Discover the Gods of the Vices of Mexican Mythology. We show you the origins and legends that explain their stories.
Gods of the Vices of Mexican Mythology
The gods of the vices of Mexican mythology, represented for them both a luminous side of their lives; as well as a dark side. It is what they would call the representation between good and evil.
This means that their deities, like humans, were imperfect beings and for this reason were full of great virtues. But they also possessed many defects. Hence began the existence of a group of gods considered vicious.
The most significant gods of vices were a group belonging to the “Macuiltonaleque”; they were a group of gods called “the minor excesses”. There are also other deities that are considered to belong to the vicious gods.
The Macuiltonaleque Gods
Macuilcuetzpalin
He represents the “five lizard”; and is one of the gods of excesses, which are called “Ahuiateteo” . He is considered a god of vice for representing pleasure.
Macuilcozcacuauhtli
It is the “five vulture”, this represents the vice of gluttony.
Macuilmalinalli
Called the “five grass”. This is the god of the dead in battle, but when representing the five grass; it is considered the god of the vice of the grass that is cut and smoked. Those who invoked him, were with the certainty that he will help them to make “stimulating peyotes”.
Macuiltochtli
It is the “five rabbits”; it is the Aztec god of warriors. He is considered as a vicious deity, because of his recognition as the god of drunkenness; he also represents drunks and is connected with the minor gods of pulque.
Macuilxóchitl
It represents the “five flower”. She is considered the chief of the Ahuiateteo, she is the goddess of vices related to games, music and dance. The vicious gamblers invoked her to ask for protection, fortune and good luck in the games.
Other gods of the vices of Mexican mythology
Mayáhuel
Also known as “Mayahual or Mayóuel”; she was the goddess of the Maguey. This was an agave plant, which was very popular throughout the Mexican culture for its alcoholic properties from which they made the drink called “pulque”. For this reason Mayáhuel is considered the goddess of the vice of drunkenness.
Tepoztécatl
His name means “person carrying the copper axe of Tepoztli”. He is also called Tezcatzontécatl; he is considered a god of vice for being related to fermentation and drunkenness. Although he is also related to fertility.
Tlazoltéotl
This was the goddess of love and sensuality, also called “Tiaelquani or Tiazolteotil”. She was well known as “devourer of dirt”, this is because she was the purifying goddess of dirt, filth, diseases and illicit loves.
Tlazoltéotl was invoked by the dying for the confession of their sins, she was considered goddess of incontinence, weaving, adultery, impure loves and pleasures, sex, carnality, protector of lovers and moral transgressions.
She is within the group of the gods of vices, because as well as eliminating these vices of which she was the patroness. She was also responsible for provoking them, especially those related to sexuality.
Huehuecóyotl
Also called “Ueuecoyotl”, which means “very old coyote”. He is a joker, partying, indulgent and cheating god; he is considered one of the gods of vices for being the patron of dancing, promiscuity, worldly desires and protector of wild places.
Ometochtli
They call him “the two rabbits”; he is considered the chief of the “Centzon Totochtin” . He is part of the group of the gods of vices as the drunken rabbit god.
Conclusion
Within Mexican mythology, there was a set of gods that formed a fundamental part of their myths or legends; this greatly influenced their beliefs until the formation of a great empire based on their deities.
But for the Mexicans, these gods were not perfect mythological beings; because the origin of their reincarnations came from representations of nature. These were sacred beings, but they adopted certain human personalities.
Thus, just as they adopted personalities with virtues, they also possessed defects such as vices. Among them, their most outstanding vices were gluttony and drunkenness, among other types of vicious excesses.
