Aztec Gods

The gods were named Coatlicue, who represented the pain of life. She had serpent skin (to resemble poverty), claws, and a heart necklace. Tezcatlipoca, who was the god of magic, war and death, had a missing foot, which was eaten by the earth monster. He is also the “smoking mirror”. Quetzalcoatl was the god of wind, creation, knowledge, and priesthood. Xipe Totec, who was the god of spring, new life, and suffering. He wore human skin. Xochipilli, who was the prince of flowers, dawn, dance, and love. He represented eternity. Huehuetecti, who was the god of fire. The Aztecs believed him to be a toothless old man. Tloque Nahuazque, who was lord of everywhere, he was the one supreme force. (He was both male and female?) Chantico, who was the goddess of the hearth. Tlaloc, who was the god of rain. He was fifty percent human and fifty percent alligator. Mictlantecuhtl, who was the god of the dead. Only people who died of natural causes went to live with this god. Chalchiuhtlicue, who was the goddess of the lakes and streams. Chicomecoatl, who was the goddess of maize. Tezcatlipoca, who was the god of fate and creation. Huitzilopochtli, who was the god of war, sun, and the nation. The Aztecs believed him to always carry a fire breathing serpent and a shield. All of the gods and goddesses live in a place called Talocan.

The Aztec creation story goes something like this. Coatlique, the lady of the skirt of snakes was the mother of the Aztec creation story. She was decorated with skulls, snakes, and lacerated hands. She was first impregnated by an obsidian knife and gave birth to the goddess of the moon and the stars. She then became pregnant again. Her children (the stars and the goddess of the moon) were very ashamed of her and did not believe her. So they plotted to kill her. While they were planning to kill her, she gave birth to the god of war who killed all of the other children. Later… Ometecuhlti and his wife Omecihuatl created all the life that is now in this world.

As a Christian I must personally say that I do not believe in the Aztec creation story and that the only true Creation story is recorded in Genesis. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”-Gen. 1:1 This one sentence already has showed why the Aztec creation story is false. The Aztecs said that two gods who threw themselves in some flames created the sun and moon. While the Genesis Creation account states “God made two great lights- the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night.” Gen 1:16. Also, in the Aztec creation story the gods fight at the “beginning of time.” This tells me that they do not have “godlike” qualities because they were acting like humans. The one true God does not fight and can’t sin. The Aztecs believed in human sacrifices. One sacrifice is that a prisoner is skinned alive and the skin is worn by one of the high priests. Although in the Old Testament there were sacrifices, we no longer do sacrifices. Jesus was crucified on the cross for our sins.