#aztec religion

[leaslichoma]

I've been fascinated with the Aztec god Xolotl recently.

Xolotl (pronunced Sho-lo-t followed by an L like sound that doesn't exist in the English language) was a Mesoamerican god associated with many things, including fire, lightning, disease, deformity, twins, the Mesoamerican ball game, death, dogs, the planet Venus as the evening star, twilight, shapeshifting, and monsters. Xolotl was the twin and sometimes companion of his more famous brother Quetzalcoatl. Xolotl was thought to guide the dead in their journey through the underworld, and to guide the sun through the underworld each night. Xolotl is usually depicted as either a dog anthro, a man with a dog head, or a dwarf skeletal jester. Xolotl is usually depicted missing eyes. Xolotl seems to have been feared by the Aztecs and especially hated by the Spanish, but I have a more favorable view.

Some of the most prominent myths about Xolotl involve the story of the fifth sun, or how the current world was made from the previous, destroyed one.

The first myth involves the recreation of humanity. The tales differ as to whether Quetzalcoatl was responsible, Xolotl was responsible, or if it was a collaborative effort. The humans of the fourth world were destroyed, and humanity had to be brought back. To this end Xolotl and/or Quetzalcoatl traveled to the Aztec underworld, Mictlan and met with its king, Mictlantecutli. The god(s) asked to gather the bones of the previous humans so they could be created anew. Mictlantecutli. Mictlantecutli gives them tests but later decides against letting them gather the bones. Xolotl and/or Quetzalcoatl fall into pit, breaking the bones in the process which is why people have different heights. The bones are later resurrected. The versions of this tale differ as to which god went to Mictlan and whether they did tests for Mictlantecutli or simply stole the bones.

In the second myth, the gods are sacrificing themselves in a fire to create a fifth sun for humanity because the previous one went out. They choose Nanahuatzin, a poor and humble god with syphilis and some relation to Xolotl to become the moon; and Tecciztecatl to become the sun because he is wealthy and strong. However, Tecciztecatl is unable to throw himself in the fire when the time comes, so Nanahuatzin becomes the sun instead. Tecciztecatl is sacrificed after and becomes the moon (and also the man on the moon), but has a rabbit thrown at his face which is one explanation for the rabbit people sometimes see.

Later, Xolotl is the last to be sacrificed to the new sun. In some versions this is because he was the executioner for the previous gods. However, in some tales he refuses to sacrifice himself. Xolotl begs and cries until his eyes literally fall out but this does nothing. Xolotl transforms to escape Ehecatl who has been executing other gods to make the sun move. Xolotl at first transforms into a corn plant with two stalks, then an Agave americana, and finally an Axolotl amphibian. But he was still caught in the end.

What I find most interesting about Xolotl is his relation to disability. Since deformities are among Xolotl's best known domains, he could be considered a god of disabilities as well. Xolotl is also a god of monsters, and it's worth mentioning that the Nahua word "Xolo" which his name is derived from and means monster, is used for both mythological monsters and those with physical abnormalities, much like the Latin word "Monstrum". (I think in literature analysis the themes of monsters as outcasts could be explored more) In many, perhaps even most historical (and unfortunately even modern) societies the attitude towards those with disabilities has been very negative. In the Aztec world twins were considered unnatural, and sometimes one of them would be murdered shortly after birth. Wikipedia mentions an speculation by Eduard Seler that resonates with me: that Xolotl represents the murdered twin who dwells in the underworld while Quetzalcoatl is the living one who is cherished in the world of light.

Another connection with Xolotl and disability is that he was sometimes depicted as a jester with dwarfism. It's relevant the jesters around the world were often disabled. European court jesters were known for having the freedom to criticize and mock royalty, and were sometimes selected from the intellectually disabled because they could not be held responsible for what they said. Additionally, the Spanish during the colonization of the Aztecs sent some Aztec jesters to Spain, who were described as humpbacks.

This is what I find most interesting about Xolotl, that he is a reflection or shadow of society. Historically Xolotl was often considered a sinister god, but when society is itself sinister who is to be believed? My view of Xolotl is more favorable. The god of the disabled is feared because the disabled are hated. Xolotl is the outcast, who is hated and feared yet has done no wrong. Xolotl is the murdered twin, who looks upon the world of light and life, from a place of darkness, the world he was not given, never had the right to enjoy. He is the god who is looked upon with disgust due to his role in hardship, yet is the only one who stays with you through that hardship the entire time. Xolotl is the disabled child, who is called a child of shame and hidden away in some institution to be forgotten by their more privileged relatives. Xolotl is viewed with contempt, but his domains are just as necessary to the universe's function as any of the more handsome gods. The janitor, who is viewed with contempt and disgust yet whose works are vital for society.

The "evil twin" Xolotl, misunderstood twin and hound of Quetzalcoatl who lives in the world's shadow, watching the world of life and guarding the light of the sun through the underworld.

#LONG POST #xolotl #aztecs #aztec mythology #aztec religion #aztec gods #mexica mythology #mesoamerica #ableism cw #cw ableism #ableism tw #ableism mention #infanticide mention #filicide mention #mesoamerican mythology #infodump #infodumping

[warthogreporter]

Top 5 Tezcatlipoca related drawings in the Florentine Codex

1.

Iconic, it's the Toxcatl Sacrifice and doesn't shy away from the blood. The way its drawn doesn't make it repulsive to me the way a lot of gore is though.

2.

It's him! I'm pretty sure the text above is comparing him to Jupiter, which isn't the worst comparison Tezcatlipoca gets hit with (Jupiter is fine but very much not Tezcatlipoca).

3.

It's him again! Back at Toxcatl to die again. It's definitely not the intention, but to me the face gives off 'I wish I wasn't here right now, not because of the sacrifice but because you're all annoying' vibes, which I find funny.

4.

A prayer to Tezcatlipoca that looks a little silly to me at a glance. "Toot the horn for Tezcatlipoca, now."

5.

Another prayer to Tezcatlipoca where I can't understand what the hell is going on with it and honestly I'm not sure understanding would change the comedic value for me.

#gore #Tezcatlipoca #aztec mythology #aztec culture #aztec religion #The drawing of the Toxcatl Massacre is the lowest ranked total because I don't like thinking about it #Shout out to the Digital Florentine Codex for being the reason this post exists

[transgriffin]

Now THAT is a sacrifice I can respect.

At least a lot more than some dude sacrificing himself to himself for a set of rules imposed by himself, by giving up a 3-day weekend and walking away from that supposedly "ultimate" sacrifice with nothing but a few unusual body modifications and going back to chill in the eternal bliss of heaven after the deed.

Mad respect, Quetzalcóatl. Thank you for giving us life. Through your wiener blood.

#religion #aztec religion #quetzalcoatl #wikipedia #jesus christ #anti christianity #jesus is a joke even when read as a myth #anti religion #text post #blood

[obsidian-warthog]

Mexicolore article on Ixtlilton, an Aztec god of children's medicine who is also an aspect of Tezcatlipoca. I recommend the site in general for looking up info on the Aztecs.

#Aztec mythology #aztec religion #aztec culture #Ixtlilton #Tezcatlipoca

[gwydpolls]

Time Travel Question : Medievalish 2

These Questions are the result of suggestions from the previous iteration.

This category may include suggestions made too late to fall into the correct earlier time grouping. Basically, I'd already moved on to human history, but I'd periodically get a pre-homin suggestion, hence the occasional random item waaay out of it's time period, rather than reopen the category.

In some cases a culture lasted a really long time and I grouped them by whether it was likely the later or earlier grouping made the most sense with the information I had. (Invention ofs tend to fall in an earlier grouping if it's still open. Ones that imply height of or just before something tend to get grouped later, but not always. Sometimes I'll split two different things from the same culture into different polls because they involve separate research goals or the like).

Please add new suggestions below if you have them for future consideration. All cultures and time periods welcome.

#Time Travel #Taino #Indigenous History #Tenochtitlan #Irish History #Connacht #Aztecs #Tikal #Maya #Caribbean History #Cuba History #Chimor #History of Textiles #History of the Americas #Rus #History of Religion #Komi #Toltecs #Iberian Peninsula #Bavaria

[madame-helen]

#meme #memes #shitpost #shitposting #humor #funny #lol #satire #funny memes #funny humor #funny meme #dark humor #religion #freedom of religion #aztecs #today thay argument is used currently for #islam #or #satanism #irony #joke #parody #comedy

[trashcanwithsprinkles]

Archon war anon

On Xiao being from Sumeru/Ashikai's video on the Yaksha - I actually came to the conclusion on the possible connection between Xiao and Sumeru on my own, before I saw anyone else talk about it because I've only really started looking for more theory stuff as opposed to just fic recently. It was pretty validating to see other people drawing the same conclusions! I actually originally drew a connection based on remembering the Aranara and their thing with dreams, and it was when I went back to check my sources that I remembered that all three of the Sumeru gods we know about had something to do with dreams. Even if Xiao is connected to Sumeru though, I don't think he's from Sumeru because Sumeru doesn't really seem to have the framework for the kind of beings that adepti are?

Also, as someone who's studies real life Indian religions, Sumeru really does have a lot of non-Indian influence, and even some of the parts where there are more explicit references to Indian stuff honestly feel kind of off?

yeah, even if there's interesting connections there, whenever i've considered the xiao-sumeru link it's always ended up in my mind as "maybe xiao's master originally came from sumeru" rather than "xiao is from sumeru", for mostly the same reason as you mentioned, yeah,,,

i'm not knowledgeable enough on india's culture or religion to really comment on the sumeru things, but even i can see that the desert is mostly egyptian, and i've seen people pointing out the different inspirations for some things, so like- it did always seem to me like sumeru was the hodgepodge of arabian/arabian adjacent stuff, fontaine and mondstadt were a bit more of a focused-still-kinda-hodgepodge of certain european countries, and then like. japan and china all on their own lmao

#i wonder if it'll feel equally 'off' as you put it when it natlan comes out #i wonder why that is #maybe it's the trynig to grab from so many different cultures at once that still like- share various cultural things? idk #mostly on the religion part i think. truthfully i don't know tbh #but yeah i wonder if natlan will feel the same for latam. bc it does seem like it'll be a mix of various things #at least if the art they posted was anything to go by. they had more than just aztec or mayan stuff there #also the leaks are saying the archon will be more spainard-adjacent? which- fucking hilarious if so #nobody expects the spanish inquisition #anyway #thank you <3 <3

[autistic-katara]

yall i watched ONE video on the different types of christianity nd now half my recommended page is abt a religion i dont care about anymore than the ancient aztecs 😭

#no hate to the aztecs they just aren’t high on my list of “religions i want to learn about” #it’s not that i dislike christianity it’s that i just don’t care much abt it yk 😭 #and don’t wanna see videos like “debunking atheism” followed by a counter video by the most annoying antitheist i’ve ever seen #stg gonna have to add christianity to my “topics i can’t watch on the tv because one half a second of a video about them will make youtube #think it’s all i want to watch and i can’t click ‘not interested’ on there” list along with hp minecraft and matpat etc #stg as if my recommended page on there wasn’t bad enough 😭 #ryan shut the fuck up

[kuramirocket]

@sephirajo You know how we were talking about that digusting Ecumene Aztec game? Well, I had left a comment on the video thanking the creator for his amazing video:

And not surprised at all that I got this reply:

Thankfully people shut down this clown swiftly and quickly. I really appreciated that so much because usually it's just the anti indigenous racism I see when it comes to native people and just on the topic of our people in general.

But anyways, again, it just proves our point how this game is just pandering to racists and white supremacists. It really is bringing out the racism in people as we know. I mean the clown here also made what was essentially homophobic comments and complaining about lgbt characters in media.

What also needs to be talked about is how a lot anti indigenous sentiment and genocide is also perpetuated and supported a lot of times by followers of the Abrahamic religions.

As I always say, one of the reasons it's important for people to actually learn native history and to listen to indigenous people when we talk about the racism and hate we get.

#🇲🇽 #indigenous #native #racism #ecumene aztec #ecumene games #online idiots #aztec #religion #discrimination against mexicans #europe #poland

[cicadas]

My "Roman empire" is the Aztec empire tbh

#personal #like cmon #aztecs and maya and toltec (???) #and olmec #hehehe yea #and all indigenous cultures of north and south america tbh #indigenous cultures be so fascinating tbh #honestly fascinated by all indigenous culture mostly religious beliefs and suchlike #i just love studying religions tho

[lekingofrats]

I just wanted to take a moment to talk about who I worship and why, as it’s been on my mind recently since I keep getting ask by my friends and family why I have a shrine in my room lol.

The great deity Huehuecoyotl is an Aztec deity who has been referred to as “the great drum” or as the “old, old coyote”, is the god of trickery, eroticism, mischief, and music. I’ve always felt a personal attachment to all things chaotic and those who know me can tell you that I’ve definitely dealt my fair share of pranks and merriment. Music as well has always been a massive part of my life as well and with every song I listen to I give a little praise towards Huehuecoyotl. There is honestly not much in text about them, but allow me to share what I’ve learned through study as well as my personal connection/experiences. Huehuecoyotl is a gender fluid god who can shape-shift and has been known to have many partners, hence why they’re referred to as a god of uninhibited sexuality. I’ve already said they’re a god of mischief and trickery, yet this goes deeper than just face value. Huehuecoyotl has been known to pull pranks and cause war for his own amusement and to satisfy his lust for entertainment. Along this line of entertainment comes music, some North American myths talk about how Huehuecoyotl had taught the natives the art of story telling and music, although the Aztecs have a different narrative, saying that they learned from the deity; not that they were taught. Personally I prefer to side with the Aztecs in this instance, as I like to put at least a little faith in the human creativity. Huehuecoyotl is typically depicted as a coyote for the very reason of coyotes being known for their music and laughter. I know this was a fairly small snippet of information and I sound like I’m regurgitating what I heard from a dictionary, but I promise I’m not. I feel connected with the deity most through music and my overall genial mood, I live my life to try and uplift other people so that they can have a little enjoyment in their existence. While I may be able to at least channel a little bit of my inner strength, most of my ability to make people laugh just comes from my patron god.

#Huehuecoyotl #aztec mythology #aztec gods #religion #deity worship

[bitchfitch]

I probably won't understand but I'm still open to hearing your thoughts about this it sounds interesting

the rest of the tags for context:

ok, Before i say anything else. I got excommunicated a few years ago and was raised in a Mexican Catholic community so like. Thats the context for a lot of this and i can not stress this enough, Spanish and Roman Catholicism are Very different about a lot of things, and Mexican Catholicism is a distillation of those differences and has a Lot of old school mesoamericana religions making up it's DNA and that is going to Color this discussion.

also it's 1:30 am and i have already taken my sedatives. Running on a clock now.

Ok, So. Basically. All angels are men in this specific branch of catholicism. Women angels are often depicted but they do not exist in actual theology. theres a lot to unpack there but we aren't. that's a can of worms for something else entirely.

But the way maleness is portrayed and depicted is extremely stagnant. it's been the same for absolutely ages. Men are warriors. Men die in battle. A man's worth is in his physical strength. it's all very Flat. There's a reason being Macho is such a Thing and goes back to this cultural ideal of what 'man' is.

what i was Poking at is that Lasha is an angel and was assigned Man. He's a cherub, no not like the babies with wings like the fuckers with flaming swords and biblical bloodlust, he was Made to fit this ideal of 'Man',

and that ideal is just not him. He's a man, he feels a connection with that label, but he's not a man in an angelic way. He's a man in a human way. He's a transman but he's not transitioning from female to male, he's transitioning Angelic male to Human male.

#no clue if any of this makes sense #nobody @ me about how that isnt at All how masculinity is portrayed in x branch of protestantism or the other branches of catholicism #the aztec influences are still Very much a Thing. #thats what happens when cultures are mixed together by force. blame the Spanish about it. #religion cw #i guess? idk you followed a blog with theocide in the title #religion was going to be discussed

[niishi]

my idea about Norton and fools gold is that fools gold is like a parasite with powers that came from the meteorite and it's mind control powers latched onto norton bc he was an easy target, and pushed him to do all that crazy stuff and once it had him where it needed him, it attached itself to nortons biology and mind and now they share a body.... honestly..... you know that "it's me or the PS5" meme? fools gold is like the PS5 speaking to Norton inside his brain, they don't need ppl, his free will is an illusion, etc. anyways fools gold has no control of the body unless nortons incapacitated somehow tho. so like when they're given drugs in the manor or if nortons killed/knocked out. but fools gold keeps him from being fully murdered bc it has control of his biology. anyways they're like twins where one got absorbed in the womb so now it's just two souls sharing a body (I know thats not how twins work but just go with it). I also feel like fools gold only has an ego and sense of self based off of nortons personality and experiences but it's not as weak minded as Norton so it is the more confident and less emotionally driven version of Norton. it probably calls Norton a pussy for being depressed and tells him to kill himself. anyways that's all my headcanon...... a lot of nortons story is influenced by the transition of Juan romero by hp Lovecraft where the horror is compared to the aztec god of solar&war huitzilopotchli, which is given human sacrifices(dead warriors etc), making Norton and his coworkers the "sacrifices". huitzilopotchli also takes on a physical form, usually an eagle, and I'm guessing Norton is representative of that. since in the hp Lovecraft tale, Juan romero fully died. also it would make sense why a powerful diety/Eldritch outer space horror would want to try to lead Norton to the manor at all. endless blood sacrifices for all of eternity. norton may have not received his mine full of gold but fools gold sure did.... smh.... anyways.....

#this aztec god isnt some horrifying monster tho #i believe both hp lovecraft and identity v alike #like to...... use religion and beliefs and spirituality and spin them in a horror perspective so #not very respectful representation

[mexicanistnet]

The Aztecs had a diverse and fascinating religion that blended beliefs from different eras and cultures. Aztec priests blended these diverse beliefs into a cohesive system that influenced everything from politics to weather forecasts.

#aztecs #aztec empire #aztec culture #aztec mythology #aztec gods #religion #Aztec priests

[itsbaku]

Oh so when Jesus tells people to drink his blood, that's ok. But when the Aztecs told Huitzilopochtli to accept the blood of the sacrifice, that's not ok???

White people man.

#jesus #jesus christ #christianity #huitzilopochtli #aztec gods #aztec mythology #aztec god #religion #white people #this is a joke ok #but it is pretty much true #the Aztecs really were like here's blood give us sun please #that's cool as fuck

[tlahuizkalli]

How to consolidate the idea of ometeotl? Storytelling is an integral part of indigenous culture and cultural perpetuity, since time immemorial indigenous people have been teaching wisdom, educating, guiding and inspiring themselves and others by storytelling. Stories that like the well known game of telephone, will over time become sensational, elaborate, embellished and sometimes even comical, and in the 500 years since colonization these stories continue being told and continue to grow and change alongside the story keepers. The concept of Ometeotl is no different.

It is imperative to highlight that Ometeotl is a concept that exists post contact and that needs to be taught and accepted by those who preach Ometeotl in community. However, it is just as important to understand that even with that understanding, Ometeotl is held as an integral character in the Chicanteca way of storytelling. The issue is that Ometeotl is told as a character that played a part in the cosmic balance keeping in pre contact times, seeing as how Ilwikakayotl is yet to be a consolidated religion we find ourselves at a point where we can still evolve these stories to fit a more truth meets myth narrative with one simple change in the way we explain Ometeotl. By starting his story with "Ometeotl showed himself to us when the white man came". With one simple tweak in way we share story and perpetuate culture we can respect the wishes of the greater Chicano Nation to continue in reverence of Ometeotl but also imbed the truth of when and how we came to know this aspect of Ipalnemoani.

#native american #aztec #ometeotl #indigenous #mexica religion #nahuatl #nahua #native #indigineous people #first nations #decolonize #indigenous spirituality #danza azteca