Introduction to Aztec Gods — Tlazolteotl
She’s a goddess of a load of things. Let’s check out all those I can name at the top of my head: purity and purification, sin and forgiveness, sex and lust, vices and filth, adulterers and steam baths, lechery and unlawful love {affairs}, fertility and childbirth, cotton and death. To name a few. There’s also her somewhat consistent relationship with Tezcatlipoca something that I always love to point out {even though this is my first time actively talking about her}. So let’s get this thing on the road!
Name and Epithets
Now generally her name is written as 𐤀𐤋𐤆𐤔𐤋𐤋𐤅𐤏𐤋𐤁𐤌, which based on the exact time period offers a variety of different phonetic interpretations. These range from Tlaçolteōtl, Tlaçoltecuhtli, Tlazolteotl, Tlazoltekuhtli, Tlahzolteōtl, to Tlazōlteōtl. For the sake of simplicity, we’ll call her Tlazolteotl. Her name can be translated into three main things too. But first, let’s break it down. It consists of the word Tlazolli {𐤋𐤆𐤔𐤋𐤋} which means filth or excrement and Teōtl {𐤀𐤏𐤋𐤆𐤌} which means god or deity. However, since the pronunciation and script can change one can also consider teotl as a suffix in the form of -teotl {𐤁𐤅𐤋𐤏𐤋}. In this regard, it can mean something along the lines of divine, sacred, or goddess. With that, the basic renditions of her name are:
- Goddess of Filth
- Divine Excrement
- Divine Goddess {?}
Yeah, the last one’s a bit tacky. Nonetheless, I’ll explain these later on. Since we sorta need to point out her other names.
- Tlahēlcuāni {𐤕𐤋𐤋𐤒𐤊𐤕𐤍𐤏𐤋}: “She who eats tlahēlli”. Tlahelli can mean anything from filth, to sin, and excrement. Some people just put it all together as filthy excrescence which while okay isn’t that accurate. Alternatively, I’ve seen it described as “she who possesses the divine staff”.
- Tlazōlmiquiztli {𐤋𐤍𐤁𐤆𐤇𐤌𐤈𐤄𐤃𐤔𐤏}L: “Death caused by lust”. It may also be rendered as rebirth in the sort of death and rebirth type of stuff.
- Ixcuina/Ixcuinan: Interestingly these terms are from the Huastec language rather than Nahuatl. It is often translated as “Deity of Cotton” and many theorize it to refer to a quadripartite correlation of four {sister} goddesses.
- Speaking of the quadripartite, it is likely that she was originally a Huastec/Huaxtec {whatever you wanna call it} goddess. As such she was the four {supposedly sister} goddesses: Tiyacapan {the firstborn}, Tēicuih or Tēiuc {the younger sister}, Tlahco or Tlahcoyēhua {the middle sister}, and Xōcotzin {the youngest sister}. All of them were collectively referred to as ixcuinammeh and/or tlazōltēteoh. Separately, they were worshipped as goddesses of luxury.
Role
With that, we wrap up all the major things there are to know about her name and possible associations. All of which help tick off a couple of the basics. There were in particular two major roles she performed. The first was having people sin. Yes, she is often credited for encouraging basic desires and leading to sins. However, that is juxtaposed with her other role: forgiveness and regeneration. Remember the names? It was believed that she was a deity who ate filth. Filth in this case meant sins.
As such she basically ate away your sins, purifying you. This is why she was never thought of as bad. There is ample evidence to suggest that the Aztecs didn’t view human waste as being really gross. Disgusting sure. But not as bad as we modern people do. Some even suggest the usage of “liquid gold” {fancy name for urine} during religious festivals and occasions. A part of her name -tzin {look above at the second epithet/name} is thought to have originated from tzintli; i.e. buttocks. While on this topic of joke-ish stuff, did you know that one Cecelia F. Klien famously translated her name as “Holy Shit”? Fun times.
“Oh Tlazolteotl, you who purify the world,
Cleanse me of my sins and impurities,
That I may be reborn in your image,
Pure and unblemished once more.
I offer you my filth and my shame,
That you may consume them and leave me clean,
Renewed and ready to face the world again.”
Source: “The Aztec Pantheon and the Art of Empire,” by John Pohl.
“Tlazolteotl, who consumes filth, come to me!
I offer you my sins and my impurities,
That you may consume them and leave me pure.
May your power renew me,
May your light shine within me,
May your blessings be upon me,
Forever and evermore.”
Source: “Prayers to Tlazolteotl,” translated by Elizabeth Graham
“The goddess called Tlazolteotl is a goddess who presides over filth. She is the mother of the gods and the mother of humankind… When a person confesses a sin to her, she eats it, and thus the sin is gone.”
Source: “Florentine Codex: General History of the Things of New Spain,” Book 10, Chapter 29, translated by Arthur J. O. Anderson and Charles E. Dibble
“Tlazolteotl, the goddess of filth, was so called because she was the one who took away the filth of sins. She was also called the goddess of carnality and sexual pleasures, and she was said to have been the first to have sinned in this way… She was the goddess of childbirth and also the goddess of midwives.”
Source: “Codex Magliabechiano,” Folio 78v, translated by Eduard Seler
“O, Tlazolteotl, goddess who purifies all filth,
Mother and protectress of all who are defiled,
You who take away sins and impurities,
I offer you my sins and my impurities,
That you may consume them and leave me clean,
Renewed and ready to face the world again.”
Source: “Songs of Dzitbalche: Translated from the Original Maya Texts,” by John M. Weeks
“Tlazolteotl, goddess of purification and fertility,
You who consume filth and grant new life,
I offer you my sins and my impurities,
That you may eat them and leave me clean,
Renewed and ready to face the world again.”
Source: “The Aztecs: A Very Short Introduction,” by David Carrasco
This should give you a general idea of who she is. No? In a way, she represents both destruction and regeneration. Something that may have to do with excrement and its use as a fertilizer {regeneration/rebirth} and its origin from the body as a waste {death/destruction}. She’s the deity who forgives and that offers a bit more nuance in Aztec culture. For some reason, the Aztec belief was that you could only be forgiven {most commonly jotted down as “receive mercy”} one in your life. Which is why you’d most likely see this as a practice amongst old people {quite a fun similarity with modern times}.
The day, weather, time, and place all mattered. So consultation visits to the priests {tlapouhqui} were commonplace. After deciding the best well….everything the priest would tell you. This was done by consulting the calendar, the stars, and other manners of divination. The person would then on the decided time and place pray to Tlazolteotl and lay all of his sins bare. Depending on the severity of the sin you were required to do anything from dance, sing, fast, and present offerings. After that judgment would be passed. Funnily enough, she was quite fickle. Prone to punishing people who committed acts of forbidden love with a number of diseases {most of them being STDs since well that’s what you get}.
“The worship of Tlazolteotl was one of the most widespread and ancient cults in Mesoamerica. She was venerated for her ability to purify body and soul, to heal diseases, and to grant fertility. Her cult was often associated with sexual practices that were believed to have regenerative power.”
Source: “The Aztecs,” by Richard F. Townsend.
“Tlazolteotl was a goddess of purification and fertility, and her cult was one of the most important in the Aztec pantheon. She was believed to have the power to purify individuals of their sins and impurities, and her worship included confessionals in which individuals could confess their sins and seek absolution. Tlazolteotl was also associated with sexual desire, and her worship included sexual rituals that were believed to promote fertility and regeneration.”
Source: “The Oxford Encyclopedia of Mesoamerican Cultures,” edited by Davíd Carrasco.
“The cult of Tlazolteotl was widespread throughout Mesoamerica, particularly among the Aztecs. Her cult was associated with purification, fertility, and healing, and she was often invoked during times of crisis or need. The cult of Tlazolteotl was particularly important for women, who would often make offerings to her in order to ensure a safe childbirth or to seek healing from illness. Tlazolteotl was also associated with sexual desire, and her cult included sexual rituals that were believed to promote fertility and regeneration.”
Source: “Tlazolteotl: Aztec Goddess of Filth and Fertility,” by Joshua J. Mark
“The worship of Tlazolteotl was an important aspect of Aztec religion, and her cult was one of the most prominent in the Aztec pantheon. Tlazolteotl was believed to have the power to purify individuals of their sins and impurities, and her cult included confessionals in which individuals could confess their sins and seek absolution. The cult of Tlazolteotl was also associated with sexual desire, and her worship included sexual rituals that were believed to promote fertility and regeneration.”
Source: “Tlazolteotl,” Encyclopaedia Britannica
Relationship with Tezcatlipoca
This is where in my opinion things get really interesting. You see, there were actually two gods associated with {the} “mercy” and purification in particular. Tlazolteotl and {*drumroll please*} Tezcatlipoca. This fact may have something to do with Tezcatlipoca being auspicious and invisible as the Night Wind and as such all-seeing. To the Aztecs it was imperative that for a purification ritual, you lay yourself bare, and both the gods involved with the process ask that of you. For they know all about you. To better establish a proper ground for this relationship here ya go:
“Tlazolteotl is one of the most complex and multifaceted deities within the Aztec pantheon. She is associated with many aspects of life, including love, fertility, childbirth, and purification. Tlazolteotl was also believed to be a goddess of sexual transgressions and moral impurities, and therefore had the power to forgive and absolve individuals of their sins. As one of the four Tezcatlipocas, she was associated with the north, the color black, and the element of earth. However, Tlazolteotl’s connection to the south, the color red, and the element of fire is also documented in some sources. She was often depicted as a beautiful woman, but was also believed to have the power to transform herself into a jaguar or a red serpent. This dual nature as a goddess of both destruction and regeneration is reflected in her other epithets, such as ‘Eater of Filth’ and ‘Goddess of Sweeping.’ Overall, Tlazolteotl’s complex nature and associations reflect the diverse concerns and values of Aztec society.”
Source: “The Oxford Encyclopedia of Mesoamerican Cultures: The Civilizations of Mexico and Central America,” edited by David Carrasco
“Tlazolteotl was often depicted in Aztec art and mythology in sexual union with the god Tezcatlipoca, who was her consort and counterpart. Together, they represented the dual nature of human existence, with Tezcatlipoca symbolizing the dark, destructive aspects of life and Tlazolteotl representing the regenerative and life-giving forces. Some myths tell of Tezcatlipoca disguising himself as a woman to seduce Tlazolteotl and thus gain her power of purification.”
Source: “The Mythology of Mexico and Central America,” by John Bierhorst.
“Tlazolteotl was the consort of the god Tezcatlipoca, who was also known as the ‘Smoking Mirror.’ Together, they embodied the dual nature of human existence, with Tlazolteotl representing the life-giving forces and Tezcatlipoca representing the destructive forces. In some myths, Tezcatlipoca disguises himself as a woman to seduce Tlazolteotl and thus gain her power of purification.”
Source: “The Aztecs: A Very Short Introduction,” by David Carrasco
“Tlazolteotl, the goddess of filth, is the companion of Tezcatlipoca. She is the one who purifies people from sins, and when someone confesses his sins, she eats them.”
Source: Codex Chimalpopoca
“Here is the goddess Tlazolteotl, who is called ‘Filth-Eater.’ She is one of the gods who is in the company of Tezcatlipoca, Xipe Totec, and Mixcoatl. She is the goddess who sees and knows all, who can give and take away health, who can give and take away wealth, who can give and take away life.”
Source: Codex Borgia
“[Tlazolteotl] is one of the gods who is in the company of Tezcatlipoca, Huitzilopochtli, and Tlaloc. She is a goddess who is very powerful in all that concerns sin, and she is the goddess who sees and knows all, who can give and take away health, who can give and take away wealth, who can give and take away life.”
Source: Florentine Codex
I know what you might be thinking…..”Wait! Is she gay?!” Jokes aside there is evidence to suggest that she was but that isn’t the question at hand. See how she’s painted in a yin-yang scenario with Tez? However, it isn’t as simple as destruction and regeneration or masculine and feminine. First and foremost, Tezcatlipoca is also a god of creation which might suggest why Tlazolteotl is specifically mentioned in regards to regeneration. Secondly, we do see Tezcatlipoca taking on a feminine form to gain her powers. Additionally, some depictions of Tlazolteotl show her as a male.
So I come to offer another one of my rambunctious theories. But like always it’s backed up by some. Of course, arguments for both ends can be made. So take it with a grain of salt.
“Tezcatlipoca, as the god of the night and sorcery, was strongly associated with sexuality and fertility, and it is possible that Tlazolteotl was a manifestation or aspect of this complex deity. Some sources suggest that Tlazolteotl was part of Tezcatlipoca’s retinue and that the two deities shared an interest in matters of sexuality and sin.”
Source: “Religions of Mesoamerica” by David Carrasco
“Tezcatlipoca was also the god of the nocturnal sky, and his appearance as a starry sky is often linked with ideas of fertility and sexuality. In this aspect, he was associated with the planet Venus, which was viewed as a symbol of fertility and desire.”
Source: “The Aztecs” by Richard F. Townsend
“Tezcatlipoca was also the god of the nocturnal sky, and his appearance as a starry sky is often linked with ideas of fertility and sexuality. In this aspect, he was associated with the planet Venus, which was viewed as a symbol of fertility and desire.”
Source: Florentine Codex
The last two work to establish a connection between Tezcatlipoca and sexuality + fertility. To better clarify things. However, I do {normally} tend to view them as separate deities even though the arguments are there. Primarily, because as I’ve said before Tezcatlipoca himself is the same as the Feathered Serpent as a whole instead of Quetzalcoatl. He too is like a catch-all term that includes a variety of manifestations. All of which can exist separately. Plus, there’s also the fact that although Tezcatlipoca’s origins can be traced as far back as the Olmecs, Tlazolteotl was a Huastec deity originally which ends up as a divider. Of course, now only taking in the Aztec version {i.e. excluding the quadripartite correlation which too has a parallel of sorts with Tezcatlipoca’s triple god aspect}, is another story.
That’s what I think. What about you guys? I do hope you enjoyed this. Have a nice day!
