- Ometéotl, the god of duality
- Duality
- Differences between Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl
- Moyocoyani
- Without adoration
- Manifestations
- Tloque Nahuaque
- References
Ometéotl, whose name in Nahuatl can be translated as "double god or dual god", was the god of creation in Mexica mythology. This deity is also known as Moyocoyani, "the one who created himself": he was thought and invented to be the beginning and, later, generate everything that exists, both divine and human.
This deity has two different natures, a male, called Ometecuhtli, and a female, Omecihuatl. Uniting both facets, Ometéotl was the progenitor of the four main gods that participated in the creation, the Tezcatlipocas. Some authors, such as Léon Portilla, affirm that these four deities are manifestations of the primeval god.
Illustration by Ometéotl, from the book Mexico the way it was and is (1847)
Ometéotl is a very ancient god and no temples have been found in his honor. Some experts even doubt its existence. Others, on the other hand, affirm that it was a hardly known deity and that it only appears named, very frequently, in the writings of the upper class.
León Portilla points out that it is possible that the Mexica sages were in a process of unifying all the gods in this divinity. Despite his omnipresence, Ometéotl was not a god who intervened in the affairs of the gods he had created or of human beings.
Ometéotl, the god of duality
One of the least known and most mysterious gods in Mexica mythology is Ometéotl, the god of duality. Its name, in Nahuatl, refers to "two gods", since this deity has two different natures: Ometecuhtli (lord), male; and Omecihuatl (the lady), female.
Duality
As noted, one of the characteristics that make Ometéotl a peculiar god is the duality of his nature, with a male and a female facet. The first was represented by the day, while the female part appeared at night.
In his masculine aspect, the creator of everything that exists received the name of Ometecuhtli, while the feminine was known as Omecihuatl. They are, respectively, the Lord and the Lady of duality.
The two natures of Ometéotl were the progenitors of four gods who were granted the ability to create.
These gods were the red Tezcatlipoca, called Xipe Tótec and assigned to the east; the black Tezcatlipoca, simply called Tezcatlipoca and assigned to the north; the white Tezcatlipoca or Quetzalcoatl, assigned to the west; and the blue Tezcatlipoca, known as Huitzilopochtli and assigned to the south.
Tezcatlipoca represented in the Codex Borgia - Source: By Unknown author - This image was created with Adobe Photoshop., Public Domain
Ometéotl resided in Omeyocan. It was the point in the sky that was at the highest altitude.
Differences between Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl
Both natures of Ometéotl were identified with an animal: Ometecuhtli with the eagle and Omecihuatl with the serpent.
The second is considered by some experts as the divine feminine force, the cosmic Virgin. In addition to the serpent, she is also identified with the Moon. Ometecuhtli, meanwhile, is the representation of the Sun and the divine masculine force.
Moyocoyani
Ometéotl, the dual god, created himself out of nothing, something that earned him the name Moyocoyani. This deity was self-formed, which is why it is considered to be the verb of creation.
After thinking and inventing himself, the god set himself up as the beginning of everything and, from there, generated the creation of everything that exists. In addition, he was considered as responsible for the order of things to be maintained. Finally, since everything was derived from it, it was in charge of offering the cosmic energy that everything in the universe needs.
Omeyocán was his place of residence, at the highest point in the sky. This place was considered as the very center of the god and from there he engendered the gods and the forces of nature.
That center was also the central axis of the four cardinal points, which makes the god omnipresent. The Nahuas used to refer to the Omeyocán as "the navel of the Earth", "between the clouds" or "the region of the dead", among other names.
Without adoration
Ometéotl, unlike the rest of the deities, did not receive any type of cult. The reason, according to experts, was its greater antiquity, in addition to being a divinity hardly known by the people.
The data that is known about the dual god comes, for the most part, from the poetry and writings of the higher Mexica classes, in which many references to the god were made. However, there was no temple in his honor and no sacrifices were made to honor him.
Some sources, such as the Florentine Codex, place the god at the highest level of heaven, the place of duality. A Franciscan priest, André Thevet, translated a Nahuatl writing that reported the existence of a god named Ometecuhtli in that area of the sky. This same source affirmed that it was a dual deity with a feminine facet.
André Thevet (1584)
These found references have led some scholars, among whom Miguel León-Portilla stands out, to affirm that Ometéotl was seen by the Mexica as a transcendental divinity, with a nature similar to the Catholic trinity.
Manifestations
None of the sources that speak of this god relates that he ever intervened in the affairs of humanity. The only exception was when a woman was in labor, at which time Ometéotl took care of the birth so that everything went well.
On the other hand, the god is manifested in the four basic elements of the universe: water, earth, air and fire. Each of these manifestations is carried out through his children, who arose and are part of him.
Thus, the manifestation through water corresponds to Tlaloc, the one that is carried out through the earth corresponds to Tezcatlipoca, when the name of Ometéotl manifests itself with fire it would be Huitzilopochtli and, finally, when it does so through air it would be Quetzalcoatl.
Huitzilopochtli, described in the Codex Telleriano-Remensis - Source: Public Domain
Tloque Nahuaque
Another term with which Ometéotl is identified is that of Tloque Nahuaque, whose meaning is "what is close, what is in the circuit" or "owner of the fence and the together."
The dual god was present both in heaven and on earth and in his facet of Tloque Nahuaque he was omnipresent in the three directions of the cosmos.
Thus, it has the task of sustaining everything that exists in the Universe and on Earth, as well as the four cardinal points. The same is true of the region of the dead.
In this way, everything that exists and is true is thanks to his facet of Tloque Nahuaque. The entire Universe, in the three orientations that compose it, is based on it.
References
- Mythology.info. Ometéotl. Obtained from mythologia.info
- Original towns. Ometeotl. Obtained from pueblosoriginario.com
- Unknown Mexico. Ometéotl, the divine duality of the Mexica. Obtained from mexicodesconocido.com.mx
- Meehan, Evan. Ometeotl. Retrieved from mythopedia.com
- Cline, Austin. Ometeotl, God of Duality in Aztec Religion. Retrieved from learnreligions.com
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. Ometecuhtli. Retrieved from britannica.com
- Cartwright, Mark. Aztec Pantheon. Retrieved from ancient.eu