The Mythical World of Tezcatlipoca: A Mysterious Deity in Aztec Culture
Tezcatlipoca, the enigmatic deity in Aztec mythology, holds immense power as the first-created god and is known as the Lord of Four Corners/Four Colors. The dynamic relationship between Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl as Trickster pair sustains the world's existence, with associations to various elements like sunrise, midnight, sunset, and noon. This intricate web of beliefs connects Tezcatlipoca to concepts of sacrifice, renewal, regeneration, and the balance of forces in the cosmos.
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TEZCATLIPOCA (Lecture 35)
Tezcatlipoca most powerful god first created god (4 Tezcatlipocas) Tezcatlipoca as Lord of Four Corners/Four Colors Tezcatlipoca-Quetzalcoatl as Trickster pair; tension between them maintains world in existence
TEZCATLIPOC A POINT ALIAS COMMENT East sunrise Xipe Totec Our Lord the Flayed One sacrifice renewal regeneration Red Black North midnigh t Tezcatlipoca Smoking Mirror darkness magic delusion White West sunset Quetzalcoatl-Ehecatl Plumed Serpent- Wind Huitzilopochtli Southern Humming- bird ________________ _ Mictlantecuhtli Lord of the Dead culture-bringer Yellow Nahuat warrior ___________ __ South noon ____________ ___ death renewal Blue
Associations Night Wind Night Sun (Moon) jaguar (nocturnal) earth obsidian death night
Associations shape-shifting shamanism music hallucination/madness smoke (poca) divination mirror (tezcatl) magic, sorcery
Mirror (tezcatl) earth/obsidian/underworld cenote/underworld divination (catoptromancy) mirror (tezcatli) jaguar eyes (smoked) human eyes (cf. Popol Vuh) royal scrying blank mirror in sky
Associations drunkenness intoxication ecstasy rabbits fire fire-drill smoke (poca) bone serpent dog lameness sexual debauchery
Tezcatlipoca and lameness gods that spin on one leg or use fire drill to make fire or lightning have sexual associations (~ fire and smoke = sex) Tezcatlipoca invents fire-drill god Tlaloc uses fire-drill to make lightning bolt lame Nanahuatzin craks mountain with lightning first human beings Tata and Nene punished for making smoke by being turned into dogs Tezcatlipoca s missing foot bitten by Cipactli, but also represents Night Sun bitten by Jaguar Mountain, Moon that passes through phases, castratiuon as punishment for sexual deviance
Associations war jaguar hunting kingship jaguar as predator mirror (tezcatl) used by kings
