The Aztec Gods

       The Aztecs worshiped many deities during ancient times. Some of them are Centeotl, Quetzalcoatl, Chalchiuhtlicue, Huitzilopochtli, and Tlaloc. The first deity, Centeotl, is the god of maize or corn. He is the son of Tlazolteotl, the goddess of fertility and childbirth. His name means "Maize cob Lord." Centeotl is pictured as a young man with maize cobs and ears sprouting from his head. He is shown holding a scepter with green cob ears. Centeotl's female counterpart is Chicomecóatl. Both of them oversaw the different stages in the maturation of maize. The second deity, Quetzalcoatl, is the god of civilization. His symbol is the serpent with quetzal feathers. Quetzalcoatl's name means Feathered Serpent and also represents life, laughter, sexuality, farming, music, and many other things. His name symbolizes the quetzal bird who represents the heavens and the wind. The snake represents the earth and fertility. Also his name means "precious twin" because he has a twin brother named Xolotl. The third deity known to the Aztecs was Chalchiuhtlicue, the goddess of lakes and streams. She is a patroness or a female sponsor of birth and she also plays a part in Aztec baptism. Her husband was Tlaloc and with him she was the mother of Tecciztecatl and the ruler over Tlalocan. She has an aquatic aspect named Acuecucyoticihuati, the goddess of oceans, rivers, and any other running water. She was a patroness of women in labor. It is said that Acuecucyoticihuati was the wife of Xiuhtecuhtli.  The fourth god was Huitzilopochtli, the god of war,  of the sun, and of death. His name is the same as the Nahuatl words huitzilin which means "hummingbird," and opochtli which means "left."His name actually means "the resuscitated warrior of the south." Huitzilopochtli has other names such as Xiuhpilli, "Turquoise Prince," and Totec, "Our Lord." They say that his animal disguise was the eagle. And the last deity is Tlaloc, the god of rain, fertility, and lightning. The Aztec's pictured him as a man wearing a net of clouds, a crown of heron feathers, foam sandals, and carrying rattles to make thunder. Tlaloc means "he who makes things sprout."

 

Tlaloc, the god of rain

 References:

1. http://www.allabouthistory.org/tlaloc-faq.htm

2. http://archaeology.about.com/od/caterms/a/Centeotl.htm

3. http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Quetzalcoatl.aspx

4. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/597478/Tlaloc

5. http://www.ancient.eu/Tlaloc/

6. http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Pr-Sa/Quetzalcoatl.html