The Spiritual World: Images of Gods and Goddesses in the Pre-Columbian Americas

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The Pre-Columbian Americas had many images of gods and goddesses represented in their culture. They would also sculpt and create images of certain gods and goddesses to honor them, and they would also sacrifice to please the gods and goddesses.

The first work presented is a depiction of Chac Mool, and this stone sculpture was created, for sacrifices, in order to please the Rain God. The Aztec culture wanted to provide sacrifices to the gods, in order to show their respect and to get something in return. The second work that is presented is the Sun Stone, and it has two different calendars on the surface that the Aztecs believed. The calendar was only one of its functions because it is believed to be used as a sacrificial altar or a place where they could perform elaborate ceremonies. The third work is a sculpture of Xolotl. This was the ancient god of misfortune, and he was the twin of Quetzalcoatl. Xolotl is included in one of the ancient Aztec creation stories. The fourth work is a large stone that was believed to be a sacrificial altar to serve to the gods, and to their ruler, Moctezuma. The fifth work is a painting of Quetzalcoatl, who is the feathered-serpent god. Moctezuma believed that when Cortez arrived he was Quetzalcoatl in human form.

Most of the work that is in my gallery is made from stone, which could be because the Aztec culture believed that the stone would last the longest, and it could also be because the stone was abundant. The Aztecs were polytheistic, and so throughout their culture they decided to represent the many different gods they believed. The gods and goddesses that they believed were very important to their culture are represented in my gallery and in their history. (Pre-Columbian Civilizations)

Desmond, Lawrence G., PhD. "The Chacmool." The Chacmool. Oxford Encyclopedia of Mesoamerican Cultures, n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2016. <http: / / maya.csueastbay.edu / archaeoplanet / lgdpage / chacmool.htm>.

"Piedra De Moctezuma I. Cultura Azteca (M." ARTEHISTORIA. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2016. <http: / / www.artehistoria.com / v2 / obras / 10360.htm>.

"Understanding the Mysterious Aztec Sun Stone - Kids Discover." Kids Discover. Kids Discover, 11 Mar. 2014. Web. 27 Apr. 2016. <http: / / www.kidsdiscover.com / quick-reads / understanding-mysterious-aztec-sun-stone>.

"Quetzalcoatl - Crystalinks." Quetzalcoatl - Crystalinks. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2016. <http: / / www.crystalinks.com / quetzalcoatl.html>.

Sanders, William T. "Pre-Columbian Civilizations." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Feb. 2016. Web. 27 Apr. 2016. <http: / / www.britannica.com / topic / pre-columbian-civilizations>.

"Xolotl, Canine God of Twins and Sickness in Aztec Religion." About.com Religion & Spirituality. N.p., 18 Sept. 2015. Web. 27 Apr. 2016. <http: / / atheism.about.com / od / aztecgodsgoddesses / p / xolotlaztec.htm>.

Chac Mool, unknown, 1250/1500, From the collection of: Museo Nacional de Antropología, México

Chac Mool is a reclining sculpture figure that is holding a sacrificial bowl. Most of the sacrifices to Chac Mool were human hearts. Chac Mool represents the ancient Aztec god of Rain, Tlaloc. The culture believed that the sacrifices and objects that they gave to Chac Mool would allow them to spiritually connect with Tlaloc and help bring rain to their home. (The ChacMool)

Piedra del Sol, unknown, 1250/1500, From the collection of: Museo Nacional de Antropología, México

The Piedra del Sol or the Sun Stone included two different calendars on it and it also has Tonatiuh, the sun god, in the middle. Tonatiuh is represented with a tongue that is a blade because this god needed blood and hearts to survive, so the Aztecs made sacrifices of hearts and blood to please Tonatiuh. This stone was not only important to their culture in regard to how it told time, but also how it served as an altar to sacrifice to the Sun God, Tonatiuh. (Understanding the Mysterious Aztec Sun Stone)

Xólotl, unknown, 1325/1521, From the collection of: Museo Nacional de Antropología, México

Xolotl is the god of misfortune, and is the twin of the god, Quetzalcoatl. This god is mostly represented as a dog, but is also known as helping the sun navigate through the underworld every night. The aztecs created this stone sculpture in order to honor and show their respect for this god. Xolotl is present in most of the creation myths from Aztec culture. (Xolotl)

Piedra del Ex Arzobispado, unknown, 1440/1481, From the collection of: Museo Nacional de Antropología, México

The Piedra del Ex Arzobispado, or the Stone of the Ex Archbishop was found buried underneath an old Spaniard building. This illustrates how much the Spaniards tried to destroy the Aztec culture after they conquered Mexico. The stone was originally placed in front of an old Aztec temple, but it was buried along with the temple when the Spaniards conquered the Aztecs. Although the Spaniards tried to destroy the Aztec culture, it still lived on and survived. The hole in the middle of the stone was most likely used for sacrifices of human hearts. The images depicted on the side of the stone represent sacrifice. The aztecs believed it was very important to make sacrifices, in order to please the gods, so they had stones or altars where they could do these elaborate ceremonies. (Piedra de Moctezuma I)

Quetzalcoatl, Frederic Whitaker, 28.5 x 23.2 in. Watercolor, Syracuse University Art Collection, Syracuse, NY., 1970, From the collection of: The Frederic Whitaker and Eileen Monaghan Whitaker Foundation

Quetzalcoatl is a god that is mostly represented as a feathered-serpent. Many believed that this god could change form and take the shape of a white man, so when Cortez arrived in Mexico to conquer, Montezuma the ruler of the Aztecs and many others believed Cortez was a reincarnation of Quetzalcoatl. This god was known for bringing wisdom and is present in many of the ancient Aztec art, and past cultures. This symbol is most predominant on the Temples of Teotihuacan, which was an important city in the Aztec culture. (Quetzalcoatl)

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This user gallery has been created by an independent third party and may not represent the views of the institutions whose collections include the featured works or of Google Arts & Culture.

Museo Nacional de Antropología, México

The Frederic Whitaker and Eileen Monaghan Whitaker Foundation