Ometeotl
Encyclopedia
Ometeotl is a name sometimes used about the pair of god Ometecuhtli/Omecihuatl (also known as Tonacatecuhtli
and Tonacacihuatl
) in Aztec mythology
. Whether such a deity existed among the Aztecs and what its meaning was, is a matter of dispute among scholars of Mesoamerican religion.
Miguel Leon-Portilla
interprets the name "Ometeotl" as "Lord of the Duality" and argues that Ometeotl was the supreme creator deity of the Aztecs, and that the Aztecs envisioned this deity as a mystical entity with a dual nature akin to the European concept of the trinity. He argues that the Aztecs saw Ometeotl as a transcendental deity and that this accounts for the scarcity of documentary references to it, and why there is no evidence of an actual cult to Ometeotl among the Aztecs. Leon-Portilla's arguments have largely been accepted among scholars of Mesoamerican religion.
Other scholars however, notably Richard Haly (1992) argue that there was no "Ometeotl", Ometeuchtli or Omecihuatl among the Aztecs but rather that the names should be interpreted, using the Nahuatl language root "omi" "bone" rather than "ome" "two", and that Omitecuhtli was another name for Tonacatecuhtli
and Mictlantecuhtli
both gods of the other related to the creation of humans from dead bones. He argues that of the five sources used by Leon-Portilla to argue in favour of the existence of a single creator god among the Aztecs none contain a clear reference to a god of duality .
friar Juan de Torquemada
it is stated that the "indians wanted the divine Nature shared by two gods". In his translation of the Cantares Mexicanos
Leon-Portilla introduces a reference to the "God of duality" where it is not found in the original text, but rather a Spanish loanword "dios". Another example given by Leon-Portilla is from the Historia Tolteca-Chichimeca
where the text actually has "ayometeotl" but where Leon-Portilla glosses as Ometeotl without comment. Haly argues that this should rather be translated as "juicy maguey God" as the text talks about the imbibing of pulque
. The Codex Ríos
has a representation of a god labelled "hometeule" - iconographic analysis shows the deity hometeule to be identical to Tonacatecuhtli
. The fifth source is the Historia de los Mexicanos por sus pinturas
which Haly shows does not in fact write ometeotl, but rather omiteuctli which is explicitly stated to be identical to Huitzilopochtli
who was born as a fleshless skeleton, a Bonelord.
Tonacatecuhtli
In Aztec mythology, Tonacatecuhtli was a fertility god, who was worshipped for being the power that warmed the earth and made it fruitful. He organized the world into land and ocean at the creation of the world. Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl were the creators of the life, but he created them and...
and Tonacacihuatl
Tonacacihuatl
In Aztec mythology, Tonacacihuatl was the wife of Tonacatecuhtli....
) in Aztec mythology
Aztec mythology
The aztec civilization recognized a polytheistic mythology, which contained the many deities and supernatural creatures from their religious beliefs. "orlando"- History :...
. Whether such a deity existed among the Aztecs and what its meaning was, is a matter of dispute among scholars of Mesoamerican religion.
Miguel Leon-Portilla
Miguel León-Portilla
Miguel León-Portilla is a Mexican anthropologist and historian, and a prime authority on Nahuatl thought and literature.He wrote a doctoral thesis on Nahua philosophy under the tutelage of Fr...
interprets the name "Ometeotl" as "Lord of the Duality" and argues that Ometeotl was the supreme creator deity of the Aztecs, and that the Aztecs envisioned this deity as a mystical entity with a dual nature akin to the European concept of the trinity. He argues that the Aztecs saw Ometeotl as a transcendental deity and that this accounts for the scarcity of documentary references to it, and why there is no evidence of an actual cult to Ometeotl among the Aztecs. Leon-Portilla's arguments have largely been accepted among scholars of Mesoamerican religion.
Other scholars however, notably Richard Haly (1992) argue that there was no "Ometeotl", Ometeuchtli or Omecihuatl among the Aztecs but rather that the names should be interpreted, using the Nahuatl language root "omi" "bone" rather than "ome" "two", and that Omitecuhtli was another name for Tonacatecuhtli
Tonacatecuhtli
In Aztec mythology, Tonacatecuhtli was a fertility god, who was worshipped for being the power that warmed the earth and made it fruitful. He organized the world into land and ocean at the creation of the world. Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl were the creators of the life, but he created them and...
and Mictlantecuhtli
Mictlantecuhtli
Mictlantecuhtli , in Aztec mythology, was a god of the dead and the king of Mictlan , the lowest and northernmost section of the underworld. He was one of the principal gods of the Aztecs and was the most prominent of several gods and goddesses of death and the underworld...
both gods of the other related to the creation of humans from dead bones. He argues that of the five sources used by Leon-Portilla to argue in favour of the existence of a single creator god among the Aztecs none contain a clear reference to a god of duality .
Sources
In the chronicle of the FranciscanFranciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
friar Juan de Torquemada
Juan de Torquemada
Juan de Torquemada may refer to:* Juan de Torquemada , Spanish cardinal and ecclesiastical author; uncle to Inquisitor, Tomás de Torquemada...
it is stated that the "indians wanted the divine Nature shared by two gods". In his translation of the Cantares Mexicanos
Cantares Mexicanos
The Cantares Mexicanos is the name given to a manuscript collection of Nahuatl songs or poems recorded in the 16th century. The 91 songs of the Cantares form the largest Nahuatl song collection, containg over half of all known traditional Nahuatl songs...
Leon-Portilla introduces a reference to the "God of duality" where it is not found in the original text, but rather a Spanish loanword "dios". Another example given by Leon-Portilla is from the Historia Tolteca-Chichimeca
Historia Tolteca-Chichimeca
The Historia Tolteca-Chichimeca is a 16th century Nahuatl-language manuscript, dealing with the history of Cuauhtinchan. It is currently located in the Bibliothèque nationale in Paris. It is written by Fernando De Alva Ixtlixóchitl....
where the text actually has "ayometeotl" but where Leon-Portilla glosses as Ometeotl without comment. Haly argues that this should rather be translated as "juicy maguey God" as the text talks about the imbibing of pulque
Pulque
Pulque, or octli, is a milk-colored, somewhat viscous alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the maguey plant, and is a traditional native beverage of Mexico. The drink’s history extends far back into the Mesoamerican period, when it was considered sacred, and its use was limited to...
. The Codex Ríos
Codex Rios
Codex Ríos is an Italian translation and augmentation of a Spanish colonial-era manuscript, Codex Telleriano-Remensis, that is partially attributed to Pedro de los Ríos, a Dominican friar working in Oaxaca and Puebla between 1547 and 1562...
has a representation of a god labelled "hometeule" - iconographic analysis shows the deity hometeule to be identical to Tonacatecuhtli
Tonacatecuhtli
In Aztec mythology, Tonacatecuhtli was a fertility god, who was worshipped for being the power that warmed the earth and made it fruitful. He organized the world into land and ocean at the creation of the world. Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl were the creators of the life, but he created them and...
. The fifth source is the Historia de los Mexicanos por sus pinturas
History of the Mexicans as Told by Their Paintings
The History of the Mexicans as Told by Their Paintings is a Spanish language, post-conquest codex written in the 1530s. This manuscript was likely composed by Father Andrés de Olmos, an early Franciscan friar...
which Haly shows does not in fact write ometeotl, but rather omiteuctli which is explicitly stated to be identical to Huitzilopochtli
Huitzilopochtli
In Aztec mythology, Huitzilopochtli, also spelled Uitzilopochtli , was a god of war, a sun god, and the patron of the city of Tenochtitlan. He was also the national god of the Mexicas of Tenochtitlan.- Genealogy :...
who was born as a fleshless skeleton, a Bonelord.