Itzpapalotl

The Obsidian Butterfly Goddess of Death

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Itzpapalotl-butterfly Goddess: The Fallen Goddess of Aztec Mythology

By Clark September 17, 2022

Source: https://ancient-literature.com/itzpapalotl-butterfly-goddess/ 

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Itzpapalotl-butterfly goddess was known as the one who ruled in the paradise land of Tamoanchan, which is the paradise of stillborn infants and women who died during childbirth. It is where the human race was created out of the sacrificial blood and bones were stolen from the Underworld of Mictlan. She was a female warrior with the appearance of butterfly wings that look like a stone blade, along with a skeletal head and claws.

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Itzpapalotl-butterfly goddess was the goddess of paradise who ruled Tamoanchan, the land where the women or children would go, when they didn’t survive or make it alive after childbirth. Itzpapalotl is one of the butterfly goddess names that means “clawed butterfly” or “obsidian butterfly.”

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Itzpapalotl was associated with beautiful wings because she was from the Rothschildia Orizaba the genus butterfly from the family of Saturniidae. However, she has flint-tipped wings as one of her weapons, along with her jaguar claws and feet with eagle’s talons.

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Itzpapalotl-butterfly goddess is known as a shamanic goddess and powerful sorceress. She could take different appearances, such as that of a seductive gorgeous woman with long black hair and powder white face or a terrible skeletal butterfly that brings fear to whoever sees her.

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Origin

Itzpapalotl was originally created and lived in the highest heaven of Tonatiuhichan. She then fell to the middle heaven called Tlillan-Tlapallan due to a rebellious action. She fell in love with Xociphili, the god of sexuality, romance, dance, and gambling.

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Itzpapalotl helped her lover get revenge for the unjust death of Xociphili’s friends at the hands of the sun god Tonatiuh. Xociphili managed to kill Tonatiuh because Itzpapalotl let him borrow her invisible cloak. However, the couple got punished and sent to the paradise of Tlalocan, a realm ruled by Tlaloc, the god of rain.

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They lived happily for a while, but eventually, the god of spring and regeneration, Xipe Totec, battled and killed Tlaloc and annihilated the Tlalocan paradise. Those who lived there descended to Earth and others to the Underworld.

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Massive waves swept the land, killing everything as the water flooded the paradise. Itzpapalotl managed to fly just above the flooded landscape while Xociphili failed and unfortunately perished in the flood, never to be found again. At that point, Itzpapalotl fell to the paradise of Tamoanchan, the underground paradise.

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Itzpapalotl in Myths

Itzpapalotl nahualli or the animal that she shares the same spirit with was a deer. Itzpapalotl’s wings are sometimes depicted as bat wings, which is sometimes referred to as “black butterfly” in folklore. In some Aztec myths, Itzpapalotl and her Tzitzimimeh disguise themselves as black butterfly to devour souls during solar eclipses.

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Itzpapalotl stands for purification or rejuvenation, but then the black butterfly is a symbol of death, renewal, rebirth, or transformation in some cultures.

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Transformation of Itzpapalotl

Bearing the heavy grief of losing a lover, Itzpapalotl lost faith in life and happiness. This caused her beautiful wings to wither, and soon, her body started to degenerate and die.

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However, she coincidentally strayed into a cave in Tamoanchan called Cuauhnahuac, where the creator of the first man and woman, Ehcatl, lived. He regenerated her body and restored her to life.

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However, this time, she became a darkened goddess with a heart full of hatred and aggression. Her existence brought destruction in a terrifying way. She ambushed nearby tribes and slaughtered them. She drew a black sun in the cave, gathering all the blood of those she killed by draining it out of their body to add to the power she had been accumulating.

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The Two-Headed Deer and Two Guardian Serpents

In a manuscript from 1558, Itzpapalotl story was told where she, together with Coatlicue, formed and started to be seen as a two-headed deer by the two guardian serpents, Xiuhnel and Mimich, who were disguised as men as they tried to hunt them with the bows. However, the two easily dodged them.

Read More Coatlicue Great Mother Skirt Of Snakes Primordial Goddess Of Fertility click

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The hunting lasted for a couple of days and nights, with a few traps set and ambushes here and there until Itzpapalotl and Coatlicue decided to disguise themselves as seductive women to lure the two men.

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They built a hut in which to stay and called to them in a sweet voice, inviting Xiuhnel and Mimich, asking where they were, in addition, to join, eat and drink together.

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Mimich voiced his doubts about the identity of the women. However, Xiuhnel decided to come closer and drink from the cup offered by Itzpapalotl. The drink made him immediately lie down and sleep with her. Itzpapalotl suddenly tore at his chest and devoured him. Mimich saw the horrifying event and ran away, but he fell into a thorny barrel cactus and was devoured by Itzpapalotl as well.

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Itzpapalotl powers were ignited by drinking all the blood that she can possibly drain from any of her victims. She then obtained beings that wished to serve her. They were once beautiful stars that fell and decided to join her side. In their darkened state, they all transformed into hideous skeletal women and became known as the Itzpapalotl monster. They were also called Tzitzimimeh. Itzpapalotl offerings by her servants mainly comprised menstrual blood or just pure blood and red wine.

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Final Verdict on Itzpapalotl

The gods were alarmed about what happened and sought to punish Itzpapalotl by sending Chalchiuhtotolin, the god of disease and plague. However, Itzpapalotl’s power was stronger, and she was able to defeat him. Chalchiuhtotolin pled for his life to be spared, but Itzpapalotl still considered him a sacrifice, ripped his heart out, and feasted on him.

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This deed angered the gods even more, such that they came up with a final verdict through a council that sealed her fate. Five gods and goddesses, namely, Coyolxauhqui, Citlalique, Chalmecatecuchtlz, Atlacamani, and Mextli, cursed her, such that whatever they found in her heart that she considered precious, they took it away. The curse passed through the three heavens, causing it to have strong potency and making Itzpapalotl’s life miserable moving forward.

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Paradise of Tamoanchan

Classified as part of Tzitzimeh and ruler of Tamoanchan, Itzpapalotl is the protector of midwives and women in labor. Itzpapalotl governs the souls of children and women. In Tamoanchan, there is a Suckling Tree, which has 400,000 nipples. It allows children to suckle and gives them strength to prepare for re-incarnation.

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Some say that Itzpapalotl is Chihuateteo, which means divine woman. She is sometimes considered a mortal woman who died at childbirth and was then transformed into a crossroads spirit, which is why she is ruling the land of Tamoanchan.

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