Aztec mythology; Indian mythology -- Mexico; Mexico -- Religion
Codex Borgia.—Sheet 9: Here the goddess is represented as wearing an
upper garment of diversified pattern, finished with a variegated
edging. Her shawl is painted in the chalchihuitl colours, and from it
depend two strings or ribbons of a dark shade, completed with a flower.
Her nose-plate is blue and is formed rather after the fashion of the
butterfly design, while her helmet-mask represents a quetzal-bird. In
sheet 58 she is vis-à-vis with the Death-god and is garbed like an
earth-deity with a many-coloured robe. Her hair is dressed like that of
the Zapotec women, that is, two tresses are twisted up like horns and
secured with parti-coloured bands. On the same sheet (next picture) she
confronts one of her servitors or priests (tlamacazque), and her
garments in this place are very similar to those already described. In
the next illustration the only addition to her costume is a wreath of
flowers, but under her arm she holds a quetzal-bird and sits opposite a
red Tezcatlipocâ. On sheet 59 she is represented in the first place
opposite the tlamacazque, and in the following picture confronts a
naked prostitute. Between these figures is her servitor, surprised in
the act of pressing the courtesan’s breasts. This female is
characterized by her wearing of Xochiquetzal’s shawl, hair-dressing,
and the hieroglyph of the warrior caste (shield and spears) shown above
her head. In the lowest row of the same sheet the goddess is seen
opposite the Vulture-god, Tlacacozcaquauhtli. In the following sheets
of the codex her aspect and garb are practically similar to those
described above, with the exception of sheet 60, where she appears in
the act of parturition, with the double head and certain of the
insignia of Quaxolotl, being delivered by Quetzalcoatl in the character
of Xolotl. In the region of her mouth is an angular line of red.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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