One of the major deities of the northern Toltecs, he was brought to central Mexico in about 1000AD. By 1600AD he had supplanted the Aztecs’ QUETZALCOATL as their supreme god. He seems to have gained and maintained power through a regime of powerful black magic, which involved human sacrifice, particularly of young people, by which he maintained his own eternal youth. He was wise, all-seeing and the protector of young men, warriors and slaves, punishing wrongdoers by sending them sickness, poverty or slavery. His constellation was the Great Bear, and his dwelling place the night sky, specifically the north. His nagual, or spirit-twin animal disguise, was the jaguar, and he is often represented as having a black stripe painted across his face. In some illustrations a mirror replaces one foot; in others, the mirror is on his chest. His name means ‘That which causes the black mirror to shine’. He is a creator god, said to have ruled over the first of four universes that existed before our present one. In Guatamala after 900AD he was worshipped as a storm, whirlwind and lightning god under the name HURAKAN or Huracan, from which we derive the word ‘hurricane’. His nickname was One-leg, one of three lightning and creation gods together called 'Heart of the Sky'. Under the name of Hurakan his worship spread around much of the Caribbean Basin. He associated with GUCUMATZ and TEPEU in the Mayan pantheon in their second and third creations, building sentient creatures from wood and later from maize. He is said to have given humans the gift of fire. Tezcatlipoca was also known as YOALLI EHECATL (Night Wind), YAOTL (Warrior), and TELPOCHTLI (Young Man). Principal sites of worship were the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, Texcoco and in the Mixteca-Peubla region. He is the equivalent of the Yucatan HUNAB-KU
Found something wrong? Please let us know.