Aztec mythology in popular culture
Encyclopedia
Figures from Aztec mythology
have appeared many times in works of modern culture.
Aztec mythology
The aztec civilization recognized a polytheistic mythology, which contained the many deities and supernatural creatures from their religious beliefs. "orlando"- History :...
have appeared many times in works of modern culture.
Chalchiuhtlicue
- Chalchiutlicue appeared in season 3 of Stargate SG-1Stargate SG-1Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
, in an episode entitled "The Learning Curve," as a member of the human race from the planet Orban.
- Chalchiutlicue (along with other Aztec gods) is referenced in issue 8 of The InvisiblesThe InvisiblesThe Invisibles is a comic book series that was published by the Vertigo imprint of DC Comics from 1994 to 2000. It was created and scripted by Scottish writer Grant Morrison, and drawn by various artists throughout its publication....
, as one of the characters battles a villain claiming to be Xipe TotecXipe TotecIn Aztec mythology and religion, Xipe Totec was a life-death-rebirth deity, god of agriculture, vegetation, the east, disease, spring, goldsmiths, silversmiths and the seasons. Xipe Totec was also known by the alternative names Tlatlauhca, Tlatlauhqui Tezcatlipoca and Youalahuan...
.
- Skin care factory H20 Plus' plant in downtown ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
is adorned with large panels that depict ancient figures like Chalchiutlicue, the Aztec goddess of water, and Ea, the Mesopotamian deity credited with creating humans from earth and water.
- The Unruly Woman: Gender and the Genres of Laughter. Chalchiutlicue is seen as a statue, the lady of water and the goddess of the sea.
- The Genesis Code. The character Vasquez pointed to a line of inscriptions resting on the Mayan symbol for the water goddess, Chalchiutlicue.
- The Mexican Treasury: The Writings of Dr. Francisco Hernández. Chalchiutlicue is referred to as the goddess of the sea, by a mother who bathes her young child because it was at the will of Chalchiutlicue.
- Voice of the Vanquished: The story of the Slave Marina and Hernan Cortez. Chihuallama bathed her entire body with wet hands, invoking the blessing of the goddess Chalchiutlicue. “Now this child is new-born and new formed born again with the blessings of the water goddess. Whoever might do this child mischief, go away, for she is under the protection of Chalchiutlicue, goddess who wears precious jewels.
- Carr, O’Keefe, Kahlo: Places of Their Own. Frida Kahlo paints a portrait of herself, in which she is wearing a blouse that is embroidered with a rectangular symbol: it is the Aztec glyph for water associated with the rain god Tlaloc and with Chalchiutlicue.
Coatlicue
- in Harry HarrisonHarry HarrisonHarry Harrison is an American science fiction author best known for his character the Stainless Steel Rat and the novel Make Room! Make Room! , the basis for the film Soylent Green...
's science fiction novel Captive UniverseCaptive UniverseCaptive Universe is a science fiction novel by American author Harry Harrison, which was first published in 1969.-Plot synopsis:Chimal is a young Aztec tribesman living in an isolated valley which was sealed off from the rest of the world in ages past by a massive earthquake...
Coatlicue appears as a killer robot masquerading as the goddess intended to protect certain areas of a generational ship populated by an Aztec-derived culture - In the novel American GodsAmerican GodsAmerican Gods is a Hugo and Nebula Award-winning novel by Neil Gaiman. The novel is a blend of Americana, fantasy, and various strands of ancient and modern mythology, all centering on a mysterious and taciturn protagonist, Shadow. It is Gaiman's fourth prose novel, being preceded by Good Omens ,...
by Neil GaimanNeil GaimanNeil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
, Shadow dreams of a museum filled with statues of gods and goddesses, and is profoundly disturbed by the statue of Coatlicue. - In the video game Golden Sun: The Lost AgeGolden Sun: The Lost Ageis the second installment of a series of role-playing video games developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo. The game was released in April 2003 for Nintendo's Game Boy Advance, being a sequel to the Game Boy Advance Golden Sun...
, Coatlicue is one of many multi-elemental summons in the game. Coatlicue returns as a healing-only multi-element summon in Golden Sun: Dark Dawn. - Coatlicue does appear connected to the Virgin of Guadalupe in Chicano and Latin-American art since the 1960s. The idea is that both are powerful female figures, one which was the focus of ancient Mexican devotion, and the other a focus of veneration since the 16th century.
- In the 1978 horror film Mardi Gras Massacre, the main antagonist claims to be an Aztec priest, and sacrifices prostitutes to the goddess Coatlicue.
- In the 2010 book "The Necromancer: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas FlamelThe Necromancer: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas FlamelThe Necromancer is the fourth book of the series The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel written by Irish author Michael Scott. The novel was released in the USA on May 25, 2010, published by Delacorte Press, which is an imprint of Random House...
" by Michael Scott, Coatlicue is a monster Dr. John Dee calls upon to destroy the Shadowrealms and then feast on Josh.
Itzpapalotl
- In Laurell K. Hamilton'sLaurell K. HamiltonLaurell Kaye Hamilton is an American fantasy and romance writer. She is the author of two series of stories. Hamilton is known for her New York Times-bestselling Anita Blake series, featuring a professional zombie raiser/supernatural consultant for the police as the protagonist in a world where...
novel, Obsidian ButterflyObsidian Butterfly (novel)Obsidian Butterfly is the ninth in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series of horror/mystery/erotica novels by Laurell K. Hamilton.-Plot introduction:...
, of the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series, Itzpapalotl, or Obsidian Butterfly, is a vampireVampireVampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
who thinks she is the goddess of that name, and she owns a nightclub named Obsidian Butterfly after herself.
- Octavio PazOctavio PazOctavio Paz Lozano was a Mexican writer, poet, and diplomat, and the winner of the 1990 Nobel Prize for Literature.-Early life and writings:...
's prose poem "The Obsidian Butterfly" from the collection Aguila O Sol (literally Eagle or Sun, colloquially "heads or tails") is named after Itzpapalotl, and she is in the poem.
- In the spring of 2006, the Blue Star Contemporary Art CenterBlue Star Contemporary Art CenterThe Blue Star Contemporary Art Center is the acting contemporary art museum of San Antonio. Known simply as Blue Star, it was established as a grassroots response to the cancellation of a contemporary arts exhibit at the San Antonio Museum of Art in 1985. The effort established a vibrant venue for...
in San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio, TexasSan Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
displayed sixteen portrait paintings by muralist George Yepes of Salma HayekSalma HayekSalma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez de Pinault is a Mexican film actress, director and producer. She received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her role as Frida Kahlo in the film Frida.-Early life:...
as Itzpapalotl.
Quetzalcoatl
- Quetzalcoatl / Kukulcan is the main alien protagonist in the Star Trek AnimatedStar Trek: The Animated SeriesStar Trek: The Animated Series is an animated science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe following the events of Star Trek: The Original Series of the 1960s...
episode "How Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth" from the 1973 FilmationFilmationFilmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live action programming for television during the latter half of the 20th century. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1963...
cartoonCartoonA cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
series. - In the DC ComicsDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
series AztekAztek (comics)Aztek is a fictional character, a superhero in the DC Universe. Based out of the fictional Vanity City, Aztek is the champion of the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl. The character first appeared in Aztek, The Ultimate Man #1 in August 1996, created by Grant Morrison and Mark Millar...
, there is told an ancient legend that the feathered serpent Quetzalcoatl fought the shadow god TezcatlipocaTezcatlipoca (DC Comics)Tezcatlipoca is a the name used by two fictional characters who appeared in the DC Comics. One is the deity from Aztec mythology and appeared in Wonder Woman. The other is a character who appeared in Green Arrow and is a hybrid of human and jaguar, a werejaguar.-Aztec deity:The Aztec god...
. Tezcatlipoca is eventually revealed in an issue of JLAJLA (comic book)JLA was a monthly comic book published by DC Comics from January 1997 to April 2006 featuring the Justice League.-Publication history:The low sales of the various Justice League spinoff books by the mid-1990s prompted DC to revamp the League as a single team on a single title...
to be Maggedon, a living computer and gokiller weapon of the New GodsNew GodsThe New Gods are a fictional race appearing in publications by DC Comics, as well as the title for four series of comic books about those characters. They first appeared in New Gods #1 , and were created and designed by Jack Kirby....
. However, during the War of the GodsWar of the Gods (comics)War of the Gods was an American four-issue comic book mini-series published by DC Comics in 1991.Primarily centered on the character Wonder Woman, this storyline was intended to celebrate the character's 50th anniversary. It was written and drawn by George Pérez, who would leave the Wonder Woman...
, a being that resembles and claims to be the Quetzalcoatl awoke by AresAres (DC Comics)Ares is a fictional character, a supervillainous God appearing in DC Comics publications and related media. Based upon the Greek mythological figure of the same name, he is the god of War and one of the major adversaries of Wonder Woman. He first appeared in Wonder Woman #1, volume 1, published in...
' son Phobos. It is never corroborated if this is the same deity from the legends. - In the Stargate SG-1Stargate SG-1Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
episode "Crystal Skull", the 'giant alien' is named Quetlzelcoatl. - The 1982 film "QQ (film)Q is a 1982 horror film written and directed by Larry Cohen and starring Michael Moriarty, Candy Clark, David Carradine, and Richard Roundtree.-Plot:...
" revolved around the resurrection of Quetzalcoatl by an Aztec cult. - In Jackie Chan AdventuresJackie Chan AdventuresJackie Chan Adventures is an animated television series chronicling the adventures of a fictionalized version of action film star Jackie Chan. Many of the episodes contain references to Chan's actual works. This series ran on Kids' WB! from September 9, 2000 to July 7, 2005 for a total of 95...
episode "Aztec Rat Race", the Noble Rat (with the power of the Rat Talisman residing in it) reanimates a statue of Quetzalcoatl. - Quetzalcoatl is mentioned in H.P. Lovecraft's "The Electric Executioner" and "The Curse of YigThe Curse of Yig"The Curse of Yig" is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft and Zealia Bishop in which Yig, "The Father of Serpents", is first introduced.-Background:...
". According to legends Yig is a snake god and prototype of Quetzacoatl. - The DigimonDigimon, short for , is a Japanese media franchise encompassing digital toys, anime, manga and video games. The franchise's eponymous creatures are monsters of various forms living in a "Digital World", a parallel universe that originated from Earth's various communication networks.-Conception and...
Quetzalmon (known as Coatlmon in the original Version ) and its counterpart BioCoatlmon are based on Quetzalcoatl. - The PterosaurPterosaurPterosaurs were flying reptiles of the clade or order Pterosauria. They existed from the late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous Period . Pterosaurs are the earliest vertebrates known to have evolved powered flight...
QuetzalcoatlusQuetzalcoatlusQuetzalcoatlus was a pterodactyloid pterosaur known from the Late Cretaceous of North America , and one of the largest known flying animals of all time. It was a member of the Azhdarchidae, a family of advanced toothless pterosaurs with unusually long, stiffened necks...
is named after Quetzalcoatl. - The couatl, a flying lizard-like creature depicted in the WarcraftWarcraftWarcraft: Orcs & Humans is a real-time strategy game , developed by Blizzard Entertainment and published by Blizzard and Interplay Entertainment. The MS-DOS version was released in November 1994 and the Macintosh version in late 1996. Sales were fairly high, reviewers were mostly impressed, and the...
series, is based partially on the legends of the mythical Aztec god, Quetzalcoatl. - In Dungeons & DragonsDungeons & DragonsDungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
, Quetzalcoatl is included as one of the Olman deities in the Mesoamerican styled cultures of such fantasy games as the Paizo Adventure Path Savage TideSavage TideThe Savage Tide Adventure Path is the third and final Adventure Path for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game published in Dungeon Adventures...
. - Quetzalcoatl is a Guardian Force in Final Fantasy VIII for the PlayStation.
- In the 2010 book "The Necromancer: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas FlamelThe Necromancer: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas FlamelThe Necromancer is the fourth book of the series The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel written by Irish author Michael Scott. The novel was released in the USA on May 25, 2010, published by Delacorte Press, which is an imprint of Random House...
" by Michael Scott, Quetzalcoatl is a Dark Elder. - The Quetzalcoatl was featured in a season 3 episode of the Animal Planet TV series "Lost Tapes" entitled "Q: The Serpent God".
- A montorous serpentSerpentSerpent may refer to:* Serpent, a synonym for snake* Serpent , the name given to a snake in a religious or mythological context* Serpent , said to have tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden* Serpent in astronomy...
called "Quetzalcoatl" appears in the Teotihuacan, Mexico level of the 19991999 in video gaming-Events:*British Academy of Film and Television Arts hosts the 2nd annual BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards*March – Game Over republished as “Game Over: Press Start to Continue”...
video game Indiana Jones and the Infernal MachineIndiana Jones and the Infernal MachineIndiana Jones and the Infernal Machine is a multi-platform action-adventure video game by LucasArts released in late 1999. The first 3D installment in the series, its gameplay focuses on solving puzzles, fighting enemies, and various platforming sections...
. He managed to kill it by making it slither over spike-traps set in the floor. - At the end of the first Assassin's CreedAssassin's CreedAssassin's Creed is an award-winning historical third person, stealth action-adventure video game developed by Ubisoft for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. The bulk of the game takes place during the Third Crusade, with the plot revolving around a sect known as the Secret Order of...
, one of the messages on the wall makes a reference to Quetzalcoatl. - In the 2010 science fiction/fantasy novel, City of the Gods: The Return of Quetzalcoatl, Quetzalcoatl appears as a human king of TeotihuacanTeotihuacanTeotihuacan – also written Teotihuacán, with a Spanish orthographic accent on the last syllable – is an enormous archaeological site in the Basin of Mexico, just 30 miles northeast of Mexico City, containing some of the largest pyramidal structures built in the pre-Columbian Americas...
who is transformed into a colossal dragonDragonA dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
-like creature. Other Mesoamerican gods such as CoatlicueCoatlicueCoatlicue, also known as Teteoinan , "The Mother of Gods" , is the Aztec goddess who gave birth to the moon, stars, and Huitzilopochtli, the god of the sun and war...
and Huitzilopotchli also appear as kaijuKaijuis a Japanese word that means "strange beast," but often translated in English as "monster". Specifically, it is used to refer to a genre of tokusatsu entertainment....
-like creatures. - In the anime series Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds, there is a dragon known as the Crimson Dragon. In one episode, it is revealed to be Quetzalcoatl.
- In Terry Pratchett's novel "Eric (novel)Eric (novel)Eric, also known as Faust Eric, is the ninth Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett. It was originally published in 1990 as a "Discworld story", in a larger format than the other novels and illustrated by Josh Kirby...
" Quetzalcoatl is parodied as a demon named Quezovercoatl, posing as a god.
Tezcatlipoca
- Tezcatlipoca appears as the main antagonist in the Broken Sword II: The Smoking MirrorBroken Sword II: The Smoking MirrorBroken Sword II: The Smoking Mirror is a point-and-click adventure game released for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation. The remastered edition has been recently announced by Revolution Software and will be coming to iOS devices in late 2010 with Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows ports following in...
video game - In the manga, Soul EaterSoul EaterSoul Eater may refer to:* Soul Eater , a Japanese manga series by Atsushi Okubo and adapted into an anime television series** Soul Eater Evans, one of the main protagonists of the Soul Eater manga and anime....
, there is a character named after the god, being a man dressed in a suit and using a teddy bear mask. - In the manga Saint Seiya: The Lost CanvasSaint Seiya: The Lost Canvas, also known as simply The Lost Canvas, is a manga by Japanese author Shiori Teshirogi, a spin-off based on the manga series Saint Seiya, which was created, written and illustrated by Japanese author Masami Kurumada...
, there is a class of warriors named Jaguars, who worship Tezcatlipoca and wear armors made of obsidian.