Creation Myth
The Aztecs believed that in the beginning of the world, there was only darkness. A great god named Ometeotl viewed this darkness in complete solitude. However, one day, Ometeotl gave birth to four other gods. These gods created the world, filling it with giants.
The god named Tezcatlipoca the Jaguar, transformed himself into the sun. He governed the world but then, the god Quetzalcoatl knocked Tezcatlipoca into the ocean with a club. Quetzalcoatl then turned himself into the sun. He appointed himself governor of the world and created people in order to populate the earth. Tezcatlipoca returned and knocked Quetzalcoatl out of the sky. A great wind tore across the world, destroying everything except for a few people, who were transformed into monkeys. Sequentially, the god Tlaloc became the sun. Then he also repopulated the earth with another group of people. However, in an attempt to regain his throne, Quetzalcoatl sent a rain of fire down upon the earth. This killed all of Tlaloc’s people except the few that were turned into birds. Additionally, the goddess Chalchiuhtlicue became the sun. Consequently, during this war between the deities, Tezcatlipoca caused great floods to engulfed the earth. All of the people drowned except for those who were transformed into fish. Due to Tezcatlipoca’s actions, the entire earth was emerged in water, with no land in sight. Eventually, Tezcatlopoca and Quetzalcoatl ceased their bickering and lifted the waters off of the earth. Quetzalcoatl then went to the land of the dead where the bones of the people lay untouched. He tricked the god of the underworld, Mictlantechutli, into letting him take back the bones of the people back into the world. Quetzalcoatl then cut himself and let his own blood drip onto the bones. The bones transformed into living, breathing people, the Aztecs. To signify gratitude ttowards Quetzalcoatl for giving them life, through rebirth the Aztecs sacrificed people on special holidays through various rituals.. |