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The mythology of the ancient Aztecs is mysterious and difficult. The names of the gods are especially difficult in it. Sometimes, in order to pronounce the name of this or that celestial being without hesitation, you need to train for a very long time... well, or break your tongue trying to pronounce this name. Here are 10 gods with the most complex and intricate names.
Acuecucyoticihuati - goddess of the ocean, flowing water and rivers. Associated with the cult of Chalchiuhtlicue - it is its hypostasis. Patronizes working women.
Ayauhteotl is the goddess of frost and fog, observed only at night or early in the morning. Associated with vanity and celebrity. Itzpapalotl - "Obsidian Butterfly", goddess of fate associated with the cult of plants. Originally she was one of the deities of hunting among the Chichimecs. She was depicted as a butterfly with wings studded with obsidian blades at the edges, or as a woman with jaguar claws on her hands and feet. She was killed by Mixcoatl.
Quetzalcoatl - "Feathered Serpent". In the mythology of the Aztecs and Toltecs, the demiurge god, the creator of man and culture, the lord of the elements. One of the main gods of the Toltecs, Aztecs and other peoples of central Mesoamerica. He took part in the creation and destruction of various world eras, and ruled one of the world eras, creating for this era a person from the bones of people of previous eras, collected in Mictlan. He is also the god of the winds, Ehecatl (one of his forms), and the god of waters and abundance. As the god of waters, he commanded lightning, which in its forms reminded the Aztecs of the silhouettes of celestial serpents. He is believed to be the son of Coatlicue and the twin brother of Xolotl. As a bearer of culture, he gave the world corn (maize) and the calendar, and is the patron of arts and crafts. According to one myth, after his death he turned into the morning star (Venus) and became associated with Tlauitzcalpantecuhtli. Among the Toltecs, his opponent was Tezcatlipoca (“smoking mirror”). Later, the Aztecs made it a symbol of death and rebirth, and the patron of priests. The high priests were called by his name - Quetzalcoatl. The god Quetzalcoatl is often associated with the Toltec ruler-priest Topiltzin Se Acatl, who ruled Tula in the 10th century. The priest was the son of Mixcoatl (Camashtli) and Chimalman, and was born in Michatlauhco, "Deep waters where fish live." The cult of Quetzalcoatl was widespread in Teotihuacan, Tula, Xochilco, Cholula, Tenochtitlan and Chichen Itza.
Malinalxochi is the sister of Huitzilopochtli. A sorceress who has power over scorpions, snakes and other stinging and biting desert insects.
Mictlantecuhtli - “Lord of the Kingdom of the Dead.” In Aztec mythology, the ruler of the afterlife (underground) world and the underworld was depicted as a skeleton or with a skull instead of a head with protruding teeth; his constant companions are a bat, a spider and an owl. His wife is Mictlancihuatl. According to myths, Quetzalcoatl descended to the 9th Hell to Mictlanteculi for the bones of the dead in order to create new people. Knowing that Mictlantecuhtli was distrustful and prone to deception, Quetzalcoatl, having received what he asked, rushed to run. Angry, Mictlantecuhtli pursued him and ordered the quail to attack the creator god. In a hurry, Quetzalcoatl stumbled, fell on the bones, broke them and with difficulty escaped from the underworld, carrying away the prey. By sprinkling the bones with his blood, Quetzalcoatl created people, but since the broken bones were of different sizes, men and women differ in height. Popocatepetl is a young warrior who fell in love with Iztaccihuatl, the daughter of a ruler. The gods, taking pity on them, turned them into mountains of the same name. His name is not so difficult to pronounce, but how funny it sounds...
Tlazolteotl - "Goddess - eater of dirt (excrement)." Goddess of the earth, fertility, sex, sexual sins and repentance (hence her name: by devouring dirt, she cleanses humanity of sins); mistress of the night. According to legend, she got her name this way: one day she came to a dying man who confessed to his sins, and she cleansed his soul by eating all the “dirt.” Tlazolteotl is one of the most ancient deities of Mesoamerica, dating back to the “goddess with braids”; The Aztecs probably borrowed her cult from the Huastecs. She is also known under other names: Tosi (“our grandmother”), Tlalli-ipalo (“heart of the earth”), Ishkuina, Teteoinnan (“mother of the gods”), Chikunavi-acatl (“nine reeds”), etc. Tlazolteotl was portrayed sometimes naked, sometimes clothed; distinctive features - a nasal insert in the shape of a crescent, a headdress made of quail feathers with a piece of cotton wool and two spindles, yellow face coloring; its symbol is a broom or a person eating excrement. At a festival in her honor, a girl was sacrificed, and a jacket was made from her skin, which was worn by the priest who personified the goddess. This was followed by her symbolic reunion with the god of war and the sun, Huitzilopochtli, and the birth of the god of young maize. During the years of drought, Tlazolteotl (in the guise of Ishkuina) sacrificed a man. They tied him to a post and threw darts at him (the dripping blood symbolized rain). Tlazolteotl was considered the patroness of sinners
Hueuecoyotl - “Old, old coyote.” God of sex and unbridled fun, songs and dances, one of the incarnations of Macuilxochitl (Xochipili); by origin, obviously, the deity of the Otomi tribe. He was depicted as a sitting coyote or in an anthropomorphic form with musical instruments in his hands. He was the patron of troublemakers and those who spread rumors. Chicomecoatl - “7 snakes”, goddess of maize in the classical period of Aztec life. Sometimes called the “goddess of food,” the goddess of abundance, she was the feminine aspect of corn. Every September, a young girl representing Chicomecoatl was sacrificed. The priests beheaded her, collected the blood and poured it on the statue of the goddess. Next, the skin was removed from the corpse, which the priest put on himself. They portrayed (described) her in different ways: as a girl with water flowers; a woman whose embrace meant death; and a mother who carries the sun with her as a shield. She is the counterpart of the maize god Cinteotl, their symbol being an ear of corn. Sometimes it is called Shilonen.
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Legends and myths of Olympus: list and description of 12 gods
Legends about the Olympian gods passed from generation to generation and had a huge impact on world culture. Stories from ancient Greek mythology were present in literature, poetry, painting, sculpture, and music. They “exerted” influence on almost all spheres of human life, as they reflected people’s ideas about the structure of the world.
The information that has reached our times about the legends and tales of Ancient Greece came from the works of Homer, Ovid, Nonnus, and Euripides. Thus, by the “Olympic” period of the development of society, all myths were associated with Mount Olympus, where 12 deities headed by Zeus sat (although their number does not always coincide).
According to ancient Greek myths, before the “central” Gods ascended to Olympus, Chaos existed on Earth, which gave birth to Eternal Darkness and Dark Night. From them came the Eternal Light and the bright Day. So, night began to give way to day, and day to night, forever and ever.
The mighty Goddess Gaia (Earth), also emerging from Chaos, gave birth to Sky (Uranus), Mountains and Sea. And then Uranus took Gaia as his wife. From this union six Titans and six Daughters were born. From their connection with each other, rivers, winds, stars, rains, and the Moon appeared in the world.
In addition, Gaia gave birth to three Cyclops giants and three giants, each of whom had 50 heads and 100 arms. Uranus saw these monsters and hated them, since they had a violent character and powerful strength. Uranus imprisoned them in the bowels of the Earth, but she secretly rescued them and persuaded them to rebel against their father. Only one, the youngest of the brothers named Kronos, managed to take power from Uranus.
Then the goddess Night gave birth to death, discord, deception, nightmares, destruction and revenge. Kronos began to rule in a world where struggle, horror and misfortune reigned. This is how Night punished the cunning Kronos.
Most of all, he was afraid that his children could do away with him at any moment, just like he did with his father. And then he called his wife Rhea to him and ordered her to bring the children that were born. The merciless Kronos swallowed all of them - Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades and Poseidon. But there was also a sixth child - Zeus. Instead, Rhea gave her husband a stone wrapped in cloth, as if it were a baby in swaddling clothes. And secretly from her ruthless husband, she went to the island of Crete, where she gave birth to a baby in a dark cave.
Greek gods
It arouses genuine interest, intrigues and excites. It combines the fictional and modern world. Quite a few books have been written about him and many films have been made. The Pantheon of Greek gods is a real treasure trove for studying the history, customs and life of Ancient Greece. What function did the celestials perform on the sacred Mount Olympus? What unimaginable power and authority were they endowed with? This and much more will be discussed in our new divine article!
A pantheon, or simply a group of gods belonging to the same religion, consisted of a large number of celestial beings, each of whom performed an assigned role and carried out its own function. In their appearance and behavior, the gods and goddesses were similar to ordinary people. They experienced the same emotions and feelings, fell in love and quarreled, were angry and had mercy, deceived and spread gossip. But their main difference was immortality! Over time, the history of relations between the gods became increasingly overgrown with myths. And this only increased interest and admiration for the ancient religion...
Representatives of the younger generation of celestials in Ancient Hellas were considered the main gods. Once upon a time, they took away the right to rule the world from the older generation (titans), who personified the natural elements and universal forces. Having defeated the Titans, the younger gods, under the leadership of Zeus, settled on Mount Olympus. We will tell you about the 12 main Olympian gods and goddesses, their assistants and companions, who were worshiped by the Greeks!
King of the gods and main deity. Representative of the endless sky, lord of lightning and thunder. Zeus had unlimited power over both people and gods. The ancient Greeks honored and feared the Thunderer, appeasing him in every possible way with the best donations. Babies learned about Zeus even in the womb, and attributed all misfortunes to the wrath of the greatest and omnipotent.
Brother of Zeus, ruler of the sea, rivers, lakes and oceans. He personified courage, stormy temper, hot temper and unearthly strength. As the patron saint of seafarers, he could cause famine, capsize and sink ships, and decide the fate of fishermen in open waters. Poseidon is closely associated with earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Brother of Poseidon and Zeus, to whom the entire underworld, the kingdom of the dead, was subordinate. The only one who did not live on Olympus, but was rightfully considered an Olympian god. All the dead went to Hades. Although people were afraid to even utter the name of Hades, in ancient mythology he is represented as a cold, unshakable and indifferent god, whose decision must be carried out unquestioningly. One can only enter into his dark kingdom with demons and shadows of the dead, where the sun's rays do not penetrate. There is no turning back.
Aristocratic and refined, the god of healing, sunlight, spiritual purity and artistic beauty. Having become the patron of creativity, he is considered the head of the 9 muses, as well as the father of the god of doctors, Asclepius.
The most ancient god of roads and travel, patron of trade and merchants. This celestial being with wings on his heels was associated with a subtle mind, resourcefulness, cunning and excellent knowledge of foreign languages.
The insidious god of war and fierce battles. The mighty warrior preferred bloody reprisals and waged war for the sake of war itself.
Patron of blacksmithing, pottery and other crafts associated with fire. Even in ancient times, Hephaestus was associated with volcanic activity, roar and flame.
Wife of Zeus, patroness of marriage and conjugal love. The goddess was distinguished by jealousy, anger, cruelty and excessive severity. In a state of rage, she could bring terrible troubles to people.
The daughter of Zeus, the beautiful goddess of love, who easily fell in love with herself and fell in love herself. In her hands was concentrated the great power of love, pure and sincere, which she bestowed on the gods and people.
Goddess of just war, wisdom, patroness of spiritual pursuits, art, agriculture and crafts. Pallas Athena was born from the head of Zeus in full armor. Thanks to her, public life flows and cities are built. For her knowledge and intelligence, she was the most respected and authoritative celestial being among the pantheon of Greek gods.
Patroness of agriculture and goddess of fertility. She is the guardian of life, who taught man peasant labor. She fills the barns and replenishes supplies. Demeter is the embodiment of the primitive energy of creativity, the great mother who gives birth to all living things.
Goddess of forests and hunting, sister of Apollo. Patroness of vegetation and fertility. The virginity of the goddess is closely connected with the idea of birth and sexual relations.
In addition to the 12 main Olympian gods, among the Greek celestials there were many equally significant and authoritative names.
Dionysus . God of winemaking and all natural forces that make a person happy.
Morpheus . Everyone was in his arms. Greek god of dreams, son of Hypnos - god of sleep. Morpheus could take any form, accurately copy his voice, and appear to people in their dreams.
Eros . Son of Aphrodite and part-time god of love. A cute boy with a quiver and a bow accurately throws arrows at people, which ignite unbreakable love in the hearts of gods and people. In Rome, Cupid corresponded to it.
Persephone . The daughter of Demeter, kidnapped by Hades, who dragged her to his underworld and made her his wife. She spends part of the year upstairs with her mother, the rest of the time she lives underground. Persephone personified the grain that is sown in the ground and comes to life when it comes out into the light.
Hestia . Patron of the hearth, family and sacrificial fire.
Pan . Greek god of forests, patron of shepherds and flocks. Represented with goat legs, horns and a beard with a pipe in his hands.
Nika . Goddess of victory and constant companion of Zeus. The divine symbol of success and a happy outcome is always depicted in a pose of rapid movement or with wings. Nika takes part in all musical competitions, military enterprises and religious celebrations.
And these are not all the Greek names of the gods:
- Asclepius is the Greek god of healing.
- Proteus is the son of Poseidon, a sea deity. He had the gift of predicting the future and changing his appearance.
- Triton, the son of Poseidon, brought news from the depths of the sea by blowing a conch shell. Depicted as a mixture of horse, fish and man.
- Eirene, the goddess of peace, stands at the Olympian throne of Zeus.
- Dike is the patroness of truth, a goddess who does not tolerate deception.
- Tyukhe is the goddess of luck and successful chance.
- Plutos is the ancient Greek god of wealth.
- Enyo is the goddess of furious war, causing fury in the fighters, bringing confusion to the battle.
- Phobos and Deimos are the sons and companions of Ares, the god of war.
Properties of the Mind of God
Omniscience
This property is expressed in the fact that God by nature has all-perfect knowledge: He knows Himself, His essence, His properties and actions; knows everything possible and really existing; knows the reasons and purposes for the creation of each creation; knows their essences and characteristics; knows everything past, present, future; knows the intentions of every person, every angel; knows about all sins and all good deeds; knows what is useful for which creation and what is harmful or destructive.
In contrast to human knowledge, which is the sum of diverse accumulated knowledge, Divine omniscience represents a simple, timeless contemplation of everything that exists and is conditionally possible at once, in its entirety.
God's omniscience regarding future events in world history is called foreknowledge.
Supreme Wisdom
By the wisdom of God (Rom. 14:26) is meant that side of Divine omniscience that relates to Divine actions. The wisdom of God is manifested in the fact that God knows both the best ways to achieve His goals and the best means. By optimally using these means to carry out His plan, He always and everywhere acts flawlessly, in the best possible way.
The first evidence is “the house of Ba-Pef”
The Pyramid Texts mention a certain house of Ba-Pef, located in the afterlife. Based on the context and some allusions, the researchers concluded that the “House of Ba-Pef” was somehow associated with pain and grief. This connection is not spelled out exactly; there are no clear details.
There is also an opinion (in particular among Spanish Egyptologists) that the “House of Ba-Pef” was a place in which the deceased (primarily this referred to the deceased pharaoh) after difficult journeys through the Underworld could stop and rest, without knowing pain and grief, where he was protected from any harm. That is, it turns out that Ba-Pef is not the god of grief and pain, but a mourning god, acting more as a protector of the dead than as their oppressor.
Other Olympians
Even if these gods did not have such powerful parents, almost all of them were born from Zeus. Each of them was talented in their own way. And he coped well with his duties.
Ares is the son of Hera and Zeus. God of battles, war and masculinity. He was a lover and then the husband of the goddess Aphrodite. Ares' companions were Eris (goddess of discord) and Enyo (goddess of furious war). The main attributes were: helmet, sword, dogs, burning torch and shield.
Apollo, the son of Zeus and Leto, was the twin brother of Artemis. God of light, leader of the muses, god of healing and predictor of the future. Apollo was very loving, he had many mistresses and lovers. The attributes were: a laurel wreath, a chariot, a bow and arrows and a golden lyre.
Hermes is the son of Zeus and the galaxy of Maya or Persephone. God of trade, eloquence, dexterity, intelligence, animal husbandry and roads. Patron of athletes, merchants, artisans, shepherds, travelers, ambassadors and thieves. He is the personal messenger of Zeus and the guide of the dead to the kingdom of Hades. He taught people writing, trade and bookkeeping. Attributes: winged sandals that allow him to fly, invisibility helmet, caduceus (a rod decorated with two intertwined snakes).
Hephaestus is the son of Hera and Zeus. God of blacksmithing and fire. He was limping on both legs. Hephaestus's wives are Aphrodite and Aglaia. The attributes of the god were: blacksmith's bellows, tongs, chariot and pilos.
Dionysus is the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Semele. God of vineyards and winemaking, inspiration and ecstasy. Patron of the theater. He was married to Ariadne. Attributes of God: a cup of wine, a wreath of vines and a chariot.
Artemis is the daughter of Zeus and the goddess Leto, twin sister of Apollo. The young goddess is a hunter. Born first, she helped her mother give birth to Apollo. Chaste. Attributes of Artemis: a doe, a quiver of arrows and a chariot.
Demeter is the daughter of Kronos and Rhea. Mother of Persephone (wife of Hades), sister of Zeus and his lover. Goddess of agriculture and fertility. Demeter's attribute is a wreath of ears.
Athena, the daughter of Zeus, completes our list of gods of Ancient Greece. She was born from his head after he swallowed her mother Themis. Goddess of war, wisdom and craft. Patroness of the Greek city of Athens. Her attributes were: a shield with the image of the Gorgon Medusa, an owl, a snake and a spear.
