Panis_Ramey Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 I remember reading a book of Aztec and Mayan religion and I come a cross a goddess by the name of Tlazolteotl, from what I can remember she inspired carnal acts and absolved them, created and healed disease, usually sexually transmitted and she was the patroness of witches. She is said to have four sister aspects and is depicted flying on a broomstick usually completely nude besides jewelry and a pointed hat, clutching a snake. I can't help but have a feeling the Idea of the stereotypical witch has been around a lot longer than the 15 century. does anyone have a legend or two about her that they can share ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CelticGypsy Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 (edited) Hello Panaceum,According to a 1974 book : The History of Witchcraft and Demonology by Montague Summers. Tlazolteotl, resembles the medieval Hecate as Queen of the Witches. The author deems that she was also associated with the moon and the snake, and screech owl, also a broomstick was her symbol. She held her sabbats at crossroads, her sacroscanct women were Ciuateteo, "right honorable mothers," or " princessess " who died in childbirth.Interesting as this Aztec Diety, bears resemblance to Lillith, in some ways. These Ciuateteo were supposed to wander through the air, descending when they wished to earth, and haunt crossroads and temples... some Aztec myths associate them with Thunder Stones which fell from the sky.It was the missionary clergy that diabolized this Mother diety from the native Aztecs.Regards,Gypsy Edited November 11, 2013 by CelticGypsy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aloe Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 I'm glad you brought her up, it's been a long time since I looked into her. A family member brought me a silver Aztec calendar medallion back from Mexico a few years ago and in the course of researching the imagery on it I came across Tlazolteotl. She's quite fascinating.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anjeaunot Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Hello Panis I don't doubt that this great Aztec deity did have some characteristics which we associate with European witches. I have some reservations about the age of the drawing which depicts her flying on a broomstick, nude and with a pointed hat. The Catholic missionaries carried the stereotype of the witch into their South American colonies. A number of the missionaries sent drawings and accounts of the witchcraft practices of the indigenous races back to Spain. I remember one startle priest wrote to Spain that the devil had preceded Christianity. He pointed out that some of the people ate corn and drank a local wine which was obviously a travesty of the Catholic mass! Many of the public folklore pageants have combined Christian overtones with original lore. I would like to know the date of this drawing depicting this Aztec Goddess flying on the broomstick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aloe Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 I wondered the same thing A. The cone headdress I can see coming from the statue of her in the British Museum, but the dating on it looks uncertain, 900-1521? Not sure what that means. http://www.britishmu...lazolteotl.aspx The actual picture of her on a broomstick appears to be dated as 1400-1521 in the Encyclopedia Britannica. http://www.britannic...mbols-of-sexual I lean toward the broom associations being a product of missionaries and misconceptions, but that could just be my own personal prejudice showing through because I've never 'got' the whole witch/broom thing myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panis_Ramey Posted February 7, 2012 Author Share Posted February 7, 2012 Hello Panis........... I remember one startle priest wrote to Spain that the devil had preceded Christianity. He pointed out that some of the people ate corn and drank a local wine which was obviously a travesty of the Catholic mass! Many of the public folklore pageants have combined Christian overtones with original lore. I would like to know the date of this drawing depicting this Aztec Goddess flying on the broomstick. Sounds like a wise Priest. I guess that would be a true statement If you equate the devil with the wild divine energy of old. I wondered the same thing A. The cone headdress I can see coming from the statue of her in the British Museum, but the dating on it looks uncertain, 900-1521? Not sure what that means. http://www.britishmu...lazolteotl.aspx The actual picture of her on a broomstick appears to be dated as 1400-1521 in the Encyclopedia Britannica. http://www.britannic...mbols-of-sexual I lean toward the broom associations being a product of missionaries and misconceptions, but that could just be my own personal prejudice showing through because I've never 'got' the whole witch/broom thing myself. Its amazing to think that if she was introduced by the Spanish that the Nahua people would embrace her so openly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panis_Ramey Posted February 7, 2012 Author Share Posted February 7, 2012 This statue of her reminds me of the image of Sheela Na Gig http://www.goddessad...yan/tlazolteotl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyShalott Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 This statue of her reminds me of the image of Sheela Na Gig http://www.goddessad...yan/tlazolteotl I have several friends who are midwives and have this statue in their office... lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeksCiska Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 I have several friends who are midwives and have this statue on their office... lol Hi,I looked at this statue and she reminded me of a similar statue we had in our house when I was a child, in Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo), Africa, of a fertility goddess. But she was not giving birth, though. She did have a similar body and pose. Kind regs,Heks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ayrmids_Runes Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 She is also one of the primary dieties of the Harvest celebration of "Ochpaniztli" (meaning "sweeping"). I find that interesting considering the depictions of her with a broom. Also brooms are a cleaning instrument, so the connection makes sense if she is a deity who eats or "sweeps" away ones sins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panis_Ramey Posted February 8, 2012 Author Share Posted February 8, 2012 I'm really curious how the Aztec people defined sin, From what I read It seems that the mark of sin( uncleanliness ) is some form of STD and they would sacrifice the prostitutes of Tlazolteotl to cleanse them and if this is the case why would they want to become her sacred prostitutes, was it a forced post ? I know in the case of Venus it had many benefits to be a sacred prostitute Vs. a common street prostitute. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scylla Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Panis - in Aztec and Maya culture being a sacrifice was a holy thing. It was believed that sacrificial victims who were "of the people" (rather than kidnapped enemies) got a strait ticket to the good afterlife. So, not unlike Martyrs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panis_Ramey Posted February 8, 2012 Author Share Posted February 8, 2012 Panis - in Aztec and Maya culture being a sacrifice was a holy thing. It was believed that sacrificial victims who were "of the people" (rather than kidnapped enemies) got a strait ticket to the good afterlife. So, not unlike Martyrs. I was wondering more about how they became a sacred prostitute, was their a temple or building that they worked from ? where they selected when they were young and, was there a division between the witches and prostitutes ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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