Courtesy of the Werner-Forman Archive

Ozomatli the Aztec monkey was considered the companion spirit (‘nahual’) and servant of the god Xochipilli (god of music and dance). The monkey was a creature associated with the arts, games and fun. Merrin Collection.

Who was the Aztec main god?

Huitzilopochtli, also spelled Uitzilopochtli, also called Xiuhpilli (“Turquoise Prince”) and Totec (“Our Lord”), Aztec sun and war god, one of the two principal deities of Aztec religion, often represented in art as either a hummingbird or an eagle.

How many gods do the Aztecs have?

The Aztecs, the Late Postclassic civilization that the Spanish conquistadors met in Mexico in the 16h century, believed in a complex and diversified pantheon of gods and goddesses. Scholars studying the Aztec (or Mexica) religion have identified no fewer than 200 gods and goddesses, divided into three groups.

Did the Aztecs have gods?

The Aztecs had hundreds of different gods and goddesses—one for every aspect of their lives.

What is the Aztec god Tezcatlipoca the god of?

Tezcatlipoca, (Nahuatl: “Smoking Mirror”) god of the Great Bear constellation and of the night sky, one of the major deities of the Aztec pantheon. Tezcatlipoca’s cult was brought to central Mexico by the Toltecs, Nahua-speaking warriors from the north, about the end of the 10th century ad.

What is the 13th heaven?

In Aztec mythology, the Thirteen Heavens were formed out of Cipactli’s head when the gods made creation out of its body, whereas Tlaltícpac, the earth, was made from its center and the nine levels of the underworld (Mictlan) from its tail.

Is Aztec Mexican?

The Aztecs were the Native American people who dominated northern Mexico at the time of the Spanish conquest in the early 16th century. A nomadic culture, the Aztecs eventually settled on several small islands in Lake Texcoco where, in 1325, they founded the town of Tenochtitlan, modern-day Mexico City.

What did the Aztecs worship?

Prominent in the Aztec pantheon were Huitzilopochtli, god of war; Tonatiuh, god of the sun; Tlaloc, god of rain; and Quetzalcóatl, the Feathered Serpent, who was part deity and part culture hero. Human sacrifice, particularly by offering a victim’s heart to Tonatiuh, was commonly practiced, as was bloodletting.

What did Xochipilli look like?

Xochipilli is wearing a mask and is himself covered in flowers from psychotropic plants, hallucinogenic mushrooms and animal skins. Cross-legged and care-free the god is portrayed happily singing and playing his rattles, a vibrant symbol of all the good things in life.

How did Aztecs worship Xochipilli?

A summer celebration called the Festival of Flowers took place every year in honor of Xochipilli and his twin sister Xochiquetzal. Dances were performed, poetry recited, and music played. During such festivities, worshippers drank Pulque and consumed mushrooms known as teonanácatl (“flesh of the gods”).

Who is the god of flowers?

Flora, in Roman religion, the goddess of the flowering of plants. Titus Tatius (according to tradition, the Sabine king who ruled with Romulus) is said to have introduced her cult to Rome; her temple stood near the Circus Maximus. Her festival, called the Floralia, was instituted in 238 bc.

What day is Ozomatli?

In recognition of their efforts, the City of Los Angeles has officially declared every April 23rd in perpetuity as “Ozomatli Day”.