Mictlantecuhtli god

After all, mythology is storytelling at its finest. Mictlantecuhtli was the Aztec god of death who ruled over Mictlanthe land of the dead. Like Hadesthe Greek underworld, mictlantecuhtli god, Mictlan was where most people would spend their afterlife, regardless of moral standing. Mictlantecutli left stands next to Quetzalcoatl in this mictlantecuhtli god from the Codex Borgia.

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.

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.

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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 a skull, his eye sockets did contain eyeballs. His headdress was shown decorated with owl feathers and paper banners, and he wore a necklace of human eyeballs, while his earspools were made from human bones. 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. The worship of Mictlantecuhtli sometimes involved ritual cannibalism, with human flesh being consumed in and around the temple. His wife was Mictecacihuatl, and together they were said to dwell in a windowless house in Mictlan.

Mictlantecuhtli is the Aztec god of death in Aztec mythology. Along with his wife Mictecacihuatl, he ruled Mictlan, the Aztec underworld. He is also called Lord of the Land of the Dead and is associated with spiders, owls, bats, and the north or south direction. Mictlantecuhtli is similar to Hades or Lucifer as the lord of the land of the dead. He would watch over the souls that would come to Mictlan.

Mictlantecuhtli god

Not sure of the spelling? Try entering just the first three or four letters. Mictlantecuhtli is extremely skeletal with bonus horror bits — particularly his exposed liver which dangles cheekily from his chest cavity. But do not be repulsed for the horror is tempered with FUN! He is depicted as a grinning maniac with large cheerful teeth and wide staring eyes. He almost looks like an over-the-top game show host. Death was considered a much better prize than some boring old million-dollar check. With his bats, spiders and owls, Mictlantecuhtli offers all the creepy-crawly services you could possibly require for your Halloween parties. Role: In charge of: the Underworld Area of expertise: Underworld.

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Chinese Mythology Guide. 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. Article Talk. Some believe he lived in the most northern realm, while others believe the Aztec god switched between the nine hells. 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. Together with his wife, he was the most important Aztec god related to the underworld. The afterlife path was affected by how people died, which was mostly quite trivial. Then they created Mitlitlatteclet [Mictlantecuhtli] and Michitecaciglat [Mictecacihuatl], husband and wife, and these were the gods of the lower regions infierno [sic] , in which they were placed. OCLC New York: Oxford U Press. The Aztecs second ed. Mictlantecuhtli was most commonly depicted as a skeletal figure, though reliefs have also been found depicting him as a skull with eyes. Mictlantecuhtli appeared as a recurring character in the comic book series El Muerto: The Aztec Zombie. In Aztec mythology, after Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca created the world, they put their creation in order and placed Mictlantecuhtli and his wife, Mictecacihuatl, in the underworld.

Not only did Mictlantecuhtli hold dominion over the 10th day of the Aztec calendar, Itzcuintli Dog , but he also served as the 5th Lord of the Night and either the 6th or 11th Lord of the Day. Comparable to Yum Cimil of the Maya, Kedo of the Zapotec, and Tihuime of the Tarascan people, this god was intricately associated with the southern cardinal direction, as well as creatures like owls, spiders, and bats.

His wife was Mictecacihuatl , [5] and together they were said to dwell in a windowless house in Mictlan. Wikimedia Commons. The Oxford Encyclopedia of Mesoamerican Cultures. The last time that happened, a quail of all things scared him into a pit. Celtic Mythology Guide. Mictlantecuhtli is generally depicted as a six feet tall, blood-spattered skeleton with human eyeballs. Mictlantecuhtli was the Aztec god of death who ruled over Mictlan , the land of the dead. Greek Mythology Guide. Egyptian Mythology Guide. Created by the Tezcatlipocas [1] Codex Zumarraga. After Ometecuhtli and his wife Omecihuatl bore their four children, nothing important happened for years.