He was the god of material things and of night, and was also associated with winds, the earth, magic and war. Accessed July 13, 2019. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tloquenahuaque. TEZCATLIPOCA ("the smoking mirror") was one of the four Aztec creator gods who arranged the universe and set the cosmic ages in motion through periodic celestial battles. Tezcatlipoca entered the underworld by climbing down a giant spider web. Tezcatlipoca was usually drawn with a stripe of black paint across his face and an obsidian (black glass ) mirror in place of one of his feet (his name means Smoking Mirror). In addition, he was known by several other names with meanings like Sower of Discord, Night, Wind, and He by whom we live. Retrieved from https://mythopedia.com/aztec-mythology/gods/tezcatlipoca/. Accessed on . Alternative names: Omacatl, Smoking Mirror, Tezcalipoca, Titlacauan, Gender: Male Tezcatlipoca: Trickster and Supreme Deity. ↩, Wikipedia contributors, “Tezcatlipoca,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tezcatlipoca (accessed July 13, 2019). Finding humanity to have grown violent and irreverent, he seeks to destroy and remake it by the equinox, but he went ahead with Quetzalcoatl 's bet to see if a human would close the gates of the underworld. The festival would reach its climax with the man voluntarily walking up the steps of the tlacochcalco (literally “house of darts,” essentially a stepped pyramid that housed the Aztec’s armory) and breaking a ceramic flute at each step. Accessed . Tezcatlipoca would soon get his revenge and bring Quetzalcoatl’s time as the sun to an end. The two later cooperated, however, to create the 5th Sun. A key feature of the Aztec religion were annual festivals dedicated to each major deity. Originally adopted from the Toltecs, Tezcatlipoca is with the horned owl and the jaguar, the latter of which he is known to shapeshift into its form at will. Another of the most important gods, and perhaps the one who has the most diverse forms, is the creator god, Tezcatlipoca. With his opposite Tezcatlipoca he created the world. Tezcatlipoca is the God of the Apocalypse, the most powerful entity in the Accelerated World, created specifically for the purpose of ending the world. Learn more. Name: Tezcatlipoca Tezcatlipoca is the Aztec god of night and change through conflict. In artwork, Tezcatlipoca is usually identifiable by his missing left leg, the presence of an obsidian/smoking mirror (often replacing the missing leg), and a horizontal black band across his eyes. The Gods have provided us with a robust privacy and cookie policy which all mortals are advised to read. Tezcatlipoca’s actions were costly, however; he lost his left foot in the process. Editors: Peter J. Allen, Chas Saunders. On a clear day, the active volcano Popocatépetl would have been visible from the city, and as such, Tezcatlipoca would have always been able to keep an eye on Tenochtitlan, Tezcatlipoca was also heavily associated with jaguars, and many believed he possessed the ability to shapeshift into one. One day, Tezcatlipoca lured Cipactli close to him by using his foot as bait. Obsidian was used for more than just its reflective properties, however. When he awoke the next day and realized what he had done, the king exiled himself in shame. “Tloquenahuaque.” Wikipedia. Tezcatlipoca, (Nahuatl: “Smoking Mirror”) god of the Great Bear constellation and of the night sky, one of the major deities of the Aztec pantheon. While the Aztec pantheon did not have a hierarchy, Tezcatlipoca still managed to stand above his peers; the Ramirez Codex described him as “the greatest and the worst, who overpowered and bore sway over the other three [sons of Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl.]”4. Tezcatlipoca (pron. Tezcatlipoca. Transformed into giant snakes, the two gods attacked and dismembered the female reptilian monster known as Tlaltcuhtli (or Cipactli), one part became the e… ↩. Every year, a young man—typically a prisoner of war—was chosen to represent Tezcatlipoca. Please mention Godchecker.com when praying to the Gods. Smith, Michael E. “The Archaeology of Tezcatlipoca.” Tezcatlipoca: Trickster and Supreme Deity. Do we sell Tezcatlipoca graphic novels, books, video or role-playing games (RPG)? Angered by this inadequacy, Quetzalcoatl “gave [Tezcatlipoca] a blow with a great stick, and threw him over into the water.”6 He then proceeded to turn himself into the second sun. Meehan, Evan. A supreme god of the Aztecs, Tezcatlipoca which means “smoking mirror” was the patron god of sorcery and … Several of his alternative names, Titlacauan and Ipalnemoani, refer to his important status among the Aztecs, literally meaning “We are his slaves” and “He by whom we live,” respectively. PUNCH! Tezcatlipoca was believed to be the son of the primordial androgynous god Ometeotl. Transformed into giant snakes, the two gods attacked and dismembered the female reptilian monster known as Cipactli , one part became the earth and the other the sky. While the two brothers were arguably even at this point, Tezcatlipoca was still not content. After his fall, Tezcatlipoca was transformed from a humanoid to a jaguar, becoming more associated with night, witches, thieves, and others who perform deeds under the cover of darkness. Mythopedia. ↩, Henry Phillips, Jr., “Notes upon the Codex Ramirez, with a Translation of the Same,” Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 21, no. In the Aztec religion, Tezcatlipoca was an important god. © 2019 Wasai LLC – All Rights Reserved. He was involved in the earth’s creation, commanded jaguars, oversaw sacrifices, and presided over the night sky. Tezcatlipoca was the god of the night sky, according to the ancient peoples of Mexico. Tezcatlipoca (pronounced: teskatɬiˈpoːka) was a central deity in Aztec religion, one of the four sons of Ometeotl, he is associated with a wide range of concepts including the night sky, the night winds, hurricanes, the north, the earth, obsidian, enmity, discord, rulership, divination, temptation, jaguars, sorcery, beauty, war and strife. Any reflection was a portal through which he could view the world. Tezcatlipoca and his brothers, the tzitzimime, created the world. Unfortunately, Tezcatlipoca was incapable of being a complete sun due to his missing foot. In the 1984 comic Wonder Woman (volume 1, #314), Tezcatlipoca served as Wonder Woman’s primary antagonist. HTML: To link to this page, just copy and paste the link below into your blog, web page or email. Tezcatlipoca was an important god in the Aztec religion. He was represented by the Ursa Major (Great Bear) constellation, which the Aztec saw as a jaguar. Evan Meehan, “Tezcatlipoca,” Mythopedia, accessed , https://mythopedia.com/aztec-mythology/gods/tezcatlipoca/. Before the world was created, all that existed were a few gods, a massive ocean, and the sea monster/crocodile Cipactli. Pronunciation: Coming soon While some of the legends say that Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl worked together, most tales described them as working towards the same goal in opposition to one another. Tezcatlipoca (bottom), god of providence in the Codex Borgia. In the manga Soul Eater, Tezca Tlipoca is a recurring character. Edited by Elizabeth Baquedano. The ixiptla was treated with great respect and trained to speak in a courtly style. 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