A ztec Z T E C

Deities E I T I E S Introduction to Aztec Deities

In 2000, I began a series entitled themselves at Tenochitlán ( Aztec Deities. I chose eleven Aztec City); the emperor Montezuma gods' names for the series. welcomed him. This foolish move Interestingly, there was a god for by Montezuma allowed Cortéz to almost every purpose and aspect of make his headquarters in the life in the Aztec culture. I chose capitol. Later, he was informed that some of their most important gods other had plundered and goddesses; others were a purely and killed the contingent arbitrary choice on my part. I did of men he left there. He seized this series because I wanted to relate Montezuma and forced his as a 'gringo' and as contemporary surrender of his warriors; he then visual artist, on the subject of these executed the emperor. fascinating and important Aztec deities. Cortés and men were astonished at the incredibly advanced city-state of Tenochtitlán, which had been Extremely bloody religious rituals built on a large lake with irrigation. and internecine warfare dominated With a population of over 200,000 the (1427-1521) and people, larger than any European helped to finally result in its demise. city at that time, Tenochtitlán's At its apex it stretched across most markets brimmed with produce. of central . Gold, silver and precious stones were displayed in abundance. The infamously indomitable Cortés realized that the Spanish Spanish conquistador Hernando crown would reward him for Cortés conquered it with a very finding gold and that he would small army after his landing on the become personally wealthy. He east coast around Veracruz in April sought rebellious nearby native 1519. There, to prevent all thought tribes to join him in his warfare of retreat, he burned his own ships. against the Aztecs. With only about Leaving a small force on the coast, 1,000 troops, horses, crude Cortés led the rest of his men into weaponry, and typical armor, with the interior. A warlike tribe of great military acumen Cortés natives attacked his party. He forged conquered the vast Aztec land and forward, after the battle with the extended empire. Their civilization local natives, and on November 8, was devastated. 1519, Cortés and his army found What I have outlined here is the popular version

- 7 - of the 'conquest' of the Aztecs. Professor Andrés win the most powerful to his side. Reséndez in his history “A Land So Strange” Cortés left 200 of his men at delves even deeper. Tenochtitlán and marched to In Rséndez's book he brings into Campollon [near Vera Cruz]. Cortés focus the roles played by Diego defeated Narávez, “shackled him in Velázquez and Pánfilo de Narváez. chains” and jailed him in Vera Cruz; Velázquez was “the richest resident he got his men to agree to join him in of Espanola, the island shared today his thirst for riches and power and to by Haiti and the Dominican fight the Aztecs. * With significant Republic.”* With his connections in help (thousands joined Cortés) from Spain he got the crown to authorize other tribes, who hated the Aztecs, him to occupy Cuba. Narávez joined Cortés went on to 'conquer' the him in this 'power play' and was Aztec empire. dispatched to the court to influence the crown in Velázquez interest in * See A Land So Strange by Andrés the New World. Several years Reseéndez; published by Basic elapsed; finally after the death of Books, copyright 2007 by Andrés King Ferdinand and the assumption Reséndez; chapter 1 “The Prize That of the crown by Charles of Ghent, he was able to get approval from the Was Snatched Away.” King, due mostly because of Velázquez discoveries of gold in the Yucatan in 1517-18. *

Cortés agenda was not in sync with Velázquez and Narávez. He saw opportunity for himself and got an expedition together to seek the riches found in the Yucatan. Both parties sought intrigue and counter-intrigue seeking dominance one over the other.

Narávez assembled (with Velázquez backing) troops and moved on Cortés claim on Mexico. He landed around Vera Cruz. Cortés saw Little Feast of the Dead © Roland Salazar Rose 2000 Narávez forces in Mexico as a threat as Montezuma was plying both In 2000 with eleven Aztec gods' and parties with gifts and attempting to goddesses' names on hand, I set out

- 8 - to create eleven contemporary media. When I employed a brush, it images of them. The glyphs of the was not always used as in painting or gods that are shown in the codices, for lines, but rather used as broad or Aztec books, helped in my marks or for filling in the chapapote process of representation. But background color. In the 2000 series mostly the images just sprang up as I the work is oil pastels with chapapote drew them. The paper images, about in my medium Sal-Zar. In 2002 I 9 X 12 inches, (vertical) were later used chapapote, spray enamels and mounted to wood, done in mixed oil pastels. I know that there is media. All of these images are now in private collections in England, controversy concerning the use of Mexico and the U.S.A. spray paint; however I leave it to conservators to determine this. Two years later I revisited the idea of representing the gods and I created Why did I do the Aztec Deities another series of the same number Series when obviously I could never and names. This time I decided to do present a true appreciation of the more than just show a head image majesty of this time in history? I and would instead represent entire didn't research the mythology on the figures. I also decided on an God Tonatiuh, which translates as introductory piece for the eleven “He Who Makes the Day” and use gods and goddesses, as each year I this as a basis for the painting. I let do a piece that I title “Roland's my imagination take hold and this friend”; I painted a corresponding guided me to represent the gods. piece for this series of eleven, bringing the total to twelve. I used Clearly this work represents a the same names for the gods as in the series of 2000: He Who Makes the “gringo” contemporary artist's Day: Tonatiuh; Our Flayed Lord: Xipel understanding and view of a period Totec; Obsidian Butterfly: Itzpapalot; in history when gods & goddesses Two Rabbit: Ome Tochtli; Lord of the abounded and when a vast military Nose: ; Salt Woman: and civil society was destroyed for Huixtocihuatl; Smoking Mirror: 'conquest: for gold' and in the name Tezatlepoca; Little Feast of the Dead: of church and state. Miccailhuitontli; Defied Woman: ; Yellow Face: - As for me, I did not seek out the Ixcozauhqui; Cloud : Mixcocatl. gods and goddess; they came to me!

As to the techniques employed in these two bodies of work, they are San Miguel de Allende, México 2008 best described as drawings in mixed

- 9 - He Who Makes the Lord of the Nose Day Tonatiuh Our Flayed Lord Obsidian Butterfly Two Rabbit Yacatecuhtli Itzpapalotl Ome Tochtli

Salt Woman Smoking Mirrw Little Feast of the Dead Yellow Face Huixtocihuatl ezcatliepoca Deified Woman Miccailhultontli Cihuateto Xiuhtecuhtli Ixcozauhqui

Cloud Serpent Perhaps the Aztec influence Puts a Mask On the Mexican psyche? What other reason for both The black and white presence In each encounter? An upward glance And a downward stare ¡

- 10 - “ He Who Makes the Day: Tonatiuh ”

“Tonatiuh was also known as the fifth sun, because the Aztecs believed that he was the sun that took over when the fourth sun was expelled from the sky. The Aztecs were fascinated by the sun and carefully observed it, and had a solar calendar second only in accuracy to the Mayans. According to the Aztec creation myth, the god demanded human sacrifice as tribute and without it would refuse to move through the sky. It is said that 20,000 people were sacrificed each year to Tonatiuh and other gods, though this number is thought to be inflated either by the Aztecs, who wanted to inspire fear in their enemies, or the Spaniards, who wanted to vilify the Aztecs.”1

- 11 - “ Our Flayed Lord: Xipe Totec ”

“, Xipe Totec ("our lord the flayed one") was a life-death- rebirth deity, god of agriculture, the west, disease, spring, goldsmiths and the seasons. He flayed himself to give food to humanity, symbolic of the maize seed losing the outer layer of the seed before germination and of shedding their skin. Without his skin, he was depicted as a golden god. Annually, slaves were selected as sacrifices to Xipe Totec. These slaves were carefully flayed to produce a nearly whole skin which was then worn by the priests during the fertility rituals that followed the sacrifice.. Paintings and several clay figures have been found which illustrate the flaying method and the appearance of priests wearing flayed skins.”2

- 12 - “Obsidian Butterfly: Itzpapalotl”

“In Aztec mythology, Itzpapalotl ("Clawed Butterfly" or "Obsidian Butterfly") was a fearsome skeletal warrior goddess, who ruled over the paradise world of , the paradise of victims of infant mortality and place identified where humans were created.[ She is the mother of Mixcoatl and is particularly associated with the moth Rothschildia orizaba from the family Saturniidae. Some of her associations include birds and fire. Her nahualli was a deer.”3

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