Aztec creation myth
Like many other peoples, the Aztecs tried to explain the origin of the earth. The myths and ideas as well as the order in which the various earths or suns came into being are described here.
The formation of the four suns
According to the Aztecs, four other earths or "suns" preceded this earth, each of which was assigned to one of the elements fire, water, earth and wind. The assignment to the respective element denotes both the nature and the composition of the sun as well as the type of its setting.
The creation of the first sun began in the last of the thirteen heavens, where the creator couple Tonacatecuhtli (lord of livelihood), who is also called in some sources Ometecuhtli (lord of duality) and Tonacacihuatl ( lady of livelihood) or Ometcuialt (lady of duality) gave birth to four sons. First the red Tezcatlipoca (smoking mirror) was born, then the black Tezcatlipoca, which later played an important role in Aztec myths, the third Quetzalcoatl (feathered serpent) and the fourth the Aztec war and sun god, Huitzilopochtli .
The four brothers created the earth, the sea, the fire, the underworld, the heavens, the first human couple and the sacred calendar. The black Tezcatlipoca is said to have ruled over the first world, the earth sun Naai Ocelotl (Four Jaguars ), which was populated by giants so strong that they could uproot trees with their bare hands. But when Quetzalcoatl Tezatlipoca thrust into the sea with a stick and it rose again from the water, he turned into a mighty jaguar. On his return from the floods, a crowd of angry jaguars follows him, pouncing on the giants and devouring them completely.
Quetzalcoatl ruled over the next sun, the wind sun Naui Eecatl (four winds). Quetzalcoatl was overthrown by Tezcatlipoca by kicking Quetzalcoatl to the ground. Because of this, like all humanity, it was seized by a mighty wind and blown away. The descendants of this human race are said to be the monkeys that swing back and forth high up in the trees.
The third sun, Naui Quiauitl (Four Rain), is ruled by the rain god Tlaloc, which in turn was destroyed by Quetzalcoatl through the rain of fire. This rain of fire is said to have turned people into turkeys. Tlaloc's wife Chalchiuhtlicue ("those with the jade skirt"), the goddess of rivers and stagnant waters, was the mistress of the fourth sun, the water sun Naui Atl (four waters). A great flood destroyed this earth, after which the people became fish.
The formation of the fifth sun
There are several myths about the origin of the fifth sun, Naui Ollin (Four Movements or Four Earthquakes), which is ruled by Tonantzin . In one version, Tezcatlipoca, Quetzalcoatl, and four other deities joined the creator couple. Together they laid four paths to the center of the earth and raised the sky with all its regions. To support and carry the sky, Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl turned into two mighty trees.
In another version, Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl create the earth by jointly dismembering the earth monster Tlaltecuhtli by turning into giant snakes, turning around Tlatecuhtli's body and tearing it to pieces, while the upper part of the earth monster turned into the earth and the lower part in the heavenly regions. The other gods were outraged by the killing of Tlaltecuhtli and decided to appease the battered earth by making the body of Tlatlecuhtli the origin of all people and vital plants. Her hair grew into trees, flowers and herbs, and her skin also sprouted grass and wildflowers. Her eyes formed fountains, springs and small grottos, her mouth the rivers and large caves. Mountain ranges and valleys emerged from their noses. At night one should still hear the earth goddess screaming, who asks for blood and human hearts, which one has to bring to her so that she can be appeased and continue to let fruits and plants flourish for the people.
After the earth and humans as well as their food had been created, the gods consulted at Teotihuacán , which of them should become the sun of this earth, the Naui Ollin sun of motion . An arrogant god named Tecuciztecal volunteered for the task ; the humble and leper nanahuatzin was chosen by the other gods as the second applicant . While the two were practicing penance and fasting for several days on two hills built for them, the pyre was being prepared for the sacrifice. The offerings of the Tcuciztecals consisted of only the most precious and exquisite materials, but those of the Nanahuatzin were of little value. After the fourth day of penance, the other gods took the two chosen ones and dressed them. Tcuciztecal was richly adorned, whereas Nanahuatzin was only dressed in a simple paper robe. The other gods surrounded the pyre, which had been burning for four days, and called Tecuciztcal with loud shouts to jump into the flames. However, even after the fourth attempt, Tcuciztecal failed to throw himself into the flames and stopped each time in fear. Then the gods called for Nanhuatzin, who, without looking back and hesitating, ran to the flames and jumped into it. Then Tecuciztecal overcame himself and also plunged into the flames, followed by the eagle and jaguar, the eagle's wing tips scorching and the fur of the jaguar was covered with burn marks.
The gods looked eagerly at the sky and waited for the two to return. The sky gradually turned red and in the east Nanhuatzin reappeared as the mighty bright sun god Tonatiuh. Shortly afterwards, Tcuciztecal appeared in the east, also brightly lit. The gods feared that the new world would not stand so much light, for this reason one of the gods ran out and threw a rabbit in Tcuciztecal's face. Due to the injury, Tcuciztecal's radiance was weakened. This is why the moon shines less brightly than the sun. Although the sun and moon were present, they did not move. The gods came to the conclusion that they had to sacrifice themselves in order to set the sun in motion. One god after the other was sacrificed by Quetzalcoatl methodically cutting out their hearts with a sacrificial knife and wrapping this together with their jewelery in their garments.
The sacrifice of the gods at Teotihuacan created the sun of movement. Just as the gods had to sacrifice themselves, people should also sacrifice their hearts and their blood in order to keep the fifth sun in its orbit and in motion and thus to ensure the continued existence of all life.
literature
- Laack, Isabel (2019). Aztec religion and art of writing. Investigating embodied meaning, indigenous semiotics, and the Nahua sense of reality. Suffer; Boston: Brill.
- Soustelle, Jacques (1993). Aztec life. Mexico on the eve of the Spanish conquest. 3rd edition Zurich: Manesse-Verl.
- Taube, Karl (1994). Aztec and Mayan myths. Stuttgart: Reclam.
- Vaillant, George Clapp (1957). The Aztecs: Origins, Rise and Fall of a Mexican People. Cologne: DuMont Schauberg
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Aztec solar disk | Norbert Giesow. Accessed January 1, 2020 (German).
- ↑ Ulrike Peters: Philosophy of the Aztecs. In: Intercultural Library. Hamid Reza Yousefi, Klaus Fischer, Ram Adhar Mall Hermann-Josef Scheidgen and Ina Braun, 2010, accessed on January 1, 2020 .
- ↑ Iris Gareis: In the light of the sun and the moon. In: Research Frankfurt. February 2015, accessed January 1, 2020 .