The Aztec

The Aztecs had a peculiar belief about their gods: The gods lived off of human blood. People would be sacrificed to the gods; some even had contests to determine the sacrifices. In the religion of the Aztec, the gods could die if sacrifices were not made. Their simple belief:no blood, no gods, no universe. The Aztec thought they existed to serve the gods; the gods weren't there to help them. The gods weren't immortal; they lived, died and were reincarnated just like everything else in their culture. Also, many gods had "duality". Sometimes they would help, and other times they harmed.

So, who were the gods themselves? These are just an important few (the Aztec had gods for anything and everything.)

Coatlicue: Coatlicue was the Lady of the Serpent Skirt. She was the goddess of the earth, who wore a skirt of snakes and a necklace made of human hearts (which might signify that she loved getting sacrifices). Some statues depict her with sharp claws.

Huitzilopochtl: Huitzilopochtl was the Hummingbird of the South, the sun god and the war god. When great warriors died, the Aztec believed they turned into hummingbirds and followed Huitzilopochtl across the sky.  His color was blue, his direction south.

Ometecuhtli: Ometecuhtli was the Dual Lord; the god who was both the mother and father of the gods.

Quetzalcoatl: Quetzalcoatl was the Feathered Serpent. He was Tezcatlopica's ultimate rival, who was associated with the west and the color white. He was the god of the  planet Venus and twins. He was also a peaceful god who refused human sacrifices, instead accepting jade and animal sacrifices. Long ago, he was defated by Tezcatlopica, so he sailed away to the east on a raft of serpents. The Aztec believed Quetzalcoatl would return one day, and so they waited. When the explorer Cortez sailed in, many, many years later, the Aztec believed that he was Quetzalcoatl.

Tezcatlopica: Tezcatlopica was the Lord of the Smoking Mirror. He ruled over the night sky (which might mean he also ruled the stars). His color was black and his direction was north. He also carried a mirror that could see into someone's heart. He can take the form of a jaguar, but no matter his form, his dual personality could bring one person fortune and another disaster

Tlaloc: Tlaloc was a Growth-Maker, and the god of rain and fertility.

Xipe Totec: Xipe Totec was the Flayed Lord. His double personality led him to be the god of vegetation and growth, as well as torture and sacrifice. His color was red; his direction was east.

These are just the most famous gods; there were all kinds of others (and four hundred rabbits, too.) A website with a full Aztec gods encyclopedia is http://www.godchecker.com/pantheon/aztec-mythology.php.

 

Above: Quetzalcoatl

Below: Statue of Coatlicue

Above: Huitzilopochtl

Below: Tlaloc

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