Author: * Yolihuani Acamapichtli -
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Date: May 12, 2004 - 07:55
Thanks very much for that extra info about Toci, where did you find it btw? Youīre among those lucky ones with a pile of books to cull from? :)
Tezcatlipoca now, for the reason that he was placed as the opposite of Quetzalcoatl which we already have on this thread. There is perhaps no other Aztek god about which so many different and contradictory things are said and written. Here is only a very brief account.
Tezcatlipoca was one of the four sons of the Lord and Lady of Duality (Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl), and changed himself into the sun to rule the universe. His relationship to Quetzalqoatl was not always very good and Quetzalqoatl couldnīt tolerate Tezcatlipoca to rule the universe, so he kicked him out of the sky. That made Tezcatlipoca quite mad in his turn, so he changed himself into a jaguar and destroyed the earth. According to Aztec creation myths, this was the first attempt of four to create the world.
His name means 'Smoking Mirror' or 'Dark Mirror' because he owned a mirror which killed off his enemies by emitting smoke. He is a god of material things and of the night and also lord of the north and of the natural forces as well as a goodlooking warrior god - and of beauty! Talk about contrasts. These Aztec deities shift all the time, they are not static, and this applies extra well with Tezcatlipoca as you see.
Another aspect of Tezcatlipoca shows him as a tempter of mensīsouls - he tried their character by tempting them with all kinds of things to make them fall to evil deeds and according to the result he rewarded good and punished evil.
But he was not above falling to temptation himself, for once he seduced Xochiquetzal, the goddess of flowers and wife of Xochipilli. His favourite occupation was however as magician and shape shifter - a true trickster and shaman, it was said that his powers were mysterious. Here are a few of the things which described him to show the variations of it:
He had a miraculous birth.
He was the soul of the world.
He missed his right foot.
He was hurled out of heaven.
He was a blue god.
He had the face of a bear.
He was responsible to eye diseases.
He was connected to the turkey.
He was the god of love.
He was the black god of death.
Sofar in my search for the Aztec gods, this is the one which intrigues me the most. I really hope to come back and do a more extensive post about Tezcatlipocha one day, he really deserves it.
Sources:
Mythopedia
Aztek Religion
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