Oxomoco
Encyclopedia
Oxomoco is an Aztec deity, the Goddess of astrology and the calender. Oxomoco and Cipactonal were said to be the first human couple, and the Aztec comparison to Adam and Eve
in regards to human creation and evolution. They bore a son named Piltzin-tecuhtli, who married a maiden, daughter of Xochiquetzal
. As an older woman she was also known as Itzpapalotl.
. Some scholars, such as the Nicaraguan Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés claim that Cipactonal was actually the female and Oxomoco actually the male and referred to one of them as Tamagastad. Other scholars from the Nicaraguan perspective such as Ephraim George Squier and Frank E. Comparato also claim that Oxomoco was male and Cipactonal female and claim that they were sorcerors and magicians. Nahuatl
terms of the four shamans who stayed at Tamoanchan are not gendered with the exception of Oxomoco who was female. In the Codex Borbonicus
, Oxomoc, like Cipactonal, usually wears the tobacco gourd of priestson her back. In some depictions the goddess is wearing a butterfly mask and throwing maize and beans from a vessel. In the Florentine Codex
, Oxomoco is depicted divining with knotted cords. There is a notable carving of Oxomoco and Cipactonal near Yauhtepec.
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve were, according to the Genesis creation narratives, the first human couple to inhabit Earth, created by YHWH, the God of the ancient Hebrews...
in regards to human creation and evolution. They bore a son named Piltzin-tecuhtli, who married a maiden, daughter of Xochiquetzal
Xochiquetzal
In Aztec mythology, Xochiquetzal was a goddess associated with concepts of fertility, beauty, and female sexual power, serving as a protector of young mothers and a patroness of pregnancy, childbirth, and the crafts practised by women such as weaving and embroidery...
. As an older woman she was also known as Itzpapalotl.
Depictions
Oxomoco and Cipactonal are mentioned in the Aztec Annals of Cuautitlán; they were in charge of the calendar. They also appear in Quiché legends such as within the Popol VuhPopol Vuh
Popol Vuh is a corpus of mytho-historical narratives of the Post Classic Quiché kingdom in Guatemala's western highlands. The title translates as "Book of the Community," "Book of Counsel," or more literally as "Book of the People."...
. Some scholars, such as the Nicaraguan Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés claim that Cipactonal was actually the female and Oxomoco actually the male and referred to one of them as Tamagastad. Other scholars from the Nicaraguan perspective such as Ephraim George Squier and Frank E. Comparato also claim that Oxomoco was male and Cipactonal female and claim that they were sorcerors and magicians. Nahuatl
Nahuatl
Nahuatl is thought to mean "a good, clear sound" This language name has several spellings, among them náhuatl , Naoatl, Nauatl, Nahuatl, Nawatl. In a back formation from the name of the language, the ethnic group of Nahuatl speakers are called Nahua...
terms of the four shamans who stayed at Tamoanchan are not gendered with the exception of Oxomoco who was female. In the Codex Borbonicus
Codex Borbonicus
The Codex Borbonicus is an Aztec codex written by Aztec priests shortly before or after the Spanish conquest of Mexico. The codex is named after the Palais Bourbon in France. It is held at the Bibliothèque de l'Assemblée Nationale in Paris...
, Oxomoc, like Cipactonal, usually wears the tobacco gourd of priestson her back. In some depictions the goddess is wearing a butterfly mask and throwing maize and beans from a vessel. In the Florentine Codex
Florentine Codex
The Florentine Codex is the common name given to a 16th century ethnographic research project in Mesoamerica by Franciscan friar Bernardino de Sahagún. Bernardino originally titled it: La Historia General de las Cosas de Nueva Espana...
, Oxomoco is depicted divining with knotted cords. There is a notable carving of Oxomoco and Cipactonal near Yauhtepec.