The Aztec civilisation may have peaked more than 500 year ago , but all theAztec godsand goddess remain culturally meaning even today .
Once cardinal to the Aztec religion , these deity represented different facets of multitude ’s lives , nature and the universe . In modern-day refinement , they ’re the centering of numerous historical bailiwick , films , books , ocular work of art and other media .
It ’s worth read more about these supernatural beings who influence Mesoamerican culture so heavily . Here ’s a abbreviated introduction to the Aztec gods and a list of 10 of the most significant deities the Aztecs believed in .
An Overview of Aztec Religion and Mythology
Aztec faith was polytheistic , intend there were many unlike god and goddesses who act important roles in the people ’s belief system of rules . These supernatural beingness reverberate the nuance of Aztec culture , from Tezcatlipoca , the creator god , to Chicomecoatl , the supporter goddess of granger .
At the warmheartedness of Aztec mythology was the concept of wave-particle duality , wherein each god had a counterpart who represented contrasting forces . This duality was emblematic of the Aztec worldview , reflecting the symmetricalness and concord the human beings strived to maintain in both the earthly and supernatural realms .
10 Important Aztec Gods and Goddesses
The Aztec feeling organization was extensive , withmore than 200gods and goddesses influencing the people ’s religious drill . A fistful of gods , however , were particularly influential in Aztec mythology . Here are 10 of the master Aztec gods who were central to their culture .
1. Chicomecōātl
People revered the Aztec goddess of maize , Chicomecoatl , as the provider of aliment and farming abundance . She roleplay a lively theatrical role in Aztec rituals and ceremonies related to planting .
Farmers and young female parent revere her , seeking her approval for plentiful crop and healthy children .
2. Coatlicue
The mother of gods , Coatlicue was a fertility god and the patron god of the earth who represented the cycle per second of life-time and demise . mass often depicted her as a dreaded figure with a serpent wench , mean to symbolise the interconnection of aliveness and the underworld .
3. Huitzilopochtli
masses revered Huitzilopochtli , known as the Aztec sun god and the patron god of the Aztecs , as the god of war , sun and human sacrifice .
A central deity in their spiritual practices , Huitzilopochtli led the Aztecs on their migrations and military effort . The Aztecs believed this Aztec god engage a uninterrupted engagement against darkness and an unobserved evil power , represent the eternal conflict between life and death .
4. Mictlantecuhtli
The Aztec god of demise and lord of the underworld , Mictlantecuhtli predominate over Mictlan , the kingdom of the dead . People often limn him as a skeletal anatomy bust a skull mask . He find alongside his consort , Mictecacihuatl , the dame of the dead .
5. Tezcatlipoca
One of the most of import Aztec gods , Tezcatlipoca was the creator god , although the citizenry believed he was both a Jehovah and a uprooter .
Aztec gild associated this important Aztec god , also known as the Smoking Mirror , with sorcery , fate and the night sky , think he epitomized the dualities of society and chaos .
6. Tlaloc
As the rainwater god , Tlaloc held immense power over the Aztec people ’s agricultural birthrate . The Aztec hoi polloi shower this Aztec god with devotion and made regular offerings , both revere and fearing him for his power to impart animation - sustaining rain or annihilative floods .
Ancient rituals in Tlaloc ’s laurels guide place on Cerro Tlaloc , a mess in Central Mexico thatmay have been a form of solar timekeeperor Aztec calendar and is now a majorarchaeological situation .
7. Quetzalcóatl
One of the most important immortal in the Aztec organized religion , if not the most of import Aztec god , Quetzalcoatlwas the feathered serpent deity associate with wind instrument , learning and noesis .
mass also consider this Aztec god to be a symbol of fertility and creation . Quetzalcoatl played a central function in Aztec myth and often come out as a openhearted soma .
8. Xipe Totec
The Flayed One , Xipe Totec was the Aztec god of botany , replenishment and warfare . He was often depicted wearing the flayed skin of a sacrificial dupe , symbolizing of spill one ’s skin during the rehabilitation of spirit , such as is the case with a ophidian .
9. Xochiquetzal
As the Aztec goddess of lovemaking , beauty and fertility , Xochiquetzal held a central place in Aztec mythology . People associated her with bloom , pleasure and childbirth , and often depict her clothe with floral garment and jewellery .
10. Xolotl
Xolotl was the Aztec deity of lightning and death , often appearing as a dog - headed immortal . He was a guide for souls on their journey to the afterlife , and hoi polloi associate him with the planet Venus , also acknowledge as the eventide lead or good morning star .
The Aztecs think him to accompany the sun during its nightly journey through the Hell . In particular , travelers considered Xolotl their protector , looking toVenusin the nocturnal sky as a symbolisation of his watchful eye .
Honoring the Gods With Rituals
Central to Aztec religious praxis were luxuriant rituals and ceremony designed to appease the gods and maintain cosmic parliamentary procedure . Human sacrifices , though controversial and often misunderstood , played a significant persona in Aztec faith . These nourished the gods and ensured the continued stability of the world .
At the ticker of Aztec religious life stand the Great Temple , or Templo Mayor , in what is now the capital city of Mexico City . This monumental structure served as the focal point of religious activity , where priests volunteer sacrifices to the Aztec gods as acts of idolatry , include flay human skin and sacrificial blood .
Aztec Mythology and Creation Cycles
Aztec mythology provide a model for understanding the origins of the population and humanness ’s place within it . According to legend , the cosmos had undergo several cycles of initiation and end , each associated with a different sunshine and governed by a specific Aztec deity or goddess .
People believed the sacrificial parentage of fallen warriors sustained the current era , known as the Fifth Sun , ensuring the Dominicus ’s journey across the sky and the persistence of human life . This cyclic perspective of time permeated Aztec culture , influence everything from spiritual rituals to agricultural practice .
The Legacies of the Aztec Gods
Despite the declination of the Aztec civilization follow theSpanish conquestin the early 1500s , the bequest of their ancient deities and mythology endures to this day .
From Tlaloc ’s main shrine in central Mexico to Chicomecoatl ’s association with the Agave atrovirens industrial plant , traces of Aztec religious beliefs persist in Mexico and beyond .
We make this article create in continuative with AI technology , then made sure it was fact - suss out and edit by a HowStuffWorks editor in chief .
