Other Religions Atheism and Agnosticism Ometeotl, God of Duality in Aztec Religion Print Brantz Mayer/Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain Other Religions Belief Systems Ethics Key Figures in Atheism By Austin Cline Austin Cline Atheism Expert M.A., Princeton University B.A., University of Pennsylvania Austin Cline, a former regional director for the Council for Secular Humanism, writes and lectures extensively about atheism and agnosticism. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on February 08, 2019 Ometeotl, an Aztec god, was thought of as being simultaneously male and female, with the names Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl. Neither were much represented in Aztec art, though, perhaps in part because they could be conceived more like abstract concepts than anthropomorphic beings. They represented the creative energy or essence from which the power of all other gods flowed. They existed above and beyond all the cares of the world, with no interest in what actually happens. Names and Meanings Ometeotl - "Two God," "Lord Two"CitlatonacOmetecuhtli (male form)Omecihuatl (female form) God Of... DualitySoulsHeaven (Omeyocan, "Place of Duality") Equivalents in Other Cultures Hunab Ku, Itzamna in Mayan mythology Story and Origin As simultaneous opposites, male and female, Ometeotl represented for Aztecs the idea that the entire universe was composed of polar opposites: light and dark, night and day, order and chaos, etc. In fact, the Aztecs believed that Ometeotl was the very first god, a self-created being whose very essence and nature became the basis for the nature of the entire universe itself. Temples, Worship, and Rituals There were no temples dedicated to Ometeotl or any active cults that worshipped Ometeotl through regular rituals. It appears, however, that Ometeotl was addressed in regular prayers of individuals. Mythology and Legends Ometeotl is the bisexual god of duality in Mesoamerican culture. Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Cline, Austin. "Ometeotl, God of Duality in Aztec Religion." Learn Religions, Sep. 16, 2021, learnreligions.com/ometeotl-aztec-god-of-duality-248590. Cline, Austin. (2021, September 16). Ometeotl, God of Duality in Aztec Religion. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/ometeotl-aztec-god-of-duality-248590 Cline, Austin. "Ometeotl, God of Duality in Aztec Religion." Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/ometeotl-aztec-god-of-duality-248590 (accessed March 29, 2024). copy citation