We invite you to know in the following article everything related to the history, origin, meaning and attributes of the main prehispanic gods, who were in charge of marking an unprecedented milestone within many ancient cultures, especially the Maya.
prehispanic gods
In our article today we will be learning a little more about the history, meaning and importance of the so-called pre-Hispanic gods. These characters were part of the religious beliefs of many cultures of the peoples who inhabited the American continent for years, even from times before the conquest by the Spanish.
It could be said that the pre-Hispanic gods conform to the cultural requirement of expressing a series of beliefs focused from the religious point of view by these American peoples. In many American cultures the pre-Hispanic gods were present, however, it was in Mexico where the greatest presence was noted.
The pre-Hispanic gods played a fundamental role in many ancient cultures that inhabited the Mexican territory. In some civilizations such as the Mayan, Olmec, Aztec and Mixtec, these gods became part of the mythologies and customs of these aboriginal peoples. They became great deities that were worshiped by the people.
Most of these pre-Hispanic gods were related to areas such as the earth, nature, water, the sun, and even animals. There was a relationship between the spiritual and the physical. According to the beliefs of these ancient peoples, destiny was closely linked to that of the natural lives and energies that surrounded them.
So we invite you to learn a little more about the history, culture, beliefs and composition of the main pre-Hispanic gods that were part of many Mexican and world cultures.
About the pre-Hispanic gods
There are many things that could be highlighted about the pre-Hispanic gods, however as a starting point we would have to mention that permanent belief that human beings have of placing their gaze on something called faith. The constant questioning of everything that surrounds man seems to be the basic principle of the origin of what we know as divine entities.
Through the pre-Hispanic gods, people managed to connect with everything that surrounded them, for example nature, earth, water and even fire. The beliefs of these ancient peoples in deities allowed them to learn more about aspects related to death, life, love and disease. They felt the need to believe in something and thus the pre-Hispanic gods arose.
Certainly there are some notable differences with respect to other cultures or beliefs, for example Toltec mythology, where it is believed that the gods give but also have the power to take away. Something similar occurs with the concept of pre-Hispanic gods, although with different names.
Another particularity that can be highlighted about the pre-Hispanic gods has to do with their physical composition, that is, their nature. Many cultures had the tradition of defining their gods with both human and animal characteristics, and others simply chose the intangible. One point that should be given a lot of attention is the duality of the gods.
It is no secret to anyone that often the same divinity or god can present masculine and feminine manifestations at the same time, giving space for extensions of divinities to be described to the so-called secondary gods.
The Pre-Hispanic Gods
Throughout history there have been many pre-Hispanic gods that are known, so much so that it is practically impossible to mention each one of them. For that reason we wanted to introduce you to some of the most important and outstanding pre-Hispanic gods that have been part of the beliefs and cultures of many ancient peoples.
In Mexica mythology, many pre-Hispanic gods of great importance can be found, however, the god Huitzilopochtli is particularly striking, whom many simply call "hummingbird of the south" and who is directly identified with the sun.
In Mayan mythology many pre-Hispanic gods also stand out, but one of the most important is the god Hun Ab Ku, who is equivalent to the most transcendent deity of this culture, he is conceived as an intangible being and the majority of the inhabitants of this culture worshiped and worshiped him.
For his part, the god Tezcatlipoca is considered one of the most important and outstanding pre-Hispanic gods of Toltec mythology. This deity has many things in its favour, for example his duality and extreme supremacy, which makes him stand out from other deities belonging to this mythology.
Finally we can mention the Zapotec mythology, where several pre-Hispanic gods also stand out. To speak of this culture is to indisputably refer to a belief system with three main divinities that represent aspects that are linked to the ancestors and those in charge of engendering.
The pre-Hispanic gods and their rituals
In ancient cultures there were many rituals and customs that were directly related to the pre-Hispanic gods. Although it is difficult to understand, when talking about the pre-Hispanic gods, mention must necessarily be made of human sacrifices, since they were part of the rituals that people performed as a sign of worship and worship of their deities.
Within the ceremonies performed, it was normal to witness human sacrifices. These types of rituals were considered one of the greatest examples of communication between people and gods. In addition, it cannot be forgotten that blood was considered a worthy fluid to honor these deities.
Those in charge of directing or leading these rituals were the so-called priests, who were in charge of organizing the event. They had a special stone for sacrifices to which people came either voluntarily or forced to deliver their blood in the name of the chosen god.
Human sacrifices and bloodshed were part of the main traditions or rituals that were performed to honor the pre-Hispanic gods, however there were also other ways of worshiping the ancient deities. The inhabitants of these cultures resorted to many tricks to please their gods and ensure that they were at ease at all times.
Main pre-Hispanic gods and their characteristics
In this part of our article we will introduce you to some of the main and most important pre-Hispanic gods in history. In addition you will be able to know some of its characteristics, rituals, origin and history.
Kukulkan
In Mayan mythology it is considered one of the most important and well-known deities. Kukulkan has similarities with the so-called Feathered Serpent, a divinity whose cult is one of the most outstanding in Mesoamerica. This deity is mainly related to wind and water. The name in Yucatec Maya could be translated as "Feathered Serpent".
We are facing a deity of the Mayan pantheon. Her indisputable resemblance to the plumed serpent, a deity present in the cult of different Mesoamerican peoples, makes Kukulkan become one of the most important gods of the Maya. It is said that he is always ahead of the god Chaac, the god of rain.
Xochiquetzal
One of the most important deities that is present in many pre-Hispanic cultures is precisely Xochiquétzal, described as the goddess of beauty and love, although it is important to clarify that, depending on the culture, she may receive different names.
In Aztec mythology it is presented in a rather special way. They refer to this goddess as a "precious flower", which is closely related to the moon, fertility, pleasures, sensuality and the protection of maidens. She is usually represented in a female body adorned with a quetzal headdress.
The goddess Xochiquétzal draws attention for her feminine attributes. She is always cheerful and full of life. According to mythology, this deity is believed to have been born from the hair of a mother goddess. Many consorts and lovers are attributed to her and it is said that she was attended exclusively by women in order to prevent her from being seen by men who tried to lead her into temptation.
coatlicue
In general, this Mexica goddess is directly linked to aspects such as fertility and motherhood. This is the case due to many of the traditional myths in which Coatlicue is described as the mother of Huitzilopochtli. For that reason, she is also associated with the Virgin Mary.
Many of those who have studied her representations, such as Samuel Martín from the Institute of Aesthetic Research of the UNAM, have come to relate the goddess Coatlicue with the "feminine, receptive and potential principle of the universe", this, according to what was expressed by Marin, implies much more than "maternal fertility, abundance, peace and stillness":
Another of the characters to refer to the goddess Coatlicue was the renowned historian Alfredo López Austín, who in his article "The faces of the Mesoamerican gods" described this deity as "one of the most vigorous representations that death It is the generator of life.
This deity is usually asked for many things, not only for protection and affection, but also for regeneration and wisdom, especially to understand situations such as death, knowing that death is nothing more than a new beginning. .
Huitzilopochtli
The god Huitzilopochtli is described as one of the most important gods that the Mexicas had. This deity was related to the Sun, chaos and war. Fray Diego Durán came to refer to this god through his work "History of the Indies of New Spain and the Islands of Tierra Firme", where he highlights some of his main attributes.
According to Mexica mythology, Huitzilopochtli was in charge of ordering the foundation of Tenochtitlán, in the place where the eagle was found on the nopal, devouring the serpent. According to several authors, the name of this deity means "hummingbird of the left", which suggests that the god has two sides.
Cinteotl
According to what the researcher Johanna Broda points out through her article "Rites and deities of the agricultural cycle", which was published in the journal Archeology Mexicana, in the Mexica cult it was common for the phenomena represented by gods to unfold into deities multiple, related to each other, although with different names and ways of being represented.
In the case of this pre-Hispanic god known as Cintéotl, most people identified him as the "god of the ripe corn." This deity was linked to a corn goddess named Chicomecóatl, who at the same time formed a triad with the goddesses Halchiuhtlicue and Huixtocíhuatl.
chack
If there is an emblematic god in the Mayan pantheon, that is precisely the god Chac. This is confirmed by Ernesto de la Torre through his work "Mexican historical readings". This deity is directly related to water, clouds, rain and agriculture. According to what de la Torre says, it was a quadruple god and he supported the heavens at the four cardinal points.
For this reason, people usually ask the god Chac for protection against climate change. Likewise, they ask him to provide them with protection from the rains that flood and from the droughts that endanger our native species. Part of the sacrifice that those who worship this god must make is to take better care of the environment and nature.
K'inich Ajaw
The renowned researcher at the University of Guadalajara, Laura Ibarra García, points out that the gods of the Mayan culture can positively influence many, but also negatively. One of these negative deities is precisely K`inich Ajaw, described as the god of the Sun.
This deity was widely feared for "burning the crops", he was also pointed out as the one responsible for unleashing great droughts. Despite influencing negatively, he was at the same time noted for his positive attributes, for example he was revered for filling the world and life with light and warmth in the morning.
It could be considered as a god gift duality. Some authors affirm that at night this deity turned into a jaguar and descended to the underworld, while during the day it manifests itself as a force of order and benevolence. Turned into a jaguar, he is associated with the night, war and death.
ek chuah
Amalia Attolini, a prominent researcher, points out that the god Ek Chuah is the Mayan god of cocoa and merchants. According to her own words:
«The Mayans conceived subsistence as a collective enterprise, in which man, nature and the gods were linked by bonds of reciprocity.»
Within the Mayan culture, it was customary to carry out many rituals related to food and trade. In most of these rituals the god Ek Chuah always used to appear and chocolate was drunk in his honor.
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