Fray Diego Durán in his Book of the Gods and ...
Malinalxochitl : Beautiful Wildflower The Aztecs spent centuries wandering, searching for their promised land, initially led by the warrior deity ...
Mayahuel : Lady Maguey; The Woman of Four Hundred Breasts Mayahuel is the spirit of the maguey plant (Agave americana), ...
Mayauel is in Aztec mythology, the goddess of pulque, the intoxicating drink made from the fermented sap of the agave, ...
Metztli (Metzli) In Aztec mythology, moon goddess. In order to make a light for the daytime Metztli sacrificed herself and ...
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Mictlantecuhtli (Mictlanteculi) (lord of death) In Aztec mythology, death god, lord of the land of the dead, who with his ...
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Paynal (Paynalton) (he who hastens) is in an Aztec rite, the name given to the man who played the part ...
Tezcatlipoca is the Aztec prince of the Underworld, sorcerer, and king of the witches. The name Tezcatlipoca means “smoking mirror,” ...
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Tonacatecutli (Tonacateotle) (lord of our existence) is in Aztec mythology, consort of Tonacacihuatl, with whom he lived in the ninth, ...
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Tzitzimime are the brothers of TEZCATLIPOCA who were cast out of heaven for their acts of sacrilege and desecration against ...
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Xochipilli : The Flower Prince Xochipilli is the lord of flowers, love, maize, beauty, fun, games, music, art, dance, shamanism, ...
Xochiquetzal (lady precious flower, beautiful rose?) In Aztec mythology, goddess of sexual love and courtesans, patroness of painters, embroiderers, weavers, ...
Xochitl Pronounced: Show-CHEE-tul In Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, Xochitl literally means “flower” but also possesses other implications: • ...
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Yacatecutli (lord of travellers, he who leads) In Aztec mythology, god of merchants, whose symbol was a staff, often sprinkled ...
