Name and Etymology:
Itzpapalotl, "Obsidian Butterfly," "Clawed Butterfly"
Queen of Tomoanchan
Religion and Culture of Itzpapalotl:
Aztec, Mesoamerica
Symbols, Iconography, and Art of Itzpapalotl:
Aztec art depicted Itzpapalotl as a skeletal figure with jaguar claws and butterfly-like wings with knives on the tips. Occasionally, Itzpapalotl would also appear as a deer, but she is best known as representing the darker aspects of earth mother figures.
Itzpapalotl is Goddess of:
Tamoanchan, paradise realm associated with birds
Fire
Equivalents in Other Cultures:
unknown — please email me if you have any information to add about this.
Story and Origin of Itzpapalotl:
Itzpapalotl was one of the Cihuateteo (demons of the dark) and tzitzimime (star demons that threaten to devour humans during eclipses). Tamoanchan, the paradise which Itzpapalotl ruled over, was the place where the gods created the current race of humans.
Family Tree and Relationships of Itzpapalotl:
Mother of Mixcoatl, "Cloud Serpent"
Temples, Worship and Rituals of Itzpapalotl:
Worship of Itzpapalotl apparently goes back to well before the construction of the temple complex of Tenochtitlan.
Mythology and Legends of Itzpapalotl:
unknown — please email me if you have any information to add about this.
