Mictlantecuhtli god

Mictlantecuhtli was 6 feet tall, and was depicted as a blood-spattered skeleton or a person wearing a toothy skull. Although his head was typically mictlantecuhtli god skull, his eye sockets did contain eyeballs.

After all, mythology is storytelling at its finest. Mictlantecuhtli was the Aztec god of death who ruled over Mictlan , the land of the dead. Like Hades , the Greek underworld, Mictlan was where most people would spend their afterlife, regardless of moral standing. Mictlantecutli left stands next to Quetzalcoatl in this page from the Codex Borgia. Together, the two deities represent the binary of life and death.

Mictlantecuhtli god

He is one of the principal gods of the Aztecs and is the most prominent of several gods and goddesses of death and the underworld. The worship of Mictlantecuhtli sometimes involved ritual cannibalism , with human flesh being consumed in and around the temple. Two life-size clay statues of Mictlantecuhtli were found marking the entrances to the House of Eagles to the north of the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan. Mictlantecuhtli was considered 6 feet 1. He was not the only Aztec god to be depicted in this fashion, as numerous other deities had skulls for heads or else wore clothing or decorations that incorporated bones and skulls. In the Aztec world, skeletal imagery was a symbol of fertility, health and abundance, alluding to the close symbolic links between life and death. His wife was Mictecacihuatl , [5] and together they were said to dwell in a windowless house in Mictlan. Mictlantecuhtli was associated with spiders , [7] owls , [7] bats , [7] the 11th hour, and the northern compass direction, known as Mictlampa, the region of death. Mictlantecuhtli and his wife were the opposites and complements of Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl , the givers of life. Mictlantecuhtli was the god of the day sign Itzcuintli dog , [5] one of the 20 such signs recognised in the Aztec calendar , and was regarded as supplying the souls of those who were born on that day. He was seen as the source of souls for those born on the sixth day of the day week and was the fifth of the nine Night Gods of the Aztecs. He was also the secondary Week God for the 10th week of the week cycle of the calendar , joining the sun god Tonatiuh to symbolise the dichotomy of light and darkness.

Like several other early Aztec godsMictlantecuhtli was not born to another god, but was instead created by Xipe TotecTezcatlipocaQuetzalcoatland Huitzilopochtli during their construction of the universe. The shattered bones were collected by Quetzalcoatl and mictlantecuhtli god back to the land of the living, where the gods transformed them into the various races of mortals, mictlantecuhtli god.

Mictlantecuhtli is the god of death in ancient Aztec religion and was also one of the rulers of the Aztec underworld, Mictlan. The interaction between life and death in Aztec religion is circular. Death is a necessity since it prepares you for a new life. As the Aztec god of death, Mictlantecuhtli also played a key role in the creation of life. Aztec god of death Mictlantecuhtli is a fascinating god in an already fascinating set of underworld gods. Mictlan is the place over which he ruled, which is the name for the Aztec underworld. His residence consisted of nine layers.

As a god of death , Mictlantecuhtli ruled over the Aztec version of Hell and was typically portrayed either with a skull for a head or as an entire skeleton. Mictlantecuhtli played a significant role in Aztec myths, most notably their creation stories. This article outlines the main myths about Mictlantecuhtli below, and his symbolism and relevance today. In most of his depictions or visual representations, he is shown as a bloodied skeleton or a man with a skull for a head. However, he is also always covered with royal garments such as a crown, sandals, and others.

Mictlantecuhtli god

After all, mythology is storytelling at its finest. Mictlantecuhtli was the Aztec god of death who ruled over Mictlan , the land of the dead. Like Hades , the Greek underworld, Mictlan was where most people would spend their afterlife, regardless of moral standing. Mictlantecutli left stands next to Quetzalcoatl in this page from the Codex Borgia. Together, the two deities represent the binary of life and death. Mictlantecuhtli was most commonly depicted as a skeletal figure, though reliefs have also been found depicting him as a skull with eyes. In the Aztec universe, each of the cardinal directions was associated with one of the godly realms. Like several other early Aztec gods , Mictlantecuhtli was not born to another god, but was instead created by Xipe Totec , Tezcatlipoca , Quetzalcoatl , and Huitzilopochtli during their construction of the universe. Such an arrangement was not usual; Aztec mythology frequently featured binary gods usually in male-female pairs who would share power over their respective domains of influence. Mictecacihuatl Mictlantecutli's wife is usually depicted with an open mouth so that she may receive the setting stars.

Etereshop

The first references to Mictlantecuhtli appear early on, way before the Aztec empire. New York: Oxford U Press. Aztecs believed that close to every single member of society had to make the trip to the underworld. His wife was Mictecacihuatl , [5] and together they were said to dwell in a windowless house in Mictlan. In fact, a god impersonator was habitually sacrificed to worship the Aztec god of the underworld. The shattered bones were collected by Quetzalcoatl and carried back to the land of the living, where the gods transformed them into the various races of mortals. The Aztecs second ed. The nine levels of Mictlan were not just a fun design that Mictlantecuhtli thought of. Mictlantecuhtli appeared as a recurring character in the comic book series El Muerto: The Aztec Zombie. ISBN Dead people were buried or burned with a myriad of goods to sustain this long journey through the underworld. Mictlantecuhtli is generally depicted as a six feet tall, blood-spattered skeleton with human eyeballs. He was one of the principal gods of the Aztecs and was the most prominent of several gods and goddesses of death and the underworld. However, one of the other Aztec gods, Quetzalcoatl , thought he could test Mictlantecuhtli a bit.

Mythology Origin, Worship, and Connection to the Underworld. Mictlantecuhtli was the Aztec god of death and the principle god of the underworld. Throughout Mesoamerican culture, they practiced human sacrifice and ritual cannibalism to placate this god.

Upon arrival in Mictlan these goods were offered to Mictlantecuhtli and his wife. Sometimes, Mictlantecuhtli was wearing clothes of paper and used human bones as earplugs. Wiki Content. Ruling over the realm where almost every single person goes after their death can be quite stressful. The flesh of the impersonator was eaten, emphasizing the close relation of Mictlantecuhtli with ritual cannibalism. The shattered bones were collected by Quetzalcoatl and carried back to the land of the living, where the gods transformed them into the various races of mortals. In the Aztec universe, each of the cardinal directions was associated with one of the godly realms. For the comic book character, see Mictlantecuhtli comics. Gallery [ ]. Although it did work, Quetzalcoatl managed to escape with the bones. Greek Mythology Guide. S2CID Following this hiatus, their children—Xipe Totec, Tezcatlipoca, Quetzalcoatl, and Huitzilopochtli—began the process of constructing the cosmos.