Main GODS of the ZAPOTECA culture

If something is shared by the vast majority of classical cultures, both American and European, it is their belief in the afterlife, in a series of gods and myths that make each of these cultures unique. To know the pantheon of one of the main Mesoamerican cultures in this lesson from a PROFESSOR we are going to talk about the gods of Zapotec culture.

Before talking about the gods of the Zapotec culture and the different peculiarities of their mythology, we must talk about some of its main characteristics to get to know this interesting civilization in depth.

The Zapotecare one of the Mesoamerican pre-Columbian civilizations of greatest relevance in history, being called pre-Columbian for being an American culture that emerged before the arrival of the European colonizers to the American continent; and Mesoamerican for existing in the cultural zone of Central America called Mesoamerica.

The area of Zapotec influence It was of great size, although it cannot be compared with other enormous cultures such as the Mayan or the Aztec, peoples that lived with the Zapotecs without practically any example of conflict. Its area of ​​influence can be located

in the Oaxaca Valley area, being there where you can still find remains of the culture.

The gods are one of the main elements of mythologies, and therefore before listing the gods Zapotec it is important to talk about mythology, to understand the great relationship that exists between both elements. Therefore, some of the main characteristics of Zapotec beliefs are the following:

• The Zapotecs were polytheists, that is, they believed in the existence of a large number of gods.
• Zapotec mythology was very close to nature, existing a great amount of representations of beings and Gods united to the nature.
• Like many of the Mesoamerican cultures, the Zapotecs also performed numerous sacrifices of human beings to worship the gods.
• The Zapotecs carried out great performances of their gods and rituals, whether they were sculptures, buildings and even pictorial representations on the walls.
• The great influence of other nearby cultures in space and time made some deities of important civilizations such as the olmec wave Maya also appeared in Zapotec beliefs, an example being the Feathered Serpent.
• Like almost all Mesoamerican cultures, the Zapotecs had a large number of beliefs animal relatedThere are several examples of hybrid species that were half animals and half people.
• The relationship between animals and the Zapotecs They were so relevant that in some cases newborn children were associated with an animal, being a kind of protective totem for the infant.

To continue with this lesson on the gods of the Zapotec culture we must talk about the main deities of this important culture, focusing on those most related to the main elements of the Zapotecs.

Xipe Totec

The main god of the Zapotecs, although it also appears in other Mesoamerican cultures such as the Aztec. It represented life, death and resurrection, and in some cultures such as the Zapotec it had several names, each of these names having a specific function in the life cycle Zapotec.

Pitao Cozobi

God of corn and agriculture, this being the main economic source of culture, we must understand how important this was god for culture, there are numerous examples of sacrifices made for this god to bless the crops of the people Zapotec.

Pitao Cocijo

The god of storms, rain and thunder, was another of the gods directly related to nature. He was one of the main gods to be venerated for abundant rains beneficial for the region, as well as feared for the problems that storms could cause in the area.

Coqui Bezelao

As in all great cultures, the Zapotec also has a god who represents the afterlife, in this case being Coqui Bezelao. This god is the representative of the dead, of the underworld and in charge of guarding all the souls of the deceased. We must bear in mind that in the Zapotec culture death was very important, there are great examples in rituals and in funerary vessels.

Pitao Cozana

A deity so ancient that it is even believed that it may come from another previous culture close to the Zapotecs. He was the god of the ancestors, being he who defended the soul of these in the afterlife.

Quetzalcoatl

One of the most important gods of Mesoamerica as evidenced by his presence in various mythologies such as the Aztec or the Zapotec. Also called the feathered serpent, it was considered as the deity of the wind of the Zapotecs, although it must be taken into account that its importance for the Zapotecs was less than in other cultures.

Chilaila Gobitza

He was a very relevant god since he was in charge of nature and natural phenomena, and we must remember the great importance of nature for Zapotecs. It is not known how much the term "nature" encompassed or whether it shared elements with other deities.

Pitao Peze

As in all civilizations, the economy was a key value for the Zapotecs, this being a very important god for it since he represented trade and wealth. It is considered that this may be another of the gods shared by other Mesoamerican cultures, although with a change of name.