Cinteotl
In Aztec mythology , Cinteotl (from Nahuatl : centli , the maize and teotl , the god, also Centeotl or Centeocihuatl ) was one of the deities of maize and thus one of the Aztec fertility gods . He was the son of Piltzintecuhtli (seven flower), the god of the rising sun and hallucinogens, and Tlazolteotl (dirt eater), the goddess of lust, forbidden love and purification. He was considered the consort of Xochiquetzal (upright flower). Cinteotl was worshiped as early as the Toltec times. Its counterpart in Mayan mythology was Hun Nal Yeh .
Appearance
According to its association with the sowing, germination and growth of the food crop maize, Cinteotl is usually depicted as a youthful god. He wears a corn cob on his head as jewelry, and his face is sometimes crossed by a broken line. His skin is yellowish in color.
Corn gods
Maize was the main crop of the Aztecs. Accordingly, their mythology also dealt a lot with maize and assigned it not just one deity, but several. There were corn gods of both sexes. The females who were also introduced as teenagers included Chicomecoatl (Seven Snakes), Xilonen , the goddess of the young corn, Ilamatecutli (Old Mistress) and Xochiquetzal (Flower Feather ). Cinteotl was considered the male counterpart of Chicomecoatl and was closely associated with Xochipilli (flower prince), whose mythological meaning largely overlaps with the Macuilxochitls (five flowers).
Sacrificial cult
In keeping with the importance of maize as a source of food, the Aztecs practiced a complex sacrificial cult in honor of Cinteotl and its feminine aspect, Chicomecoatl. The high point of the sacrificial rituals for the two corn deities was the Aztec month of Hueytozoztli (Great Night Watch, also Uey Tocoztli), which lasted from April 15 to May 4. Flowers and leaves were sacrificed to the maize gods in houses and temples. There was a procession to the temple of the Chicomecoatl, as a result of which a prisoner was sacrificed. If there was no rain in the month of Hueytozoztli, children were also sacrificed in honor of the rain god Tlaloc .
literature
- Günter Lanczkowski, The Religion of the Aztecs, Maya and Inka , Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft Darmstadt (1989), ISBN 3-534-03222-5
- Karl Taube : Aztec and Maya myths , Phillip Reclam jun. Stuttgart (1994), ISBN 3-15-010427-0
- George C. Vaillant: The Aztecs , M. Dumont Schaumberg Verlag, Cologne (1957)
