Tlāhuizcalpantecuhtli
Aztec god of the Morning Star Venus.
In the Aztec religion, Tlāhuizcalpantēcuhtli is a key god linked to the Morning Star, Venus. His name combines Nahuatl words for “dawn” and “lord.” He also serves as one of the thirteen Lords of the Day, ruling over the twelfth day of the trecena.
Quick Facts
- Gender
- male
Facts from the source article.
Origin story
In the Aztec creation narrative, Tlāhuizcalpantēcuhtli is involved in the formation of Tonatiuh, the Fifth Sun. According to Motolinía's Memoriales and the Codex Chimalpopoca, the Toltec ruler Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl became the morning star upon his death. He threw himself into a bonfire after donning his regalia; his ashes rose, various birds were sacrificed, and his spirit left his heart as a star. The Annals of Cuauhtitlan gives his death year as 1 Reed, one 52-year cycle from his birth. In the Legend of the Suns, Tlāhuizcalpantēcuhtli grew angry when Tonatiuh did not move after creation. He shot at Tonatiuh with atlatl darts but missed, and was struck by Tonatiuh's darts, transforming into Itztlacoliuhqui, god of obsidian and coldness. Other gods then sacrificed themselves at Teotihuacan to make the Sun move. Tlāhuizcalpantēcuhtli is also one of the four sky-supporting gods, associated with the East.
Effects
Tlāhuizcalpantēcuhtli is said to shoot darts that bring harm. Following his death, Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl made darts in the underworld for four days, then rose as the morning star. According to the Annals of Cuauhtitlan, his targets vary by Aztec calendar day: elders on 1 Alligator; toddlers on 1 Jaguar, 1 Deer, and 1 Flower; nobles on 1 Reed; everyone on 1 Death; and youths on 1 Movement. On 1 Rain, his darts strike the rain itself, stopping it, and on 1 Water, drought follows.
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