Mixcóatl was a Mesoamerican god who identified himself with hunting and everything related to the heavens or the stars. The translation of the name means "serpent of the cloud", which was the way that many of the ancient settlers of Mesoamerica had to refer to the Milky Way that was present in the dark skies.
For many, Mixcóatl is an evolution of a hunter who was turned into a deity. The writings say that this hunter guided the communities of the Toltec and Chichimec cultures in the central part of Mexico, where he would later have mutated into Mixcóatl.
Representation of Mixcóatl. Source:, via Wikimedia Commons.
According to Mexican mythology, he is the father of the god Quetzalcóatl, one of the most important gods of the pre-Hispanic period in Mexico. In turn, depending on the traditions or culture, Mixcóatl was the descendant of the gods Tonacatecuhtli and Tonacacihuatl. For others he was the son of the goddess Itzpapalotl, who was the goddess of the Earth.
He was sometimes referred to as the god Camaxtli, since according to the mythology of the Tlaxcala culture he was the god of war and hunting.
Origin
According to Nahuatl ideas about the origin of the cosmos, the presence of Mixcóatl occurs from the origin of the universe. For the Toltec communities at the beginning in the universe only one sky was present that was called the thirteenth.
Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl lived in this sky, gods who had four descendants: the red Tezcatlipoca, the black, the white and the blue. Each was a god admired by different cultures. In the case of the red Tezcatlipoca, it also received the name Camaxtli.
It took over 600 years for these deities to come together. His goal was to establish certain laws in the universe.
Camaxtli acquired a responsibility just like the other deities. Her realm of influence was hunting. It received the name of Mixcóatl, although in some cases it was identified thanks to the union of the names Mixcóatl and Camaxtli.
Associations
Mixcóatl was linked to other gods of Mesoamerican mythology. Since his kingdom is related to the heavens, the Centzon Huitznahua were considered to be his children. The Centzon Huitznahua were a total of 400 gods that represented the southern stars.
She was considered the main deity of the Chichimec and Otomí cultures, located in the central part of Mexico. Even some other communities claimed to be descendants of Mixcóatl. He was the father of Quetzalcoatl, perhaps the most relevant figure of the Toltec culture, whose name means feathered serpent.
The Aztecs replaced the figure of Mixcóatl to make way for a new god of war, whose name was Huitzilopochtli.
During the origin of the universe it was known as the Red Tezcatlipoca. This supreme entity evolved in Mixcóatl. From that moment on he was linked with lightning, thunder and the direction of the north.
Rituals
The Aztec calendar was divided into 18 months, month 14 being a representation of Mixcóat and receiving the name of Quecholli, after a type of bird. During this month, parties and hunts were held on Mount Zacatepetl, which served to honor this god of Mesoamerican mythology.
In these rituals, the usual thing was for hunters to use costumes similar to those of their gods. They created arrows and fires were lit for rituals and to commemorate the deity and all her favors or gifts.
The women of the Mesoamerican communities had the task of taking their youngest children to these rituals so that they would dance with the priestesses of Mixcóatl. These priestesses received the name of cihuatlamacazque, who held these children in their arms for some time.
It was also common to make sacrifices with human blood before Mixcóatl. Some historians considered that Mixcóatl was also venerated in the fifth month of the Aztec calendar, known as Toxcatl (in reference to the drought). During this month it was normal to pay honors with hunting animals and sacrificial rituals.
characteristics
There are several evidences of how Mesoamerican cultures represented the Mixcoatl god. The most famous proof is in the British Museum in London. There the god of Mesoamerican mythology is embodied in the handle of a device used to launch darts, golden in color, made of hard wood of Aztec origin.
In this object located in London, Mixcóatl was represented with a mask with imposing fangs. The god used spools on his ears, which were shaped like deer hooves, while on his head, Mixcóatl had a headdress decorated by feathers of an eagle fighting a rattlesnake.
Mixcóatl was also represented in some Mexican codices. In these codex his image was adorned by red and white stripes along his body. He also had a black mask placed high on his face and also featured eagle feathers.
Mixcóatl had a similarity with other deities that were related to the sky and the stars. And sometimes he was depicted with stars on his face.
The normal thing was that Mixcóatl had with him a bow and a large number of arrows. He had nets to hunt and sometimes his representation was even made while killing a jaguar. This image was a very effective way to remember his work as the god of hunters.
Mixcóatl for the Toltecs
For the Toltecs, Mixcóatl was initially characterized as simply a mortal. Later he gained great prominence for his exploits when hunting and as a guide for warrior groups.
From that moment he received his status as a deity. It had many similarities to the story of Greek mythology in which Hercules was spoken of.
The Toltec culture had its most important peak from the 10th century to the middle of the 12th century in some areas of central Mesoamerica. According to legend, the head of the community (considered a kind of cacique) and whose name was Ce Tecpatl Mixcoatl, guided his community to the desert areas of the northwestern part until they reached Culhuacan.
References
- Andrews, T. (2000). Dictionary of nature myths. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Bancroft, H. (1883). The works of Hubert Howe Bancroft. San Francisco: AL Bancroft.
- Kelley, D. (1980). Astronomical identities of Mesoamerican gods. Miami, Fla.: Institute of Maya Studies.
- Lafaye, J. (1976). Actes du XLIIe Congrès international des américanistes (6th ed.). Paris: Société des Américanistes.
- Noguez, X., & López Austin, A. (2013). Of men and gods. Michoacán: College of Michoacán.