Tonantzin
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Tonantzin ( Nahuatl : 'our adored mother' or 'mother of gods') was one of the most important goddesses of pre-Hispanic Mexico ; she was mostly revered under different surnames or aspects.
history
Not much is known about the history of the goddess. Perhaps it was originally a separate mother or fertility deity, whose characteristics were enriched or superimposed over time by various aspects of other goddesses ( syncretism ). There are no known portraits of Tonantzin himself, but many of their (possible) manifestations in other female gods such as Coatlicue , Chicomecoatl , Cihuacóatl, Citlalicue and others. She is sometimes seen by researchers as Quetzalcoatl's mother , and on other occasions as his wife.
In a report by the Franciscan Bernardino de Sahagún from the middle of the 16th century, the cult of Tonantzin is described - there it says:
“One of these [cult places] was a small hill that they [the Indians] called Tepeacac and the Spaniards Tepequilla, which is now called 'Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe'. In this place there was a temple dedicated to the mother of all gods, whom they called Tonantzin, which means 'our mother'. There they made many offerings in honor of the goddess; they came to her from far away - from more than 20 miles around [...] Men, women and children came to this festival. "
Bernardino de Sahagún clearly identifies a relationship with the place of worship of Tonantzins and Our Lady of Guadelupe .
See also
literature
- Jacques Lafaye: Quetzalcoatl and Guadalupe. The Formation of Mexican National Consciousness. University of Chicago Press, 1976, ISBN 978-0-226-46788-7 .
- Blanca Solares: Madre terrible: the diosa en la Religón del México antiguo. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , México 2007, ISBN 978-84-7658-832-1 .