Xiuhtecuhtli, in Aztec mythology, was the god of fire, day and heat. It was considered the center of the Universe and the inner strength of every living being. He was also the lord of the volcanoes, the personification of life after death, of light in darkness, and of food during famine.
Xiuhtecuhtli, "Lord of the turquoise", in Nahuatl, has been represented with a yellow or red face. His female counterpart was Chantico, the goddess of fire. Both were considered as the parents of the gods and of humanity.
Seated statue of Xiuhtecuhtli. By Simon Burchell (Own work), CC BY-SA 3.0, via commons.wikimedia.org
He is also known as Huehuetéotl-Xiuhtecuhtli, old god and lord of the year. He is one of the most represented gods in Teotihuacan and is personified with the appearance of an old man carrying a brazier on his head.
It is believed that the age of the god is due to the fact that the element that the gods created in the first place was fire; while the brazier represents a volcano.
Xiuhtecuhtli was worshiped often, but especially at the end of the New Fire ceremony, held every 52 years. To perform the ritual, the priests marched in solemn procession through the Cerro de La Estrella, located in the Iztapala City Hall, Mexico City.
Attributes
With the passage of time, both the figure and the attributes of some Mesoamerican gods were transformed until they acquired others different from those they had in their origins. This is the case of Huehueteotl-Xiuhtecuhtli.
In Cuicuilco, an archaeological zone south of Mexico City, statues representing an old man sitting with a brazier on his head or on his back have been interpreted as images of the ancient god and the god of fire.
In Teotihuacán, the most important metropolis of the classical period, Huehuetéotl-Xiuhtecuhtli is one of the most represented deities. Again, her images portray an old man, with wrinkles on her face and no teeth, sitting cross-legged and holding a brazier on her head.
The brazier is often decorated with rhombuses and cross-shaped signs symbolizing the four cardinal points, with the god sitting in the center. This type of sculpture is the most widespread and recognizable image of the god.
It has been found in many offerings, in places like Cuicuilco, Capilco, Teotihuacán, Cerro de las Mesas, and the Templo Mayor in Mexico City.
However, like Xiuhtecuhtli, the god is often depicted in pre-Hispanic and colonial codices without these features. In these cases, its body is yellow, its face has black stripes and it has a red circle that surrounds its mouth. His image is that of a young warrior who carries arrows and sticks to light the fire.
Xiuhtecuhtli and Aztec mythology
According to Aztec mythology, the world was divided into three parts: the sky or Ilhuícatl, the earth or Tlaltícpac and the underworld or Mictlan. Xiuhtecuhtli traversed the universe from the Mictlan to the celestial level. The column of fire he created was believed to hold all three levels together, and in the event of it being quenched, the end of the world would occur.
Xiuhtecuhtli was also associated with ideas of purification, transformation, and regeneration of the world through fire. As god of the year, he was related to the cycle of the seasons and nature that regenerate the earth.
He is considered one of the founding deities of the world, since he was responsible for the creation of the sun.
Cults
Two great festivities were dedicated to Xiuhtecuhtli that took place within the 18-month calendar: the tenth month dedicated to the Xocotl Huetzi ceremony; and the eighteenth month to Izcalli.
Xocotl Huetzi
In Xocotl Huetzi a tree was raised and an image of the god was placed on top. The youngest competed to climb the tree to obtain the image and a reward.
Finally, they sacrificed four captives, throwing them alive into the fire. Afterwards, they were pulled back from the embers and their hearts were thrown at the feet of the statue of Xiuhtecuhtli.
Izcalli
In the month called Izcalli, the festival was dedicated to regeneration and the beginning of the new year. All the lights were turned off at night, except for one light placed in front of the image of the god.
People offered game animals, such as birds, lizards, and snakes, to cook and eat. Every four years, the ceremony included the sacrifice of four slaves or captives, dressed as the god and whose bodies were painted white, yellow, red and green, the colors associated with the four cardinal points.
New Fire Ceremony
Xiuhtecuhtli is also related to the New Fire ceremony, one of the most important Aztec celebrations. It took place at the end of each 52-year cycle, and represented the regeneration of the cosmos through the lighting of a new fire.
The Aztec people cleaned their houses and got rid of the representations of the divinities. Families also destroyed their old belongings and fire-making tools. Finally, all the fires were put out so that darkness reigned.
Afterwards, families would go up to the rooftops to await the fate of the world. Aztec priests, dressed as the gods, performed the ceremony of the New Fire, or Toxiuhmolpilli, which means "binding of the years."
On the last day of the calendar cycle, the priests would climb the hill of La Estrella and watch the rise of the Pleiades to make sure they continued on their normal path.
A ritual was performed based on preparing a fire in the heart of a sacrificed victim. If the fire could not be lit, the myth said that the Sun would be destroyed forever. When the flame ignited, it was taken to Tenochtitlán to relight homes throughout the city.
References
- Encyclopedia, WHWorld heritage encyclopedia. Taken from community.worldheritage.org
- Huehuetéotl-xiuhtecuhtli in central Mexico. (2017). Taken from arqueologiamexicana.mx
- Leeming, D. (2005). Aztec mythology. The oxford companion to world mythology () Oxford University Press. Taken from.oxfordreference.com
- Quintana, G., & José, M. (2014). Paleography and translation of the thirteenth chapter of book I of the Florentine codex dealing with the god xiuhtecuhtli. Nahuatl Culture Studies, 47, 337-346. Taken from scielo.org.mx
- Valle, CM Xiuhtecuhtli: The guest of honor at the nightly new fire lighting ceremonies. Taken from academia.edu