The Aztecs were a culture that, despite being very old, were very organized and managed a well-established social political structure. In this post you will learn everything related to the religion of the aztecs: history and curiosities.
The Aztecs worshiped a few gods. Among his divinities were those gods related to the agricultural and solar cycle. They were, for example, the god of night and warriors, called Tezcatlipoca. He too fertility godprotector of life and creator of the man they they called Quetzalcoatl. Huitzilopochtli, the god of the Sun and war and Tlaloc the god of rain and thunder.
The Aztecs practiced human sacrifice, which was very normal in their religion. When they settled in the Valley of Mexico they wanted to adopt the cultures and gods of other older and more advanced civilizations such as the Toltecs that were already established.
What were the Aztec gods
Among their deities were Huitzilopochtli, Tezcatlipoca, Quetzalcóatl, among others. Next we will talk about each of these gods so important to the Aztecs.
Aztec god Huitzilopochtli
Huitzilopochtli is considered to be the god of warthe power and wisdom. In addition, its shape is that of a snake and it was related to fertility, the season, lightning and summer. They performed cults and rites to this deity in the fifteenth Aztec month, in which a priest inserted an arrow into a mass of human blood of sacrificed people.
Aztec god Tezcatlipoca
This god was highly worshiped by the Aztecs, his image represented an animal with a mirror which was interpreted as if it were the reflection of humanity. Later, this deity was related to the fortune and destiny of the Aztec nation. Therefore the festivity called Tóxcatl it was the one that was done to this god and was carried out in the fifth month.
Aztec god Quetzalcoatl
This deity was considered the father of the toltecsit was one Feathered Serpent and was related to art teaching. In addition, his rituals consisted of cutting the veins under his tongue or those behind his ears, and smeared it in the mouth of the deity. In this way, the direct sacrifice of humans was avoided.
Aztec god Tlaloc
This god was married to Chalchiuhtlicue and it was shaped like a frog, was used for rain worship. In addition, Tiáloc and Chalchiuhtlicue had many children called tlalocas (clouds) and they lived in Tlalocan, a water paradise where they had been killed by lightning, and enjoyed eternal happiness. The sacrifices to this deity were related to children and maidens and when there was a drought the peasants worshiped the image of Tlaloc with corn and pulque.
The Aztec goddess Chicomecoatl
It was a deity of water, of agriculture. The festival to this goddess was celebrated in June and July once the corn reached its point of maturity. Also called as the “goddess of food”, her appearance was feminine and she represented abundance, food, drink and human sustenance.
Chicomecoátl’s name means “seven serpents” symbolizing the harvest of corn and the prosperity of agriculture. In addition, the Aztecs blamed her when there was a bad harvest. The appearance of this figure was with a red ocher face, with touches of paper and a flowered skirt with water and foam sandals as footwear.
Aztec god Cinteotl
He was also a god of agriculture and was also related to corn. The legend says that when he was born he spent his life at the bottom of the earth, for this reason he became the protector of corn crops. The god Cinteotl he had other gods who were subordinate to him, one of them was Cinteteo who personified the ear of corn with all its characteristics. Also other subordinate gods were: Cozauhquicintéotl (god of yellow corn), Iztauhquicintéotl (god of white corn), Yayauhquicintéotl (god of black corn) and Tlatlauhquicintéotl (god of red corn).
Aztec god Xolotl
The appearance of this mythological god was impressive, his eye sockets were empty, which meant the sacrifice of the gods to give life to the rising of the Sun. Legend has it that he cried so much that the orbits of his eyes fell out. Also, this god represents the ascent and descent of fireconsidered the god of the evening star.
Aztec goddess Tlazolteotl
This goddess represented desires, filth and lust. Also, exonerated sinners for those mistakes. Also represented the fertility of the earth, fertilizer, sex, carnality and moral transgressions. she is considerate the mexican venus.
On the other hand, this deity is of Huastec origin and was conquered by the Aztecs in 1450. Legend has it that she was the mother of Centeotl (god of corn) and Xochiquetzal (goddess of fertility). In this sense, it is said that when the Spanish began to evangelize in the new world, this goddess was the one who eliminated sins. Also, she was associated with the phases of the moon.
Aztec god Mictlantecuhtli
this god lived in the depths of the earth, in the depths of it and represented darkness and death. Her fixed residence was the Mictlan region, which was in the Navel of the Earth. Those who died and did not deserve to go through the degrees of heaven arrived at this site and therefore their punishment was eternal.
It was also related to the Mayan god Ah Puch, which was symbolized in animals such as: centipedes, owls, spiders, scorpions and bats. In addition, this god of the underworld represented the nine rivers of Mictlan and sometimes represented the human skeleton.
The woman of this god was considered the Lady Deathand therefore it is the one represents the Day of the Dead which is when the souls of the deceased return home to see their loved ones again. Currently this god is given some importance in rituals, especially among the gods themselves and within the Mexica pantheon.
Did you like meeting the main Aztec gods? Well, we invite you to also learn about interesting aspects of the Mayan religion