Codex Borgia (p. 34) Xolotl sacrifices the rain god. Within the sanctuary of the Red Temple, the Sun is finally born. Against the background of a solid red disk, a warrior drills a fire on the chest of a figure lying down. From the smoke emerges a red solar deity with the wind jewel. Immediately to the right, the deity is enthroned in the temple. He now has canine claws, a canine mouth mask, the wind jewel, and a distended eye that identify him as the red Xolotl, he also carries the Sun on his back.Dresden Codex DogDresden Codex DogXolotl statue displayed at the Museo Nacional de Antropología in Mexico City.A drawing of Xolotl, one of the deities described in the Codex Borgia
Xolotl was a god of fire and lightning in Aztec mythology.
He was commonly depicted as a dog-headed man and was a soul-guide for the dead.
He was also god of twins, monsters, misfortune, sickness, and deformities.
Xolotl is the canine brother and twin of Quetzalcoatl, the pair being sons of the virgin Chimalma.
He is the dark personification of Venus, the evening star, and was associated with heavenly fire.
The axolotl is named after him.
Xolotl was the sinister god of monstrosities who wears the spirally-twisted wind jewel and the ear ornaments of Quetzalcoatl.
His job was to protect the sun from the dangers of the underworld.
As a double of Quetzalcoatl, he carries his conch-like ehecailacacozcatl or wind jewel.
Xolotl accompanied Quetzalcoatl to Mictlan, the land of the dead, or the underworld, to retrieve the bones from those who inhabited the previous world (Nahui Atl) to create new life for the present world, Nahui Ollin, the sun of movement.
His empty eye sockets are explained in the legend of Teotihuacan, in which the gods decided to sacrifice themselves for the newly created sun. Xolotl withdrew from this sacrifice and wept so much his eyes fell out of their sockets.
In art, Xolotl was typically depicted as a dog-headed man, a skeleton, or a deformed monster with reversed feet.
An incense burner in the form of a skeletal canine depicts Xolotl.
As a psychopomp, Xolotl would guide the dead on their journey to Mictlan the afterlife in myths.
His two spirit animal forms are the Xoloitzcuintli dog and the water salamander species known as the Axolotl.
Xolos served as companions to the Aztecs in this life and also in the after-life, as many dog remains and dog sculptures have been found in Aztec burials, including some at the main temple in Tenochtitlan.
Dogs were often subject to ritual sacrifice so that they could accompany their master on his voyage through Mictlan, the underworld.
Their main duty was to help their owners cross a deep river. It is possible that dog sculptures also found in burials were also intended to help people on this journey.
Xolotl originated in the southern regions, and may represent fire rushing down from the heavens or light flaming up in the heavens.
Xolotl was originally the name for lightning beast of the Maya tribe, often taking the form of a dog.
Xolotl appears to have affinities with the Zapotec and Maya lightning-dog, and may represent the lightning which descends from the thundercloud, the flash, the reflection of which arouses the misconceived belief that lightning is “double”, and leads them to suppose a connection between lightning and twins.
In manuscripts the setting sun, devoured by the earth, is opposite Xolotl’s image.
Quetzalcoatl and Xolotl constitute the twin phases of Venus as the morning and evening star, respectively.
Quetzalcoatl as the morning star acts as the harbinger of the Sun’s rising (rebirth) every dawn, Xolotl as the evening star acts as the harbinger of the Sun’s setting (death) every dusk.
Xolotl was the patron of the Mesoamerican ballgame.
Some scholars argue the ballgame symbolizes the Sun’s perilous and uncertain nighttime journey through the underworld.
A jade statue of a skeletal Xolotl carrying a solar disc bearing an image of the Sun on his back (called “the Night Traveler”) succinctly portrays Xolotl’s role in assisting the Sun through the process of death, gestation, and rebirth.
Sure, here are some additional facts about Xolotl:
Xolotl was closely associated with the concept of duality, representing both the positive and negative aspects of existence. He was seen as both a protector and a destroyer, a symbol of both life and death.
Xolotl’s role as a guide for the dead was particularly important in Aztec culture. It was believed that Xolotl would accompany the souls of the deceased on their journey through the underworld, helping them to overcome the obstacles they would encounter along the way.
Xolotl was also connected to the concept of transformation. He was often depicted in art as a shapeshifter, able to take on the form of a dog, a skeleton, or other creatures. This reflected his ability to change and adapt, symbolizing the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth.
Xolotl’s association with fire made him a powerful symbol of transformation and purification. It was believed that fire could cleanse away impurities and bring about new beginnings. Xolotl’s presence in rituals was therefore seen as a way to purify the participants and prepare them for new stages in their lives.
Xolotl’s role as a protector of the sun was crucial in Aztec cosmology. The sun was seen as the source of life and light, and it was Xolotl’s duty to ensure that the sun continued its journey across the sky each day. Without Xolotl’s protection, the sun could be devoured by the underworld, plunging the world into darkness and chaos.
Overall, Xolotl was a complex and multifaceted deity who played a significant role in Aztec culture and mythology. His symbolism encompassed the duality of existence, the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth, and the transformative power of fire. He was a protector, a guide, and a symbol of hope, ensuring the continued existence of the world and the well-being of its inhabitants.
