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Centeotl

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In Aztec meethologie, Centeōtl [sen'teoːt͡ɬ] (kent as Centeocihuatl or Cinteotl an aw) is the maize deity. cintli ['sint͡ɬi] means "dree'd maize still on the cob" an teōtl ['teoːt͡ɬ] means "deity".[1] Accordin tae the Florentine Codex,[2] Centeotl is the son o the yird goddess, Tlazolteotl an solar deity Piltzintecuhtli, the planet Mercury. Anither myth claims him as the son o the goddess Xochiquetzal.[3] The majority o evidence gathered on Centeotl suggests that he is uisually portrayed as a young man (awtho a debate is still ongoing), wi yellae body colouration.[2] Some specialists believe that Centeotl uised tae be the maize goddess Chicomecōātl. Centeotl wis considered an o the maist important deities o the Aztec era. Thare are mony common featurs that are shawn in depictions o Centeotl. For example thare eften seems tae be maize in his heid-dress. Anither strikin trait is the black line passin doun his eebrou, throu his cheek an finishin at the bottom o his jaw line. Thir face merkins are seemilarly n frequently ised in the late post-classic depictions fo a Mayan maize god.

Controversy

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Accordin tae soorces Cinteotl is the god o maize an subsistence[4] an Centeotl[5] corresponds tae Chicomecoatl,[6] the goddess o agricultur.

Wirship

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In the Tonalpohualli (a 260 day saucrit calendar uised bi mony auncient Mesoamerican culturs), Centeotl is the Laird o the Day for days wi nummer seiven an he is the fowert Laird o the Nicht. In Aztec meethologie, maize (which wis cried Cintli in Nahuatl, the Aztec spoken leid) wis brocht tae this warld bi Quetzalcoatl an it is associatit wi the group o starns kent commonly the day as the Pleiades.[7]

At the beginnin o the year (maist likely aroond Februar time), Aztec wirkers wad plant the young maize. Thir young maize plants potentially wur uised as seembolism for a pretty goddess, maist likely Chicomecōātl, Princess o the Unripe Maize. Chicomecōātl is uisually depictit carryin fresh maize in her haunds, bare-breistit an sittin doun in a modest manner. An interestin conflict exists in that some historians believe Chicomecōātl, itherwise kent as 'the hairy ane' an Centeotl are the same deity. Whan the seeds wur plantit, bringin aboot brocht a ritual dance which occurred in order tae thank Mither Yird an mair speceefically Centeotl. Thir dances became increasinly mair prominent as the warimth o the sun brocht aboot great prosperity for the Aztecs in the form o sprootin maize canes. This festival haes been compared tae the mair Wastren maypole festival due tae the similarity o thair celebrations (dancin for spring, feastin, etc.). Thir festivals wur probably vera pleasant for the Aztecs, judgin bi seemilar festivals in ither ceevilizations. A major custom in Mexico durin this festival period wis for female Aztecs, regairdless o marital status tae luisen thair ponchos an let doun thair hair. Thay wad proceed tae dance bare-breastit in the maize fields in order tae thank Centeotl for his wirk. Then each female wad pick five lugs o corn frae the field an bring it back in a grand procession while singin an dancin. Weemen in thir processions wur the promises o fuid an life in the Aztec warld. Tradeetionally massive fechts wad break oot as fowk tree'd tae soak ane anither in flouer pollen or scentit maize flour. An aw flouer petals wur thrown in ceremonial fashion ower fowk who wur carryin the lugs o corn.[8]

Corn wis rather essential tae Aztec life an sicweys the importance o Centeotl canna be owerleukit. It can be seen frae coontless historical soorces that a lot o the maize that wis cultivatit bi the Aztecs wis uised in sacrifices tae Gods. Uisually at least five newly ripened maize cobs wur pickit bi the aulder Aztec weemen. Thir wur then carriet on the female’s backs efter bein carefully wrappit up, somewha lik a mither wad wrap up a newborn bairn. Ance the cobs reached thair destination, uisually ootside a hoose, thay wur placit in a special corn basket an wad stay thare till the follaein year. This wis meant tae represent the restin o the maize spirits till the next harvestin period came aroond.[8]

Thir five cobs wur seembols for a seemingly separate goddess.[5] This heichly worshippit goddess wis kent as Lady Chicomecoatl, Seiven Serpents.[5] She wis the yird spirit an the lady o fertility an life, seen as a kynd o mither figur in the Aztec warld an wis the pairtner o Centeotl.[8]

See an aw

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References

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  1. ↑ Nahuatl Dictionary. (1997). Wired Humanities Project. University of Oregon. Retrieved September 1, 2012, from link Archived 2016-12-03 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ↑ a b . Miller, The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya (London: Thames and Hudson, 1993) p62
  3. ↑ Markman, Roberta H., Peter T. (1994). The Flayed God: The Mesoamerican Mythological Tradition. Harpercollins. ISBN 0-06-250749-4.
  4. ↑ Cecilio Agustín Robelo (1905). Biblioteca Porrúa. Imprenta del Museo Nacional de Arqueología, Historia y Etnología (ed.). Diccionario de Mitología Nahua (in Spanish). México. pp. 86, 87. ISBN 978-9684327955.CS1 maint: unrecognised leid (link)
  5. ↑ a b c Cecilio Agustín Robelo (1905). Biblioteca Porrúa. Imprenta del Museo Nacional de Arqueología, Historia y Etnología (ed.). Diccionario de Mitología Nahua (in Spanish). México. pp. 71, 72. ISBN 978-9684327955.CS1 maint: unrecognised leid (link)
  6. ↑ Cecilio Agustín Robelo (1905). Biblioteca Porrúa. Imprenta del Museo Nacional de Arqueología, Historia y Etnología (ed.). Diccionario de Mitología Nahua (in Spanish). México. pp. 141, 142. ISBN 978-9684327955.CS1 maint: unrecognised leid (link)
  7. ↑ Centeotl, the Lord of Maize
  8. ↑ a b c C.Burland, The Aztecs: Gods and Fate in Ancient Mexico (London: Orbis, 1980) p39.
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