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Chicomecōātl

Aztec deity

Field	Value
type	aztec
name	Chicōmecōātl
image	File:Chicomecoatl 1.jpg
caption	Chicōmecōātl, as depicted in the Codex Borgia
gender	female

In Aztec mythology, Chicōmecōātl "Seven Serpent", was the Aztec goddess of agriculture during the Middle Culture period. She is sometimes called "goddess of nourishment", a goddess of plenty and the female aspect of maize.

More generally, Chicōmecōātl can be described as a deity of food, drink, and human livelihood.

She is regarded as the female counterpart of the maize god Centeōtl, their symbol being an ear of corn. She is occasionally called Xīlōnen, 'corn dolly made of unripe maize', who was married also to Tezcatlipoca.

Significance of Name

Chicomecōātl's name, "Seven Serpent", is thought to be a reference to the duality of the deity. While she symbolizes the gathering of maize and agricultural prosperity, she also is thought to be harmful to the Aztecs, as she was thought to be of blame during years of poor harvest.

Appearance & Depiction

Her appearance is mostly represented with red ochre on the face, paper headdress on top, water-flowers patterned shirt, and foam sandals on the bottom. She is also described as carrying a sun flower shield.

She is also often depicted with attributes of Chalchiuhtlicue, such as her headdress and the short lines rubbing down her cheeks. Chicomecōātl is usually distinguished by being shown carrying ears of maize. She is shown in three different forms:

As a young girl carrying flowers
As a woman who brings death with her embraces
As a mother who uses the sun as a shield File:Chicomecoatl 2.jpg|Chicomecōātl, as depicted in Codex Magliabechiano File:Relief with Maize Goddess (Chicomecóatl).jpg|Relief with Maize Goddess (Chicomecóatl), Stone, Aztec. File:Maize Deity (Chicomecoatl) MET DT5110.jpg|Maize Deity (Chicomecoatl), basalt File:Chicomecoatl (Museo Nacional de Antropologia).jpg|(Museo Nacional de Antropologia) File:Chicomecoatl Iconographic Annotation.png|An annotation highlighting the main iconographic features of the Aztec deity, Chicomecoatl, based on the features present on the 15th–early 16th-century basalt statue from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Festivals

She is particularly recognized during Huey Tozoztli, the first of sequence of three festivals held in high season marking the harvest. During the festival, her priestesses designate seed corn that is to be planted in the coming season. To appease the deity, as well as to ask for good harvest, priests often engaged in child sacrifice. Dried seed maize, harvested and retained for the following year, bore the title Chicomecōātl, while maize consumed following harvest season was generally referred to as Cinteotl.

References

Aguilar-Moreno, Manuel. (2006). "Handbook to Life in the Aztec World". Facts on File.
Gregg, Susan. (2011-03-01). "The Complete Encyclopedia of Angels: A Guide to 200 Celestial Beings to Help, Heal, and Assist You in Everyday Life". Fair Winds Press.
Durán, Diego. (1971). "Book of the Gods and Rites and the Ancient Calendar.". University of Oklahoma Press.
Bernardino de Sahagún, ''Florentine Codex: General History of the Things of New Spain'' (Translation of and Introduction to Historia General de Las Cosas de La Nueva España; 12 Volumes in 13 Books ), trans. Charles E. Dibble and Arthur J. O Anderson (Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1950-1982), p.4
Townsend, Richard F.. (2009). "The Aztecs". [[Thames & Hudson]].

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

aztec-goddesses agricultural-goddesses death-goddesses solar-goddesses food-deities food-goddesses triple-goddesses

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