Ometeotl

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Ometeotl ("two gods") was a dual god in the henotheistic world of the Aztecs , to whom a higher power than the majority of other gods was ascribed. Ometeotl was intended as a divine couple and consisted of a male component, Ometecutli ("two-man"), and its female counterpart, Omecihuatl ("two-woman"). Ometeotl ruled Omeyocan ("two-place"), which was associated with the North Star because it stood motionless in the sky. The special role of Ometeotl is also expressed in the fact that he was dubbed icel teotl ("only God"). The Mexican anthropologist Miguel León-Portilla translated Ometeotl as "Lord of Duality". An Aztec poem illustrates the unity of this duality:

"Mother of the gods, father of the gods, old god [...] you old god, lord of turquoise"

According to the Aztec belief, Ometeotl created Cemanahuatl , i.e. the universe, and gave people their souls. So it says:

"[...] in the twelfth heaven, we who are subjects, from there comes our soul, [...] it sends down Ometecutli."

Precisely because Ometeotl was conceived as an all-embracing god who was enthroned beyond the lower gods, the Aztecs assumed that he did not interfere in the immediate concerns of life. Therefore, temples were not consecrated to him, nor was he directly worshiped. However, the quality vel teotl (true god) has also been attributed to other names in the Aztec pantheon: Tezcatlipoca , Xiuhtecuhtli, and Tloque Navaque (omnipresent god); perhaps a consequence of different traditions of rival priest schools.

literature

supporting documents

  1. ↑ Heike Owusu: Symbols of the Inca, Maya and Aztecs , page 189
  2. ↑ Eduard Seler: Some chapters from the history of Fray Bernardino de Sahagun , quoted from Günter Lanczkowski
  3. ↑ Eduard Seler: Some chapters from the history of Fray Bernardino de Sahagun , quoted from Günter Lanczkowski
  4. ↑ Günter Lanczkowski, The Religion of the Aztecs, Maya and Inka , page 40