Ehecatl

Ehecatl In Aztec mythology, wind god, a manifestation of the god Quetzalcoatl. One day Ehecatl realized that besides the fruits of the earth man also needed sexual love. He therefore went in search of a maiden, Mayahuel, who was in the underworld under the guardianship of Tzitzimitl. The maiden agreed to go with Ehecatl to the upper world, the earth, and there they had sexual intercourse.

As the two touched the ground, a beautiful tree with two great branches shot up. One branch was known as “precious willow” and belonged to Ehecatl, the other was covered with flowers and belonged to Mayahuel. The sound of the wind in the trees was feared by the ancient Mexicans, who offered sacrifices to Ehecatl, going so far in some cases as to “bleed” the genital organ “by passing cords as long as fifteen to twenty yards through it,” according to Fray Diego Durán in his Book of the Gods and Rites.

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