Chiconquiahuitl

Chiconquiahuitl (seven rain) In Aztec ritual, a god who was impersonated by a slave during the feast of the god Xolotl Huetzi, the lord of the evening star. The slave who represented Chiconquiahuitl and slaves who represented other gods, such as Yacatecutli (he who goes first), Cauhtlaxayanh (eagle face), Coatlinahual (weresnake), and the goddess Chachalmecacihuatl (lady of the Chachalmec people), were “honored as if they had been the gods themselves,” according to Fray Diego Durán in his Book of the Gods and Rites (c. 1576), describing Aztec ritual. On the feast day the impersonators were “cast alive into the fire” and pulled out “half-roasted.” Their chests were then opened.

SEE ALSO:

• Aztec Mythology
• Meso American Mythology

SOURCE:

Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend, Third Edition – Written by Anthony S. Mercatante & James R. Dow-Copyright © 2009 by Anthony S. Mercatante

To read another article about this subject click on the next page