Tezcatlipoca is a character in Onyx Equinox. [26] "The sacrifice itself marked the end of the drought. He was known as Black Tezcatlipoca or the “mirror that smokes”, god of the day and of Texcoco. My Modern Interpretation Which Aztec god took it? Those people who survived the deluge were turned into fish.[29]. "[28] He would then be wed to four young women, also chosen in advance and isolated for a full year and treated as goddesses. Tezcatlipoca (Tez-ca-tlee-POH-ka), whose name means “Smoking Mirror”, was the Aztec god of night and sorcery, as well as the patron deity of Aztec kings and young warriors. Tezcatlipoca is a three minute short animation inspired by the music from Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. He is closely associated with the jaguars which the Aztecs considered as a symbol of hunting, warfare, and sacrifice. His cult was associated with royalty, and was the subject of the most lengthy and reverent prayers in the rites of kingship, as well as being mentioned frequently in coronation speeches. If you want to sell the prints (never the files) of these models you need to select or change (if you already have the Tier Provider) to Patreon's Tier: Provider Patreon & STORE The PRE-SUPPORT option IS NOT AVAILABLE on all models. Tezcatlipoca's nagual, his animal counterpart, was the jaguar and his jaguar aspect was the deity Tepeyollotl ("Mountainheart"). He was the god of material things and of night, and was also associated with winds, the earth, magic and war. These children would then have their skin painted black and be adorned with quail feathers in the image of the god. [14] There are also several references to momoztli. He presided over the telpochcalli (“young men’s houses”), district schools in which the sons of the common people received an elementary education and military training. The main rite of Tezcatlipoca’s cult took place during Toxcatl, the fifth ritual month. Some of these are the night sky, the night winds, hurricanes, the north, the earth, obsidian, enmity, discord, rulership, divination, temptation, sorcery, beauty, war and strife. Due to the lack of surviving images, some have chosen to describe Tezcatlipoca as the 'invisible god'. Add a photo to this gallery. He is also said to have acted as the First Sun but was knocked from the sky by Quetza… How to say Tezcatlipoca in English? He was sometimes known as owner of the sky and the Earth, and Lord of the Smoking Mirror. Sometimes he was shown as a partner in creation, but more often he was shown as a god of judgment and destruction. Depictions of Tezcatlipoca, detail of the relief on the Tizoc stone, found in … The god Tezcatlipoca was a major Aztec deity who was worshiped in east-west facing temples in many Mesoamerican city-states under the influence of the Aztecs, particularly Texcoco. For an in depth description and interpretation of the Toxcatl festival see Olivier (2003) Chapter 6. Because of this, Tezcatlipoca is depicted with a missing foot. His name is translated as ‘smoking mirror’ in the Nahuatl language of the Aztec and he is often associated with several different concepts, including: the night sky, night winds, hurricanes, the north, jaguars, obsidian, and war. According to Fray Diego Durán it was "lofty and magnificently built. Beyond it stood a wide, long chamber the size of a great hall...". Mageddon New Earth Old Gods. According to Aztec mythology, Tezcatlipoca (tes-cat-lee-poh-ka) was considered the god of magic and darkness. Other names include Necocyaotl (“Enemy of Both Sides”), Yohualli Ehecatl (Night Wind), Tloque Nahuaque (“Lord of the Near and Far”), Ome acatl (“Two Reed”) and Ilhuicahua Tlalticpaque (“Possessor of the Sky and Earth”). [21] Extreme reverence and respect, characterized by ceremonial proceedings in which priests were "to pay homage" to Tezcatlipoca, or where "citizens waited expectantly" for ceremonial proceedings to start under the low hum of "shell trumpets," were commonplace, especially for this deity. Hartley Earth-One Batman villain. He feuded with his brother Quetzalcoatl and emerged victorious after tricking his younger sibling into shaming himself. How to say Tezcatlipoca in English? He is the god of the nocturnal sky, god of the ancestral memory, god of time and the Lord of the North, the embodiment of change through conflict. He was associated with many concepts. She cried for many years and the world was destroyed by the resulting floods. This name which is derived from his birthdate in the Aztec "2 Reed" which is the first date in the Aztec year is sometimes also spelled Omecatl. He personifies the harmful and destructive forces of nature, and is also the patron of sinful pleasures and arcane magic. He is the god intelligence and self-reflection, a patron of priests. Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca both collaborated in the different creations and that both were seen as instrumental in the creation of life. Pronunciation of Tezcatlipoca with 1 audio pronunciation, 1 translation and more for Tezcatlipoca. However, ixiptla were usually selected from among captive warriors, and the chosen individual was bathed and ceremoniously cleansed for the role that he was to undertake. Under his influence the practice of human sacrifice was introduced into central Mexico. Warriors Jaguars and servants of this god seeking release it. Apart from being a creator deity, he also ruled over the modern age. Tezcatlipoca (pron. Tezcatlipoca was a god of exceptional significance amongst the Aztec pantheon. This talisman was carved out of abalone shell and depicted on the chest of both Huitzilopochtli and Tezcatlipoca in codex illustrations. He never offered human victims, only snakes, birds, and butterflies. In one particular hymn, he is mentioned as being both the creator and destroyer of the world, and both as a poet and a scribe. 1 Biography 1.1 Nature 2 Speculation 3 References According to the Great Stone, Tezcatlipoca had lived in the valley of Mexico even before the Aztecs under the guidance of Huitzilopochtli had arrived. In what manner shall I act for thy city? Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. "[8] Tezcatlipoca appears on the first page of the Codex Borgia carrying the 20 day signs of the calendar; in the Codex Cospi he is shown as a spirit of darkness, as well as in the Codex Laud and the Dresden Codex. Together with his eternal opposite Quetzalcoatl, he created the world. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Tezcatlipoca in the form of a jaguar, carved on a granite ball player's yoke. Women were sometimes sacrificed as ixiptla to honor female deities. "He had been a warrior who was captured, and he ended his life as a warrior. Depending on the site half of his leg, the full length of his arms, the majority of his legs, or any combination thereof can be depicted. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. This god has different aspects: as Tezcatlipoca Telpochtli, he stands for eternal youth; as Tezcatlipoca Yaotl (“Enemy”) he is the patron of the warrior. Wonder Woman. For one year he lived in princely luxury, impersonating the god. Group Membership: Aztec gods, Council of Godheads. In the form of Aztec pictorial writing, this story must be one of the most exciting comic … Tezcatlipoca was the god of the night sky, according to the ancient peoples of Mexico. [7], When depicted he was usually drawn with a black and a yellow stripe painted across his face. Tezcatlipoca is an entity often believed to be vampire that was part of the ruling supernatural clique in the Aztec empire. He was considered the patron god of warriors. The god Tezcatlipoca was a major Aztec deity who was worshiped in east-west facing temples in many Mesoamerican city-states under the influence of the Aztecs, particularly Texcoco. After that, they created the people, and people had to offer sacrifices to comfort Cipactli for her sufferings. Tezcatlipoca was a significant god in Aztec religion. Tezcatlipoca Prime Earth Gods of Mexico. In one version of the Aztec creation account the myth of the Five Suns, the first creation, "The Sun of the Earth" was ruled by Tezcatlipoca but destroyed by Quetzalcoatl when he struck down Tezcatlipoca who then transformed into a jaguar. Tezcatlipoca was the … [17] They would also cover the sick and newly appointed king in a similar manner with a black ointment to encourage an association with the god. Tezcatlipoca was often described as a rival of another important god of the Aztecs, the culture hero, Quetzalcoatl. In one of the Aztec accounts of creation, Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca joined forces to create the world. Often considered as the supreme god he took on a bewildering array of names and manifestations depending on where and by who… Quetzalcoatl replaced him and started the second age of the world and it became populated again. One of his most revered attributes was the ability to shape-shift, usually into a jaguar. [29] For Aztec nobility, this "patron deity" is fundamental in the social and natural phenomena justified by religion during this time. He was labeled the god of the nocturnal sky, temptation, sorcery, and war. Tezcatlipoca’s cult was brought to central Mexico by the Toltecs, Nahua-speaking warriors from the … Tezcatlipoca was an all-important god to the Aztec people. Tezcatlipoca was originally a god of warriors and the sun, the ruler of the First Sun, one of the great historical ages in the Olman circular calendar. He is often shown with his right foot replaced with an obsidian mirror, bone, or a snake—an allusion to the creation myth in which he loses his foot battling with the Earth Monster. Although the exact definition of the momoztli is unknown, with definitions varying from "mound", "stone seat" and "temple", there is an overall consensus that it is a general holy place to worship the gods, specifically mentioned as "his [Tezcatlipoca's] viewing place".[15]. Like many Aztec gods, Tezcatlipoca was associated with a wide variant of domains. For a summary of Tezcatlipoca's epithets and their significance see Olivier (2003) Chapter 1. Tezcatlipoca was one of the most important gods of the Aztecs of central Mexico. Tezcatlipoca was an important god in the Aztec religion. POW! Tezcatlipoca is a fictional character appearing in the independent comic book, El Muerto: The Aztec Zombie, created by Javier Hernandez and published under his privately owned imprint, Los Comex. In this process, Tezcatlipoca lost his foot when he used it as bait for the Earth Monster Cipactli. For I am blind, I am deaf, I am an imbecile, and in excrement, in filth hath my lifetime been... Real Name: Tezcatlipoca. Quetzalcoatl became the ruler of the subsequent creation "Sun of Water", and Tezcatlipoca destroyed the third creation "The Sun of Wind" by striking down Quetzalcoatl. Tezcatlipoca, (Nahuatl: “Smoking Mirror”) god of the Great Bear constellation and of the night sky, one of the major deities of the Aztec pantheon. During the feast where he was worshipped as the deity he personified, he climbed the stairs to the top of the temple on his own where the priests seized him, a time in which he proceeded to symbolically crush "one by one the clay flutes on which he had played in his brief moment of glory," and then was sacrificed, his body being eaten later. By Aztec times (14th–16th century ad), Tezcatlipoca’s manifold attributes and functions had brought him to the summit of the divine hierarchy, where he ruled together with Huitzilopochtli, Tlaloc, and Quetzalcóatl. Numerous myths relate how Tezcatlipoca expelled the priest-king Quetzalcóatl, the Feathered Serpent, from the latter’s centre at Tula. His name, meaning Lord of the Smoking Mirror, refers to the mirrors made of obsidian, a shiny black stone that Aztec priests used in divination, or attempts to predict the future. As discussed above, Aztec folklore is rife with parallels, much of the time depicted in deities such as Tezcatlipoca. Identity/Class: Aztec god. The jaguar was Tezcatlipoca’s nagual, or animal disguise. He is sealed inside his temple in the jungles of Mexico. He was known as Black Tezcatlipoca or the “mirror that smokes”, god of the day and of Texcoco. Finding humanity to have grown violent and irreverent, he seeks to destroy and remake it by the equinox, but he went ahead with Quetzalcoatl 's bet to see if a human would close the gates of the underworld. Tezcatlipoca (Evening Star aspect of Venus) was the giver and taker away of life, and with his magic mirror, he could stare into the hearts and souls of men. 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