Centzon Huitznahua
In Aztec mythology , the Centzon Huitznahua ( Nahuatl : the four hundred or the innumerable southerners , also Centzonuitznaua ) were considered the gods of the southern stars. They were the sons of Coatlicue and the brothers of the moon goddess Coyolxauhqui . The gods of the northern stars were called Centzon Mimixcoa (the four hundred cloud serpents ). The Centzon Huitznahua are associated with the four hundred pulque gods.
The role of Centzon Huitznahua in Huitzilopochtli's birth
In the Codex Florentinus , Bernardino de Sahagun describes a central myth of the Aztec world of gods. One day, the chaste Coatlicue is said to have found a ball of feathers that she tucked under her skirt. However, the ball of feathers made her pregnant, so that her body soon revealed that she was expecting a child. When the Centzon Huitznahua noticed this, they demanded clarification as to who the father of the child was and were finally instigated by Coyolxauhqui to carry out an attempted murder on their mother, by whom they felt dishonored. Coatlicue was deeply shocked by the intentions of her children, but she was comforted by Huitzilopochtli , who had already grown up in her womb. When the Centzon Huitznahua, led by their sister , approached the Coatepec to carry out the murder, Coatlicue gave birth to their son Huitzilopochtli, who was armed with a turquoise snake. With that he dismembered his half-sister Coyolxauhqui and killed most of the Centzon Huitznahua. A couple of them escaped south.
literature
- Karl Taube : Aztec and Maya myths , Phillip Reclam jun. Stuttgart (1994), ISBN 3-15-010427-0
Web links
supporting documents
- ↑ Karl Taube: Aztec and Mayan Myths , page 78