Huitzilopochtli
Huitzilopochtli (, ) is the solar and war deity of sacrifice in Aztec religion. He was also the patron god of the Aztecs and their capital city, Tenochtitlan. He wielded Xiuhcoatl, the fire serpent, as a weapon, thus also associating Huitzilopochtli with fire.
Key facts
- Deity.type
- Aztec
- Deity.name
- Huītzilōpōchtli
- Deity.image
- Huitzilopochtli V.png
- Deity.caption
- Huitzilopochtli as depicted in the Codex Borbonicus
- Deity.member_of
- the Tezcatlipocas
- Deity.other_names
- Blue Tezcatlipoca, Omiteotl, Mextli, Mexi, Huitzitlon, Huitzilton, Tzintzuni, Huitzi
- Deity.symbol
- Hummingbird
- Deity.children
- None
- Deity.gender
- Male
- Deity.region
- Mesoamerica
- Deity.ethnic_group
- Aztec (Mexica)
- Deity.festivals
- Panquetzaliztli
Article
14 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Origin stories
- History
- Sacrifice
- The Templo Mayor
- The Coyolxauhqui stone
- Mythology
- Origins of Tenochtitlan
- Iconography
- Calendar
- See also
- Citations
- General and cited references
- External links
Huitzilopochtli (, ) is the solar and war deity of sacrifice in Aztec religion. He was also the patron god of the Aztecs and their capital city, Tenochtitlan. He wielded Xiuhcoatl, the fire serpent, as a weapon, thus also associating Huitzilopochtli with fire.
The Spaniards recorded the deity's name as Huichilobos. During their discovery and conquest of the Aztec Empire, they wrote that human sacrifice was common in worship ceremonies. These took place frequently throughout the region. When performed, typically multiple victims were sacrificed per day at any one of the numerous temples.