Aztec Gods and Goddesses





Religion was extremely important in Aztec life. They worshipped many gods and goddesses, each of whom ruled one or more human activities or aspects of nature. The people had many agricultural gods because their culture was based heavily on farming; also they included natural elements and ancestor-heroes.

They believed that the balance of the natural world, the processes that make life possible - like the rain or solar energy - and that the destiny of people depended on the will of these gods. While some deities were benevolent, others had terrifying characteristics.

The Aztecs thought that the power of the gods should be acknowledged and thanks given to them, in the form of gifts so as to avoid the catastrophes that their rage or indifference could cause. For this reason, the monumental ceremonial centers were built and there were so many religious rites. The existence of the gods and their goodwill were maintained by offering up the most valuable human possession, life. This then, was the origin of human sacrifice and the ritual of bearing intense physical pain, which believers intentionally caused themselves.




Deity Impersonation

An important aspect of Aztec ritual was the impersonation of deities. Priests or otherwise specially elected individuals would be dressed up to achieve the likeness of a specific deity. A person with the honorable charge of impersonating a god was called "ixiptlatli" and was venerated as an actual physical manifestation of the god - until the inevitable end when the god's likeness had to be killed as the ultimate sacrifice under great circumstance and festivities.




Aztec Gods


Centeotl

Corn god. Son of Tlazolteotl and husband of Xochiquetzal.




Chalchiuhtlicue




Chantico




Chicomecoatl




Cihuacoatl




Coatlicue




Coyolxauhqui




Ehecatl




Huehueteotl




Huitzilopochtli




Itzpalotl




Ixtlilton




Macuilxochitl




Metztli




Mictlan




Mictecacihuatl




Mictlantecuhtle




Mixcoatl




Nanauatzin




Ococaltzin




Omacatl




Ometecutli/Omecihuatl




Ometochtli




Opochtli




Patecatl




Paynal




Quetzalcoatl The Feathered Serpent





Tecciztecatl




Teoyaomqui




Tepeyollotl




Tepoztecatl




Tezcatlipoca




Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli




Tlaloc




Tlazolteotl




Tloque Nuhaque




Tonacatecuhtli




Tonatiuh




Tonantzin




Tzitzimime




Xilonen




Xipe Totec




Xiuhtecuhtli




Xochiquetzal




Xochiquetzal




Xolotl




Yacatecuhtli





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