List of the most important AZTEC GODDESSES

As a general rule, in Europe we tend to focus on the study of more Western mythology, forgetting other cultures such as They can be Asian and American, which have elements of great relevance to understand many concepts of these zones. To talk about part of the pantheon of one of the main American cultures in this lesson from a PROFESSOR we are going to talk about the most important Aztec goddesses.

The Aztec or Mexica mythology Is the set of Myths and legends of the Aztecs themselves, these being a people that dominated the Mesoamerican land for centuries, as one of the largest pre-Columbian cultures. It should be taken into account that most of the gods of Aztec mythology are not born in this, being deities that come from other Mesoamerican peoples who in one way or another assimilated to Aztec thought, being in many cases only a change of Name.

To understand Aztec mythology and before knowing the name of some of the main deities of their pantheon, we must talk about some of their main features, being some of the following:

• Much of Aztec mythology was related to the Sun, existing many rituals on the subject and being some of the first gods related to the star.
• Death was very present in Mexica mythology, being common the sacrifices to the gods and myths related to life after death.
• The Aztec religion was polytheisticIn other words, there were a great variety of gods, and there was a god for each of the aspects of Aztec life.
• It is said that aztec gods it cost them up five attempts to create the world, existing different myths in each of the attempts.
• They thought that the world was divided into 4 parts and that the end of this happened every 52 years.
• They consider that diseases They could be of two types, those that arose naturally and those that were of divine origin, these being a punishment from the gods.
• There was a great duality in Aztec mythology, being common that there was a male and female god with the same attribute and similar name.

To continue with this lesson on most important Aztec goddesses, we must make a list mentioning these deities, also listing their main characteristics to understand their importance in Aztec mythology.

Coyolxauhqui

Depending on the sources we consult this goddess appears as the representation of the moon or of another celestial body that we do not know, because although in the sources it is said that represents a celestial body but that no glyphs related to the moon have been found in its representations.

Mayahuel

She is the goddess of maguey and drunkennessShe is also a figure related to the earth and fertility, since to ask the gods that certain crops grow strong, they prayed to this goddess.

Oxomoco

The goddess of calendars and astrologyshe, she was a very important goddess in Mexico since we must remember that both aspects were very important to the Aztecs. She at the same time she was the personification of the night, she being the counterpart of the male god who represented the day.

Cihuateteo

More than gods, they were female spirits that returned to life every four years after serving the sun god Tonatiuh, they were considered as fallen warriors since they were the spirits of those women who had died giving birth to children.

Coatlicue

Considered as the mother of the gods she was the deity that represented fertility, she was also the goddess who stood between life and death and the one in charge of rebirth. The sacrifices that were made in her name were very spectacular, consisting of the decapitation of beings humans, these rituals were performed to increase crops and at the same time so that there were more births than deaths.

Itzpapalotl

A goddess who comes from the Chichimeca culture and who she represents war, religious sacrifices made and death itself. It should be taken into account that the passage of the goddess from the Chichimec culture to the Aztec made her lose some of her attributes, which belong to other deities in the Mexica religion.

Chantico

She was a goddess akin to roman goddessVesta, depicted the fire of the heart, the fire of the houses and the volcanoes, fulfilling as a goddess of everything related to fire that did not belong to her husband, the god Xiuhtecuhtli.

Chicomecóatl

One of the most relevant goddesses of the Aztecs, since represented corn This being the main food product of all Mesoamerica, and therefore the main source of the economy in the area. Other elements that this deity represented were agriculture, subsistence and fertility, being she therefore the goddess of everything that was cultivated. The importance of this goddess is so great that she is one of the deities that had the most celebrations in her name, especially in the case of female deities.

Image source: Sabbats

Citlallicue

The importance of astronomy in Aztec life means that there are several goddesses related to this, Citlallicue being the creator goddess of the stars and the representation of the Milky Way. Her role as her creator not only refers to the stars, but also speaks of her role in the creation of numerous gods related to the sky and the stars.