Mictlantecuhtli

God of The Dead The Underworld of Mictlan

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Aztec God - Mictlantecuhtli

Source: https://mythopedia.com/topics/mictlantecuhtli?fbclid=IwAR0TESpqfqt4e6-PRcWJVUwLbcEUNel8fdkiJlRW3IV4HJOgyPPDSTLIGTc

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Mictlantecuhtli was the Aztec god of death who ruled over Mictlan, the land of the dead. Like Hades, the Greek underworld, Mictlan was where most people would spend their afterlife, regardless of moral standing.

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Mictlāntēuctli’s name reflects his role in Aztec cosmology, as well as his place of residence. His name comes from his status as the ruler of Mictlan, and simply means “Lord of the Land of the Dead.”

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Mictlantecuhtli was most commonly depicted as a skeletal figure, though reliefs have also been found depicting him as a skull with eyes. He was sometimes shown with his mouth open, ready to receive the setting stars that disappeared during the day.

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In the Aztec universe, each of the cardinal directions was associated with one of the godly realms. Mictlan was believed to be located in the “north;” the direction was therefore associated with Mictlantecuhtli.

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Family

Like several other early Aztec gods, Mictlantecuhtli was not born to another god, but was instead created by Xipe Totec, Tezcatlipoca ,Quetzalcoatl , and Huitzilopochtli during their construction of the universe.

Read More Tezcatlipoca The Prince of The Underworld Smoking Mirror click

Read More Quetzalcoatl The Feathered Serpent Venus Alchemy click

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Mictlantecuhtli’s wife, Mictecacihuatl Goddess of The Underworld, was created at the same time as her husband, and the couple ruled over the underworld together. Such an arrangement was not usual; Aztec mythology frequently featured binary gods (usually in male-female pairs) who would share power over their respective domains of influence.

Read More Mictecacihuatl Goddess of The Underworld click

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Mythology

As the Aztec lord of the underworld, Mictlantecuhtli played a similar role to that of Hades in Greek mythology. Rather than serving as the judge of the dead, Mictlantecuhtli simply tried to maintain order in his domain. This desire for order sometimes led Mictlantecuhtli to clash with other Aztec gods and their more creationary desires.

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Origins

Mictlantecuhtli was described extremely early in the Aztec creation story. After Ometecuhtli and his wife Omecihuatl bore their four children, nothing important happened for 600 years. Following this hiatus, their children—Xipe Totec, Tezcatlipoca, Quetzalcoatl, and Huitzilopochtli—began the process of constructing the cosmos. Their initial actions included creating the sun, a man and woman, maize, the calendar, and finally, the lord and lady of the land of the dead. According to the Codex Ramirez:

Then they created Mitlitlatteclet [Mictlantecuhtli] and Michitecaciglat [Mictecacihuatl], husband and wife, and these were the gods of the lower regions (infierno [sic]), in which they were placed.

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Stolen Bones

After the dawn of the Fifth Age, the world was without people. To remedy this, Quetzalcoatl set out to acquire the bones of the original humans from the land of the dead. Mictlantecuhtli told Quetzalcoatl he could have the bones, but only if he went around Mictlan sounding a conch shell with no holes in it.

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Not one to turn down a challenge, Quetzalcoatl had worms drill a hole in the shell so that it could be played; he also filled the shell with bees so that it sounded constantly. Shortly after performing these tasks, Quetzalcoatl told Mictlantecuhtli that he had changed his mind and was going to leave Mictlan without the bones. This, however, was merely a ruse meant to cover his escape, as he had secretly already taken them.

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Before Quetzalcoatl was able to escape Mictlan, however, Mictlantecuhtli discovered his ruse and had his minions dig a pit to trap him. Quetzalcoatl, who had been distracted briefly by a quail, fell into the pit, caused the stolen bones to scatter across the floor. Eventually, Quetzalcoatl manage to gather up the bones and escape Mictlan. Later, he mixed the bones with his blood and maize, creating the first humans of the fifth age. The Aztecs used this myth to explain why people often varied in height.

Read More Quetzalcoatl The Feathered Serpent Venus Alchemy click

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Cult of the Dead

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The Aztec cult of the dead was centered around Mictlantecuhtli and Mictlan, although gods like Tlaloc, Huitzilopochtli, and Coatlicue were also associated with death under specific circumstances.

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While most of the dead would find their way to Mictlan, some would find themselves transported to the realms of these other gods. Those who suffered a death by water (flood, lightning, certain illnesses) would end up in Tlalocan, while those who died in battle would join Huitzilopochtli for a time before being resurrected as hummingbirds. Those who died in childbirth would travel west with the setting sun, following Coatlicue or her guise of Cihuacoatl.

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The Aztec holiday Hueymiccaylhuitl, or great feast of the dead, celebrated the recently deceased and helped them as they traveled to Mictlan. Following someone’s death, the Aztecs would cremate the departed person’s remains. From there, the deceased soul would embark on a four-year journey through the various levels of the underworld and have to overcome a series of trials along the way.

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Eventually, those who had successfully completed the journey would find themselves in the deepest level of the underworld: Mictlan. Hueymiccaylhuitl was celebrated not only to aid those embarking on this journey, but also to allow the dead an annual opportunity to return and visit the land of the living.

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Journey to Mictlán

Source: https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/english/mythological-journey-mictlan-aztec-underworld/

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According to their ancient mythology , when someone died, they had to go through a journey of nine levels to arrive at Mictlán . The process, which lasted for four years, was full of obstacles.

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The objective was to arrive at the underworld , with Mictlantecuhtli and Mictecacihuatl , gods of death. In this way, the soul of the departed would achieve eternal rest.

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The first stage of the way consists in crossing the Apanohuaia river with the help of a dog , either white or vermilion, called Xoloitzcuintle . Its color was the only way to see in a place full of darkness.

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The next level is Tepeme Monamictlán , a place where the hills get together and the soul must wait to continue its way.

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Then comes Iztépetl . For this obstacle, the souls must cross a path of obsidian.

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The fourth level is called Cehueloyán , a place with a lot of snow , where the spirit remembers the saddest moments of its life. It has to go through the path to get rid of them.

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In the middle of the journey is Pancuetlacalóyan , a place with so much wind that some souls cannot overcome it and are blown away.

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Next comes Timiminalóayan , where invisible hands throw arrows that must be dodged by the souls. Each arrow represents a person who had an influence on the life of the departed.

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In the seventh level, there is a jaguar that deprived a soul of its heart, for in this stage the departed abandon anything worldly they still carry with them.

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The next level is Apanohualóyan , a place where the departed see their life pass.

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The last level is Chiconahualóyan , where the souls finally meet Mictlantecuthli and Mictecacíhuatl for their reward: eternal rest.

Read More Mictecacihuatl Goddess of The Underworld click

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Origins

Source: https://wikireligions.com/mictlantecuhtli/?fbclid=IwAR3rPUP_3AGgu1Xhgm9CyT7ejtNjbI0tT87nQWI1azRXiV-I8NWmmISQLeY

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Mictlantecuhtli has been famous by the name of Lord of the land of the dead and also the name of the god of death in the Aztec religion. He is worshipped majorly across the Mizo American culture. It is believed that he was the ruler of the 10th day Dog and also was the 5th Lord of the night. It is also mentioned in various religious and sacred texts that he was the 6th or the 11th Lord of the day.

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He was believed to be the equivalent of the Maya God Yum Cimil & he is sometimes also compared with the Zapotec God Kedo. Some people in the past also compared him with the Tarascan God Tihuime.

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It is believed by many people of the Mesoamerican culture that Mictlantecuhtli was very closely associated and related to the spiders, owls, and bats in the direction of the south.

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He is believed to be a 6 feet tall God and has been depicted as a blood-spattered skeleton or a person who is wearing a tooth in many sacred texts and images. He has been depicted as a skeleton but the eye sockets are not empty and contain eyeballs.

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Various worships and rituals are associated with the god of death in the Aztec religion. In his honor, the Aztecs have sacrificed an impersonator of him at a temple at the time of night.

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So, the human sacrifices were increased for offering the skins of the victims to the god of the death in his honor and also to placate him and also avoiding the suffering in Mictlan,.

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Two life-size statues, which are made out of the clay of Mictlantecuhtli are present at the entrance of the house of eagles at the great temple of Tenochtitlan.

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Mictlantecuhtli the god of death in the religion of Aztec is the one on whom the people of Aztec relied & hoped to have a death which is good enough for one of the many paradises which are present in the world and in which the people of Aztec believed in.

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Those people who were unable or failed to gain admission to a paradise were finally forced for enduring four years’ journey through the nine hells of the Mictlan.

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He is believed to enjoy and get pleasure from the human sacrifices & the sufferings from which the people die. He is also believed to be a symbolism of cannibalism and human sacrifices.

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In many sacred texts and paintings, he has been depicted as a skeleton who has a lot of knives attached to his forehead. Although he is considered to be the god of death in the Aztec religion, it is also believed that he had the power to grant life to the person as well.

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He is depicted as the majority of the time wearing all owl feathers in his headdress. Sometimes, in some of the early writings and poems he is also depicted in the form of a skeleton that is covered with a lot of blood & is wearing a necklace of eyeballs of human beings and is also wearing clothes, which are made up of paper.

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All this attire is referred to the common offerings given to the death. Sometimes he is also depicted using the human bones as earplugs.

Read More Mictecacihuatl Goddess of The Underworld click

Read More Tezcatlipoca The Prince of The Underworld Smoking Mirror click