Tlazōlteōtl (Classical Nahuatl: Tlâçolteotl, pronounced [t͡ɬaʔs̻oɬˈteoːt͡ɬ]; also spelled Tlazolteotl) is a major deity in Aztec mythology. She is the goddess of sex, sexuality, lust, carnality, sin, vice, impurity, temptation, fertility, purification, absolution, and steam baths, and is also a patroness of adulterers.
Etymology and Names
The name Tlazōlteōtl derives from the Nahuatl words tlazolli ("filth" or "sin") and teōtl ("deity"), thus meaning "Deity of Filth" or "Deity of Sin." She is also known by several other names:
- Tlahēlcuāni ("She Who Eats Filthy Excrescence" or "Eater of Sin")
- Tlazolmiquiztli ("The Death Caused by Lust")
- Ixcuina or Ixcuinan (from Huastec Ix Cuinim, "Deity of Cotton")
Quadripartite Nature
Under the name Ixcuinan, Tlazōlteōtl was thought to be quadrupartite, composed of four sister deities of different ages:
- Tiyacapan (the first born)
- Tēicuih (the younger sister, also Tēiuc)
- Tlahco (the middle sister, also Tlahcoyēhua)
- Xōcotzin (the youngest sister)
When conceived of as four individual deities, they were called ixcuinammeh or tlazōltēteoh, and were individually associated with luxury.
Role in Aztec Religion
Sin and Purification
Tlazōlteōtl held a dual role: she was believed to inspire vicious desires and sinful behavior, yet she also had the power to forgive and cleanse away sin. She was thought to cause disease, particularly sexually transmitted infections, as punishment for forbidden love. Purification could be achieved through steam baths, rites of purification, or by calling upon the Tlazōltēteoh.
Confession of sins was performed through a priest (tlapouhqui), who would consult the 260-day ritual calendar (tōnalpōhualli) to determine the appropriate day and time for purification. Penance ranged from fasts to offerings and ritual song and dance. Notably, an individual could receive this absolution only once in a lifetime, making the practice most common among the elderly.
Dirt Eating
Tlazōlteōtl's epithet "Eater of Ordure" (Tlahēlcuāni) reflects the symbolic association of sin with dirt. Her consumption of filth represented the ingestion and purification of sin. In Aztec iconography, she is sometimes depicted with ochre-colored symbols around her mouth and nose, interpreted by scholars as representing divine excrement.
Calendar Association
Tlazōlteōtl is the deity governing the 13th trecena (13-day period) of the sacred 260-day calendar (tōnalpōhualli), which begins with the day Ce Ōllin (First Movement). She is also associated with the day sign of the jaguar.
Festival: Ochpaniztli
Tlazōlteōtl was one of the primary deities celebrated in the festival of Ochpaniztli (meaning "sweeping"), held from September 2 to 21 to mark the harvest season. Ceremonies included ritual cleaning, sweeping, repairing, casting of corn seed, dances, and military ceremonies.
Origins and Genealogy
Tlazōlteōtl likely originated as a Huastec mother goddess from the Gulf Coast region of Mexico, later assimilated into the Aztec pantheon. According to Aztec tradition, she emerged from Omecihuatl (by Tecpatl) and is counted among the Nauhtzonteteo (the 1,600 gods). With Piltzintecuhtli, she is the mother of Cinteotl (the maize deity).
Iconography
Tlazōlteōtl is depicted in various codices, including the Codex Borbonicus and the Codex Borgia. She is sometimes shown wearing a flayed human skin, giving birth, or with ochre-colored markings around her mouth and nose. Huastec stone statues of the deity, dating from 900–1450 CE, are held in museum collections such as the British Museum.
In Popular Culture
The golden idol featured in the film Raiders of the Lost Ark is based on an actual Aztec birthing figure (the Dumbarton Oaks birthing figure), which is presumed to depict Tlazōlteōtl.
