Coatlicue: The Devouring Mother
Executive Summary: The Aztec Goddess Coatlicue died at the hands of her vengeful children while giving birth to War God Huitzilopochtli. The War God Huitzilopochtli emerged fully armed from the womb and took immediate revenge on his Mother Coatlicue’s collective killers. Coatlicue continues to be celebrated in Mexico, as seen, for example, in this 50 peso coin below that has Coatlicue on the front face.
Coatlicue is represented as a woman wearing a skirt of writhing snakes and a necklace made of human hearts, hands, and skulls. Her feet and hands are adorned with claws and her breasts are depicted as hanging flaccid from pregnancy. Her face is formed by two facing serpents. The snakes were formed in some prior myth after her head was cut off. The blood spurt forth from her neck in the form of two gigantic serpents.
Most Aztec artistic representations of Coatlicue emphasize her deadly side, because Earth, as well as loving mother, is the insatiable monster that consumes everything that lives. She represents the devouring mother, who represents both the womb and the grave.
According to Aztec legend, Coatlicue was once magically impregnated by a ball of feathers that fell on her while she was sweeping a temple. Suddenly, she became pregnant and was carrying as her child, the fierce War God Huitzilopochtli.Coatlicue’s daughter, Coyolxauhqui, was horrified at her mother’s assumed unchastity (is that a word?) The daughter then rallied Coatlicue’s four hundred other children (called collectively the Southern Four Hundred). Coyolxauhqui goaded the Four Hundred into attacking and decapitating their mother. At the moment of the attack, Huitzilopochtli, sprang forth from Coatlicue’s womb; armed for battle to avenge his mother’s death.
Huitzilopochtl killed many of his siblings=, including his sister Coyolxauhqui. He cut off Coyolxauhqui’s head and threw into the sky where it became the moon. Huitzilopochtl killed many of Southern Four Hundred and threw them into the sky, also. The corpses of the Southern Four Hundred became the stars in the firmament.
MOTHER
SON
To see more articles of interest, including the Aztec God of the Month