Name and Etymology:
Toci
Teteo Innan (Mother of the Gods)
Tlalli Iyollo (Heart of the Earth)
Temazcalteci (Grandmother of Sweatbaths)
"Woman of Discord"
Religion and Culture of Toci:
Aztec, Mesoamerica
Symbols, Iconography, and Art of Toci:
Toci is usually found in Aztec art as a very old woman with black markings on her face and a cotton headdress. Overall, her appearance tends to be more simple than other Aztec gods and goddesses.
Toci is Goddess of:
War
Midwives
Healers
Sweatbaths (temescal)
Equivalents in Other Cultures:
Worship of Toci may have started among the Huastecs and later brought into Aztec religion.
Story and Origin of Toci:
Toci was a grandmotherly goddess who was the mother of all the other gods and goddesses. Aztec legends said that while serving as mercenaries, early Aztecs received the daughter of a local ruler who was destined to marry an high-ranking Aztec chief. The Aztecs sacrificed here, however, and flayed her so that she could become the goddess Toci. This led to the Aztecs being banished and, eventually, the founding of their capital city Tenochtitlan.
Family Tree and Relationships of Toci:
unknown — please email me if you have any information to add about this.
Temples, Worship and Rituals of Toci:
Aztecs worshipped Toci at a major festival during harvest season, sacrificing a young girl to her by ripping out her heart and flaying her skin to be worn by a priest.
Mythology and Legends of Toci:
unknown — please email me if you have any information to add about this.
