Aztec mythology Aztec mythology is the body or collection of myths of the Aztec civilization of Central Mexico. The Aztecs were a culture living in central Mexico and much of their mythology is similar to that of other Mesoamerican cultures. According to legend ...

, Tecciztecatl ( , "person from Tēcciztlān," a place name meaning "Place of the Conch," from ''tēcciztli'' or "conch"; also Tecuciztecatl, Teucciztecatl, from the variant form ''tēucciztli'') was a

lunar deity A lunar deity or moon deity is a deity who represents the Moon, or an aspect of it. These deities can have a variety of functions and traditions depending upon the culture, but they are often related. Lunar deities and Moon worship can be foun ...

, representing the

Man in the Moon In many cultures, several pareidolic images of a human face, head or body are recognized in the disc of the full moon; they are generally known as the Man in the Moon. The images are based on the appearance of the dark areas (known as lunar m ...

. The Aztecs believed that they were living in a universe dominated by generations of sun gods, the current one, known as Tonatiuh, was the fifth. The first three suns perished by wind storms, jaguars and fiery rain repectively. The fourth was wiped out by a flood causing some of the survivors to turn into fish and spread through the ocean. After the fourth sun perished, the Aztecs believed that the gods assembled to decide which god was to become the next sun. They built a bonfire to sacrifice the next volunteer. Two gods – Nanahuatzin and Tecciztecatl – vied for the honor. Nanahuatzin, a poor god, was chosen because he could be spared. Proud Tecciztecatl insisted on the honor, but at the last moment hesitated. Nanahuatzin showed more courage and jumped into the fire. Tecciztecatl gained his courage and followed Nanahuatzin, thus forming two suns in the sky. The gods were angry that rich and proud Tecciztecatl had hesitated at his responsibilities as a noble , threw a rabbit at Tecciztecatl leaving an imprint of the rabbit's shape and dimming Tecciztecatl's brightness to the point where he could only be seen at night. In some depictions, Tecciztecatl carried a large, white seashell on his back, ''tēucciztli'' in Nahuatl, representing the Moon itself; in others he had butterfly wings. He was a son of Tlaloc and

Chalchiuhtlicue Chalchiuhtlicue (from ''chālchihuitl'' "jade" and ''cuēitl'' "skirt") (also spelled Chalciuhtlicue, Chalchiuhcueye, or Chalcihuitlicue) ("She of the Jade Skirt") is an Aztec deity of water, rivers, seas, streams, storms, and baptism. Chalch ...

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