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List of Aztec gods and supernatural beings

This is a list of gods and supernatural beings from the Aztec culture, its religion and mythology. Many of these deities are sourced from Codexes (such as the Florentine Codex (Bernardino de Sahagún), the Codex Borgia (Stefano Borgia), and the informants). They are all divided into gods and goddesses, in sections. They also come from the Thirteen Heavens.

Gods

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Āhuiatēteoh

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The Āhuiyatēteoh are gods of excess and pleasure.[1]

Stars

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Medicine

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  • Pahtēcatl, god of healing and patron god of doctors and peyote. Patecatl is the Centzontotochtin's father.
  • Īxtlīltōn, god of medicine and healing.

Centzontotochtin

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The Centzontōtōchtin are the 400 gods of pulque.

Cinteteo

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The Cinteteo are gods of the maizes associated with the Tiānquiztli.

Fertility

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  • Cipactōnal, god of astrology and calendars associated with daytime.
  • Huēhuehcoyōtl, god of uninhibited sexuality and deception.[2] Huehuecoyotl is also the patron of wisdom, related to his tricks and foolishness.
  • Huēhuehteōtl, god of old-age and origin.

Ehēcatōtōntli

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The Ehecatotontli are gods of the winds or breezes.

Xiuhtōtōntli

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The Xiuhtotontli are gods of fire and alternative manifestations or states of Xiuhtecuhtli.

Underworld

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  • Mictlantecuhtli, god of Mictlan (the Underworld). He is also part of the Thirteen Heavens.
  • Acolmiztli, god of Mictlan (the Underworld). He is a possible form of Mictlantecuhtli. Acolmiztli is also known as Acolnahuacatl.
  • Techlotl, god who lived in one of nine layers of the underworld. This deity was associated with owls such as Chalchiuhtecolotl.
  • Nextepehua, god of the ashes who lived in one of nine layers of the underworld. Nextepehua was Micapetlacalli's husband.
  • Īxpoztequeh, god who lived in one of nine layers of the underworld. Iixpuzteque was Nexoxochi's husband.
  • Tzontēmōc, god who lived in one of nine layers of the underworld. Tzontemoc was Chalmeccacihuatl's husband.
  • Xolotl, god of death who is associated with Venus and the Evening Star. He is the twin god and a double of Quetzalcoatl.
  • Cuāxolōtl, god who is assumed to be the female counterpart of Xolotl. Cuaxolotl appears to be a manifestation of Chāntico, although there seems to be some conflicting opinions.
  • Tloque-Nahuaque, experimental god of monotheism.
  • Tōnacātēuctli, god of sustenance associated with Ometecuhtli.
  • Piltzintēuctli, god of the visions. In Aztec mythology, he is associated with Mercury (the planet that is visible just before sunrise or just after sunset) and healing.
  • Citlalatonac, god of female stars in the Milky Way.
  • Mixcōātl, god of hunting and old god of hurricanes and storms. Mixcoatl is associated with the Milky Way.
    • Amhimitl is Mixcoatl's harpoon (or dart), just like Xiuhcoatl is Huitzilopochtli's weapon.
  • Tonatiuh, a god of the Sun. He is also part of the Thirteen Heavens.[4]
  • Nanauatzin, a god of the Sun. Nanauatzin sacrificed himself in a fire so that the Sun should continue to shine.
  • Tēcciztēcatl, god who represents the male aspect of the Moon. Tecciztecatl is the son of Tlaloc and Chalchiuhtlicue.
  • Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, god of Venus' dawn and aspect of Quetzalcoatl. He has the longest name.[5] He and Xolotl have Venus as association as symbol of twins.
  • Xocotl, god of Venus and fire.
 
Patterns of War; (1a) Tlaloc, (1b) Xiuhtecuhtli, (2a) Mixcoatl, (2b) Xipe-Totec depicted in the Codex Borgia.

Four Tezcatlipocas

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  • Tēzcatlīpōca, creator god, lord of darkness, lord of the night, god of battles, and the lord of the North. Tezcatlipoca is also known as the "Smoking Mirror". Tezcatlipoca is the old arch-nemesis of Quetzalcōātl. (Black Tezcatlipoca)[6][7]
  • Quetzalcōātl, god of the life, the light and wisdom, lord of the winds and the day, and the lord of the West. Quetzalcoatl is the old arch-nemesis of Tezcatlipoca. Sometimes, Quetzalcoatl was the ruler of the East like Xipe-Totec[citation missing].
  • Xīpe Totēuc, god of agriculture, fertility, seasons, metalsmiths, and disease, and the lord of the East. Xipe-Totec, once again, was the lord of the East, and Quetzalcōātl was the ruler of the West, but sometimes, they were the other way round and Xipe-Totec was the lord of the West. (Red Tezcatlipoca)[8][9]
  • Huītzilōpōchtli, god of war, human sacrifice, bloodletting, and the lord of the South. (Blue Tezcatlipoca)[10]
  • Payīnal or Pāinaltōn, god of battles and Huitzilopochtli's messenger.
  • Tlācahuēhpān, Toltec equivalent of Huītzilōpōchtli.
  • Tepēyōllōtl, god of the animals, darkened caves, echoes, and earthquakes. Tepeyollotl is a variant of Tezcatlipoca and is associated with mountains.
  • Itzcaque, god who represents Tezcatlipoca in his capacity of starting wars for his own amusement.
  • Chālchiuhtōtolin, god of illness, disorder, and chaos. Chalchiuhtotolin absolves humans of guilt and overcomes their fate. (S)he is also a manifestation of Tēzcatlīpōca.
  • Ixquitecatl, god of sorcerers. Ixquitecatl is a possible variant of Tezcatlipoca.
  • Itztlacoliuhqui-Ixquimilli, god of frost, ice, cold, winter, and punishment. Itztlacoliuhqui-Ixquimilli is also the god of objectivity and blindfolded justice. Itztlacoliuhqui-Ixquimilli is a variant of Tezcatlipoca and is associated with the night and the north.
  • Macuiltotec, god of arsenal. Macuiltotec is mainly associated with weaponry and the rites of warfare. Macuiltotec is a possible variant of Tezcatlipoca.
  • Itztli, god of stone and sacrifice. Itztli is a variant of Tezcatlipoca and shares his qualities with Itztlacoliuhqui-Ixquimilli.

Ballgame

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  • Amapan, one of the deities of the Tlachtli ball court and one of the patron deities of the ballgame Ullamaliztli.
  • Uappatzin, one of the deities of the Tlachtli ball court and one of the patron deities of the ballgame Ullamaliztli.
 
Five Tlaloquê depicted in the Codex Borgia.

Sacrifice

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  • Itzpapalotltotec, god of sacrifice.
  • Miquiztlitecuhtli, god of death.
  • Tlāloc, god of rain, lightning, and thunder. Tlaloc is associated with fertility and agriculture. Tlaloc pierces the clouds' bellies to make them rain in the first layer of the Thirteen Heavens.[4]
  • Tlāloqueh, gods of rain, weather, and mountains. Tlaloc had also been considered the ruler of this motley group.
  • Chalchiuhtlatonal, god of water who is related to the goddess Chalchiuhtlicue.
  • Atlaua, god of water and protector of archers and fishermen. The Aztecs prayed to Atlaua when there were deaths in water.
  • Ōpōchtli, god of fishing and birdcatchers. Apparently, Opochtli is the discoverer of both the harpoon and net.
  • Teoyaomiqui, god of flowers and dead warriors.[11]

Earth

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Patterns of Merchants; (1a) Huehuecoyotl, (1b) Zacatzontli, (2a) Yacatecuhtli, (2b) Tlacotzontli, (3a) Tlazolteotl, (3b) Tonatiuh depicted in the Codex Borgia.

Art

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Travel

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  • Yacatecuhtli, god of commerce and bartering and patron god of commerce and travellers, especially business travellers.
  • Zacatzontli, god of roads. Zacatzontli can be a protector for merchants.
  • Tlacotzontli, god of roads. Tlacotzontli can be a protector for merchants.
  • Nappatecuhtli, patron god of mat-makers.
  • Cochimetl, god of commerce, bartering, and merchants.

Goddesses

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Stars

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Medicine

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  • Mayahuel or Meyahualli, goddess of Agave. Mayahuel is also known as the "Woman of the 400 Breasts". She is the mother of the Centzontotochtin.[4]

Fertility

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  • Oxomoco, goddess of astrology and calendars associated with nighttime.
  • Cihuātēteōh, the spirits of women who died in childbirth. Cihuateteo were likened to the spirits of male warriors who died in violent conflict, because childbirth was conceptually equivalent to the battles of Aztec culture. They lurk in temples or lie in wait at crossroads and are ghastly to behold.
  • Tzitzimītl (sg. / Tzitzimīmeh, pl.), female deities. As such related to fertility, Tzitzimimeh were associated with the Cihuateteo and other female deities such as Tlaltecuhtli, Coatlicue, Citlalicue, and Cihuacoatl. The leader of the Tzitzimimeh was the goddess Itzpapalotl who was the ruler of Tamoanchan.
  • Cihuācōātl, goddess of childbirth and picker of souls.
  • Coatlicue, goddess of fertility, life, death, and rebirth.
  • Chimalma, goddess of fertility, life, death, and rebirth.
  • Xochitlicue, goddess of fertility, life, death, and rebirth.
  • Ītzpāpālōtl, death and sacrifice goddess, ruler of the Tzitzimimeh.
  • Toci, goddess of healing. Toci has also been under the name of "Teteoinnan".
  • Temazcalteci, goddess of maternity associated with Toci.
  • Quilaztli, aztec patron of midwives. Quilaztli is also known as Cōhuācihuātl (serpent woman), Cuāuhcihuātl (eagle woman) or Ocēlōcihuātl (jaguar woman), Pāpalōcihuātl (butterfly woman), Cihuāyāōtl (warrior woman), and Tzitzimīncihuātl (devil woman). These are individual honorary classes for women.
  • Tonāntzin, goddess who is called "our mother". She is a goddess that can also be any other names (e.g. Mother Earth).
  • Tēteohīnnān, meaning "mother of gods," is another epithet for Tonantzin and many other goddesses.
  • Chāntico, goddess of fires in the family hearth and volcanoes.

Underworld

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Sacrifice

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  • Itzpapalotlcihuatl, goddess of sacrifice.
  • Chālchiuhtlīcuē, goddess of running water, lakes, rivers, seas, streams, horizontal waters, storms, and baptism.[4]
  • Acuecueyotl is Chalchiuhtlicue in disguise, but Acuecueyotl is also the god of rivers.
  • Ātlatonān, patron goddess of those who are born with physical deformities or for unfortunate Mexica who suffered from open sores. This deity was also thought to be the cause of these ailments. She was impersonated by young virgins.
  • Huīxtohcihuātl, goddess of salt and patron of cultivated foods (including people in the salt trade) who is also part of the Thirteen Heavens.
  • Atlacoya, goddess of drought.
  • Tzapotlāntenān, goddess of nature.

Earth

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Art

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  • Ayauhteotl, the mysterious and unknown goddess of mist and haze. Ayautheotl is responsible for fame and vanity.
  • Xōchiquetzal, goddess of fertility, beauty, sexual female power, protection of young mothers, pregnancy, childbirth, and women's crafts.
  • Xōchitlīcuē, goddess of growthiness. Xochitlicue is the mother of the twins, Xochiquetzal and Xochipilli.

Travel

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  • Malīnalxōchitl, goddess or sorceress of snakes, scorpions and insects of the desert.
  • Ilamatecuhtli, goddess of weavers and patron goddess of weaver guilds.

See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aztec deities.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Aztec Pantheon". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  2. ^ a b "Aztec Gods or Deities". Aztec Calendar.
  3. ^ "Xiuhtecuhtli". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Ph. D., Anthropology; M. A., Anthropology; B. A., Humanities. "The 10 Most Important Aztec Gods and Goddesses". ThoughtCo. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  5. ^ "The god with the longest name?". Mexicolore.
  6. ^ "Tezcatlipoca". Mythopedia. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  7. ^ Willis, Roy G. (1993). World Mythology. Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-8050-2701-3.
  8. ^ "Xipe Totec". Mythopedia. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  9. ^ "Xipe Totec". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  10. ^ "Huitzilopochtli | Aztec god". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  11. ^ "TEOYAOMIQUI". GodChecker.
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