Who is Coatlicue in Aztec mythology?

Coatlicue, meaning 'She of the Serpent Skirt,' is the Aztec earth goddess. She is the mother of many gods, including Huitzilopochtli, the Sun God, and is associated with both fertility and destruction.

What is the story of Coatlicue and Huitzilopochtli?

According to Aztec mythology, Coatlicue became miraculously pregnant with Huitzilopochtli after finding a ball of feathers. Her daughter Coyolxauhqui and 400 sons plotted to kill her, but Huitzilopochtli was born fully armed and defeated them, establishing himself as the Sun God.

What does Coatlicue symbolize?

Coatlicue symbolizes the duality of creation and destruction. As the earth goddess, she represents fertility, motherhood, and the cycles of life, while also embodying death and sacrifice.

How is Coatlicue depicted in Aztec art?

Coatlicue is often shown wearing a skirt of serpents, a necklace of human hearts, hands, and skulls, and with a monstrous appearance that reflects her dual role as nurturer and destroyer.

Why was Coatlicue important to the Aztecs?

Coatlicue was central to Aztec beliefs because she represented the earth's life-giving and life-taking powers. Her myths explained cosmic order, especially the daily struggle of the sun against the moon and stars.

Aztec Mythology

Coatlicue and the Birth of the Gods: The Mother of Creation

Updated On Dec 2, 2024 8 min Read

Table of Contents

🌍 The Mother at the Heart of Aztec Creation

In the vast pantheon of Aztec mythology, few figures are as awe-inspiring—or as terrifying—as Coatlicue. Known as “She of the Serpent Skirt,” she is the earth goddess, the womb of creation, and the one who gave birth to the gods themselves. Yet, her story is not only about life and fertility, but also about sacrifice, cosmic conflict, and the eternal dance between creation and destruction.

Her most famous tale—the birth of Huitzilopochtli, the Sun God—is nothing less than the Aztec story of cosmic order, explaining why the sun fights daily against the moon and stars.

🐍 Who is Coatlicue? The Terrifying Mother of the Gods

Name Meaning: Coatlicue translates to “She of the Serpent Skirt.”
Role: The earth goddess of fertility, life, and death—mother to gods and mortals alike.
Depictions:
- A skirt of writhing snakes.
- A necklace of human hands, hearts, and skulls.
- Clawed feet and a monstrous visage.

She is not a gentle mother. To the Aztecs, she was the raw power of the earth—capable of giving life through crops and children, but equally capable of claiming it through earthquakes, famine, or death.

🌟 The Cosmic Drama: Birth of Huitzilopochtli

One day, while sweeping a temple, Coatlicue tucked a ball of hummingbird feathers into her clothing. Miraculously, she became pregnant.

But her daughter, Coyolxauhqui (the Moon goddess), and her 400 sons (the Centzon Huitznahua, or “Four Hundred Southerners”) were outraged. Believing Coatlicue dishonored their family, they plotted her death.

Just as they attacked, Coatlicue gave birth to Huitzilopochtli, fully grown and armed with a blazing serpent-sword.

He immediately slaughtered his siblings, decapitating and dismembering Coyolxauhqui.
Her body was cast from the mountain, later becoming the Moon, while her brothers became the stars.
Huitzilopochtli ascended as the Sun, forever locked in a celestial battle against his siblings.

🔥 Symbolism of Coatlicue’s Story

The myth of Coatlicue and the birth of the gods carries deep Aztec symbolism:

Life from Sacrifice: Creation requires destruction, just as the earth yields crops only after blood offerings.
The Cosmic Order: The daily struggle of the sun against the moon and stars is explained through this myth.
Duality of the Divine Feminine: Coatlicue is both nurturing and deadly, embodying the Aztec vision of balance.

🕊️ Coatlicue’s Place in Aztec Worship

Temples & Monuments: Her most famous statue—discovered in Tenochtitlan—is among the most imposing Aztec relics, embodying her terrifying power.
Role in Rituals: Blood sacrifices to Coatlicue ensured the continuation of fertility and cosmic balance.
Cultural Legacy: She symbolizes the raw, untamed earth, revered as both mother and destroyer.

🌌 Conclusion: The Eternal Mother of Gods and Chaos

The myth of Coatlicue and the Birth of the Gods is more than a story of divine betrayal and vengeance—it is a cosmic allegory. Coatlicue embodies the eternal truth of Aztec philosophy: that creation and destruction are inseparable. From her womb came gods, stars, and the endless cycles of time itself.

Even today, Coatlicue remains a striking reminder of the power of the feminine divine, the ferocity of motherhood, and the cosmic balance between life and death.