Tlazoltéotl was a Mexican goddess of the earth and fertility. It had a very important position in Aztec mythology, although it began as a deity of the Huastec communities. She was considered the mother of Centeotl, who was the god of corn and therefore the god of food. She had different stages in which she was known by different names.
At first this goddess received the name of Ixcuinan and was named goddess of vegetation when she was part of the Huasteca culture. Later, the Aztecs included her in their beliefs but called her Teteo Innan, which meant the mother of the gods.
Illustration of the goddess Tlazoltéotl, as described in a codex. Source:, via Wikimedia Commons.
Finally it was named Tlazoltéotl and it became a symbol of different things. Represented fertility and childbirth, but also served as a protection of sensuality, some sexual elements and protector of prostitutes.
History
This deity had two husbands. She first joined Tláloc and later Tezcatlipoca. Its origin is in the Huastec communities, but its impact was also important in other cultures such as the Mixtec and the Olmec.
The name Tlazoltéotl comes from the Nahuatl culture and means goddess of filth. This occurs by joining Tlazol (which means dirty, old or filthy) with teotl (goddess).
Some scriptures represented her with a position that resembles that of giving birth in Aztec culture.
A month of the Aztec calendar was granted to this deity, which corresponds to month XI. It received the name of Ochpaniztli.
characteristics
This deity is full of contradictions. On the one hand, he symbolized the anguish of sexually transmitted diseases, but he also took care of curing them with medicines. She served as a muse for sexual deviance, but she also condemned them.
It was always considered as a representation of fertility, midwife and protector of doctors. For this reason, the sculpture that represents this deity is the representation of a woman who is in the process of childbirth.
This figure had characteristics of the style of the Aztecs. It was made with igneous rocks, also known as aplites, which can be rocks like granite.
On the other hand, it was common for the image of the goddess Tlazoltéotl to have black lips, this was because it was also something that characterized women who engaged in prostitution.
As she was considered the goddess of medicines, all those who worked with this, or who were dedicated to the office of healing, praised her. Such is the case with doctors, midwives, but also magicians.
It was worshiped during the month Ochpaniztli, which is the month that was granted in the Mayan calendar. During this time celebrations were held in his honor.
It is considered a lunar deity, but it was also part of the goddesses linked to procreation.
With the arrival of the Spanish to the American continent, the indigenous communities underwent evangelization processes to adapt to the ideas that came from the old continent.
Sculpture
The sculpture representing the goddess Tlazoltéotl is a clear image of fertility. It was determined that the style of Aztec culture is the one that predominates in this representation. A sculpture that exemplifies this is found in New York, in the Museum of Modern Art, better known as MOMA.
The Huasteca communities also had a sculpture that was very different. Its creation occurred sometime between the 10th and 16th centuries. A sculpture with the characteristics of the Huasteca culture is located in the British Museum in London.
In the latter case, the image of the goddess Tlazoltéotl consisted of a woman wearing a conical cap that was typical and also had a feather ornament. Tlazoltéotl in this sculpture has an uncovered torso, which exposed the breasts. Also, the goddess's hands were located on top of her belly.
The Huastecas made these statues with measurements that were very similar to reality.
Parties
With the Aztec calendar it had a month to be celebrated; it was the eleventh month in which things were celebrated in her honor. More than a party, they could be considered as rituals, where a woman was present in representation of Tlazoltéotl and was surrounded by another group that represented the doctors and midwives.
As in most rituals, sacrifices were present.
The temples and the priests
With the name of Tocititan there was a temple that was erected in honor of the goddess Tlazoltéotl. The name Tocititan meant our grandmother's place. The presence of this temple showed that there were also groups of priests, since they had the mission of taking care of the place where the goddess was worshiped.
The figure of the priests was also supported by several manuscripts where they spoke of their presence and their importance. They were in charge of assigning the name of the newborns and cleaning the sins committed by adultery, as well as the infractions of the law.
Representation
The different images of the goddess Tlazoltéotl were reflected in different manuscripts where Mexican mythology was discussed. It is said that her posture served to represent two things at the same time, one of them was childbirth since she was the goddess of fertility. But she also made sure that her posture reflects the act of defecation.
Some writings spoke of the goddess being represented holding a root of the devil. This root refers to a plant that caused a drink, known as mead, to have a stronger flavor. For its part, this mead symbolized two things, immorality and that it was used to calm the pains that were suffered during childbirth.
The representation of this goddess depends on the manuscripts. There are two that were used to define the appearance of this deity: the Bourbon manuscript and the Borgia. These manuscripts were written during the colonial period of the Aztecs.
The image of the goddess was characterized by her headdress, cotton elements, black paint on her mouth, with puffy lips and holes in her cheeks.
References
- Arango Cano, J. (2003). Mythology in pre-Columbian America. Bogotá: Plaza & Janés.
- León-Portilla, M., Guedea, V., Navarrete Linares, F., Fuente, B., Broda, J., & Johannson K, P. et al. (2004). The historian versus history. Mexico, DF: National Autonomous University of Mexico.
- Taube, K. (1992). The major gods of ancient Yucatan. Washington, DC: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection.
- Trejo, S. Tlazoltéotl, a Mexica goddess. Recovered from arqueologiamexicana.mx
- Waters, F. (1989). Mexico mystique. Athens, Ohio: Swallow Press / Ohio University Press.