In Aztec religion, Ītzpāpālōtl[iːt͡spaːˈpaːlot͡ɬ] ("Obsidian Butterfly") was a striking skeletal warrior goddess who ruled over the paradise world of Tamoanchan, the paradise of victims of infant mortality and the place identified as where humans were created.[2] She is the mother of Mixcoatl and is particularly associated with the mothRothschildia orizaba from the family Saturniidae.[3] Some of her associations are birds and fire.[4] However, she primarily appears in the form of the Obsidian Butterfly.[5]
Depiction of Itzpapalotl from the Codex Borgia.[1]
Rothschildia orizaba, the moth genus and species with which the Itzpapalotl goddess is associated
Itzpapalotl's name can either mean "obsidian butterfly" or "clawed butterfly"; the latter meaning seems most likely. It's quite possible that clawed butterfly refers to the bat and in some instances Itzpapalotl is depicted with bat wings. However, she can also appear with clear butterfly or eagle attributes. Her wings are obsidian or tecpatl (flint) knife tipped.[6] (In the Manuscript of 1558, Itzpapalotl is described as having "blossomed into the white flint, and they took the white and wrapped it in a bundle.") She could appear in the form of a beautiful, seductive woman or terrible goddess with a skeletal head and butterfly wings supplied with stone blades. Although the identity remains inconclusive, the Zapotec deity named Goddess 2J by Alfonso Caso and Ignacio Bernal may be a Classic Zapotec form of Itzpapalotl. In many instances Goddess 2J, whose image is found on ceramic urns, is identified with bats. "In folklore, bats are sometimes called "black butterflies"".[7] Itzpapalotl is sometimes represented as a goddess with flowing hair holding a trophy leg. The femur is thought by some scholars to have significance as a war trophy or a sacred object in Pre-Hispanic art.[8]
Ritual
Itzpapalotl is the patron of the day and associated with the stars Cozcuauhtli and Trecena 1 House in the Aztec calendar. The Trecena 1 House is one of the five western trecena dates dedicated to the cihuateteo, or women who had died in childbirth. Not only was Itzpapalotl considered one of the cihuateteo herself, but she was also one of the tzitzimime, star demons that threatened to devour people during solar eclipses.[6]
One of the prominent aspects of the ritual surrounding Itzpapalotl relates to the creation story of the Chichimec. The ritual is illustrated in the sixteenth century document known as the Map of Cuauhtinchan No. 2.[9] An illustration from this document shows Chichimec warriors emerging out of a seven-chambered cave behind Itzpapalotl. The deity is shown brandishing a severed leg, thought to be a symbol of battle. Beginning in the 1990s, archeologists exploring the Barranca Del Aguila region, southwest of Mexico City, have discovered caves carved to simulate the seven chambered cave, known as Chicomoztoc, from the ritual creation narrative.[10]
Mythology
According to the Manuscript of 1558, section VII, Itzpapalotl was one of two divine 2-headed doe-deers (the other one being Chimalman) who temporarily transformed themselves into women in order to seduce men. Itzpapalotl approached the two "cloud serpents named Xiuhnel [ˈʃiwnel] and Mimich [ˈmimit͡ʃ]", who transformed themselves into men (so as to disguise themselves when all the others of the Centzonmimixcoa had been slain in the ambush?). To Xiuhnel, Itzpapalotl said "'Drink, Xiuhnel.' Xiuhnel drank the blood and then immediately lay down with her. Suddenly she ... devoured him, tore open his breast. ... Then Mimich ... ran and ... descended into a thorny barrel cactus, fell into it, and the woman fell down after him."[11] In the myth-history narrative of the Annales de Cuauhtitlan, the cloud deity victims take the form of deer, the hearts of whom are eaten by Itzpapalotl. The theme of the heart devouring goddess appears in other global mythologies.[5]
Influence on modern culture
Orizaba the Moth Fairy, a villain in Elena of Avalor, was inspired by Itzpapalotl.[12]
Beyond pop culture, the name of the goddess has been used to name formations, the Itzpapalotl Tessera, on the planet Venus which are being studied for our knowledge of the geological history of our planet.[13]
Additionally, the goddess is one of the Pre-Columbian motifs found in California Chicano Literature.[14]
^Byland, Bruce E. (1993). The Codex Borgia: A Full-Color Restoration of the Ancient Mexican Manuscript. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications, Inc. ISBN978-0-486-27569-7.[page needed]
^Benson, Elizabeth (Fall 1988). "The Maya and the Bat". Latin American Indian Literatures Journal. 4 (2): 99–124. Citing: Parsons, Elsie Clews (1936). Mitla, town of the souls, and other Zapoteco-speaking pueblos of Oaxaca, Mexico. University of Chicago Press. p. 318. OCLC 185287287.
^Yoneda, Keiko (2007). "Glyphs and Messages in the Mapa de Cuauhtinchan No. 2: Chicomoztoc, Itzpapalotl and 13 Flint". In Carrasco, Davíd; Sessions, Scott (eds.). Cave, City, and Eagle's Nest: An Interpretive Journey Through the Mapa de Cuauhtinchan No. 2. UNM Press. pp. 161–203. ISBN978-0-8263-4283-6.
^Brady, James E. (2005). Keith M. Prufer (ed.). In the maw of the each monster: mesoAmerican ritual cave use. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press. pp. 69–87. ISBN978-0-292-70586-9.
^Gidwitz, Tom (2009). "Map Quest". Archaeology Magazine. 62 (2).
^Leon-Portilla, Miguel; Shorris, Earl (2002). In the Language of Kings: An Anthology of Mesoamerican Literature, Pre-Columbian to the Present. W. W. Norton & Company. p. 61. ISBN978-0-393-32407-5.
^@CraigGerber_ (28 December 2016). "Orizaba in "Scepter of Night" was inspired by the Aztec goddess Itzpapalotl" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
^Vorder Bruegge, R. W.; Fletcher, R. C. (1 March 1990). "A Model for the Shape of Overthrust Zones on Venus". Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. 21: 1278. Bibcode:1990LPI....21.1278V.
^Klor de Alva, J. Jorge (1986). "California Chicano Literature and Pre-Columbian Motifs: Foil and Fetish". Confluencia. 1 (2): 18–26. JSTOR 27921652.
Read, Kay Almere; Jason J González (2002). Handbook of Mesoamerican Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs of Mexico and Central America. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN978-0-19-514909-8. OCLC 77857686.
de Alva, J. Jorge Klor (1986). "California Chicano Literature and Pre-Columbian Motifs: Foil and Fetish". Confluencia. 1 (2): 18–26. JSTOR 27921652. ProQuest 1307994236.
Gingerich, Willard (1988). "Three Nahuatl Hymns on the Mother Archetype: An Interpretive Commentary". Mexican Studies/Estudios Mexicanos. 4 (2): 191–244. doi:10.2307/1051822. JSTOR 1051822.
Carrasco, Davíd; Sessions, Scott (2007). Cave, City, and Eagle's Nest: An Interpretive Journey Through the Mapa de Cuauhtinchan No. 2. UNM Press. ISBN978-0-8263-4283-6.
External links
Brady, James E.; Coltman, Jeremy D. (June 2016). "Bats and the Camazotz: Correcting a Century of Mistaken Identity". Latin American Antiquity. 27 (2): 227–237. doi:10.7183/1045-6635.27.2.227. S2CID 164112975.
An image of Rothschildia orizaba
January 07, 2023
Ītzpāpālōtl, aztec, ruler, acamapichtli, aztec, religion, iːt, spaːˈpaːlot, obsidian, butterfly, striking, skeletal, warrior, goddess, ruled, over, paradise, world, tamoanchan, paradise, victims, infant, mortality, place, identified, where, humans, were, creat. For the Aztec ruler see Acamapichtli In Aztec religion itzpapalōtl iːt spaːˈpaːlot ɬ Obsidian Butterfly was a striking skeletal warrior goddess who ruled over the paradise world of Tamoanchan the paradise of victims of infant mortality and the place identified as where humans were created 2 She is the mother of Mixcoatl and is particularly associated with the moth Rothschildia orizaba from the family Saturniidae 3 Some of her associations are birds and fire 4 However she primarily appears in the form of the Obsidian Butterfly 5 Depiction of Itzpapalotl from the Codex Borgia 1 Rothschildia orizaba the moth genus and species with which the Itzpapalotl goddess is associated Contents 1 Iconography 2 Ritual 3 Mythology 4 Influence on modern culture 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References 8 External linksIconography EditItzpapalotl s name can either mean obsidian butterfly or clawed butterfly the latter meaning seems most likely It s quite possible that clawed butterfly refers to the bat and in some instances Itzpapalotl is depicted with bat wings However she can also appear with clear butterfly or eagle attributes Her wings are obsidian or tecpatl flint knife tipped 6 In the Manuscript of 1558 Itzpapalotl is described as having blossomed into the white flint and they took the white and wrapped it in a bundle She could appear in the form of a beautiful seductive woman or terrible goddess with a skeletal head and butterfly wings supplied with stone blades Although the identity remains inconclusive the Zapotec deity named Goddess 2J by Alfonso Caso and Ignacio Bernal may be a Classic Zapotec form of Itzpapalotl In many instances Goddess 2J whose image is found on ceramic urns is identified with bats In folklore bats are sometimes called black butterflies 7 Itzpapalotl is sometimes represented as a goddess with flowing hair holding a trophy leg The femur is thought by some scholars to have significance as a war trophy or a sacred object in Pre Hispanic art 8 Ritual EditItzpapalotl is the patron of the day and associated with the stars Cozcuauhtli and Trecena 1 House in the Aztec calendar The Trecena 1 House is one of the five western trecena dates dedicated to the cihuateteo or women who had died in childbirth Not only was Itzpapalotl considered one of the cihuateteo herself but she was also one of the tzitzimime star demons that threatened to devour people during solar eclipses 6 One of the prominent aspects of the ritual surrounding Itzpapalotl relates to the creation story of the Chichimec The ritual is illustrated in the sixteenth century document known as the Map of Cuauhtinchan No 2 9 An illustration from this document shows Chichimec warriors emerging out of a seven chambered cave behind Itzpapalotl The deity is shown brandishing a severed leg thought to be a symbol of battle Beginning in the 1990s archeologists exploring the Barranca Del Aguila region southwest of Mexico City have discovered caves carved to simulate the seven chambered cave known as Chicomoztoc from the ritual creation narrative 10 Mythology EditAccording to the Manuscript of 1558 section VII Itzpapalotl was one of two divine 2 headed doe deers the other one being Chimalman who temporarily transformed themselves into women in order to seduce men Itzpapalotl approached the two cloud serpents named Xiuhnel ˈʃiwnel and Mimich ˈmimit ʃ who transformed themselves into men so as to disguise themselves when all the others of the Centzonmimixcoa had been slain in the ambush To Xiuhnel Itzpapalotl said Drink Xiuhnel Xiuhnel drank the blood and then immediately lay down with her Suddenly she devoured him tore open his breast Then Mimich ran and descended into a thorny barrel cactus fell into it and the woman fell down after him 11 In the myth history narrative of the Annales de Cuauhtitlan the cloud deity victims take the form of deer the hearts of whom are eaten by Itzpapalotl The theme of the heart devouring goddess appears in other global mythologies 5 Influence on modern culture EditOrizaba the Moth Fairy a villain in Elena of Avalor was inspired by Itzpapalotl 12 Beyond pop culture the name of the goddess has been used to name formations the Itzpapalotl Tessera on the planet Venus which are being studied for our knowledge of the geological history of our planet 13 Additionally the goddess is one of the Pre Columbian motifs found in California Chicano Literature 14 itzpapalōtl also features prominently in the novel Obsidian Butterfly the ninth book in the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K Hamilton She was also the monster in No One Gets Out Alive a movie on Netflix citation needed She appears in Victor and Valentino in disguise based on the folklore citation needed She appears in the American fantasy horror TV series From Dusk till Dawn The Series under the guise as La Llorona See also EditCihuateteo Cihuacoatl Tzitzimime Mixcoatl Tamoanchan Huitzilopochtli Tlahuizcalpanteuctli Woman warrior List of women warriors in folkloreNotes Edit Byland Bruce E 1993 The Codex Borgia A Full Color Restoration of the Ancient Mexican Manuscript Mineola New York Dover Publications Inc ISBN 978 0 486 27569 7 page needed Itzpapalotl the Obsidian or Clawed Butterfly unreliable source Hugo E Ponce Ulloa M Sc Beutelspacher s Butterflies of Ancient Mexico Orkin Retrieved 2020 12 12 Cline Austin Itzpapalotl Itzpapalotl Goddess of Fire and Birds in Aztec Religion Mythology About com Guide Archived from the original on 5 June 2011 a b Gingerich Willard 1988 Three Nahuatl Hymns on the Mother Archetype An Interpretive Commentary Mexican Studies Estudios Mexicanos 4 2 191 244 doi 10 2307 1051822 JSTOR 1051822 a b Miller amp Taube 1993 p 100 Benson Elizabeth Fall 1988 The Maya and the Bat Latin American Indian Literatures Journal 4 2 99 124 Citing Parsons Elsie Clews 1936 Mitla town of the souls and other Zapoteco speaking pueblos of Oaxaca Mexico University of Chicago Press p 318 OCLC 185287287 Yoneda Keiko 2007 Glyphs and Messages in the Mapa de Cuauhtinchan No 2 Chicomoztoc Itzpapalotl and 13 Flint In Carrasco David Sessions Scott eds Cave City and Eagle s Nest An Interpretive Journey Through the Mapa de Cuauhtinchan No 2 UNM Press pp 161 203 ISBN 978 0 8263 4283 6 Brady James E 2005 Keith M Prufer ed In the maw of the each monster mesoAmerican ritual cave use Austin TX University of Texas Press pp 69 87 ISBN 978 0 292 70586 9 Gidwitz Tom 2009 Map Quest Archaeology Magazine 62 2 Leon Portilla Miguel Shorris Earl 2002 In the Language of Kings An Anthology of Mesoamerican Literature Pre Columbian to the Present W W Norton amp Company p 61 ISBN 978 0 393 32407 5 CraigGerber 28 December 2016 Orizaba in Scepter of Night was inspired by the Aztec goddess Itzpapalotl Tweet via Twitter Vorder Bruegge R W Fletcher R C 1 March 1990 A Model for the Shape of Overthrust Zones on Venus Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 21 1278 Bibcode 1990LPI 21 1278V Klor de Alva J Jorge 1986 California Chicano Literature and Pre Columbian Motifs Foil and Fetish Confluencia 1 2 18 26 JSTOR 27921652 References EditMiller Mary Taube Karl 1993 The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya An Illustrated Dictionary of Mesoamerican Religion London Thames amp Hudson ISBN 978 0 500 05068 2 OCLC 27667317 Read Kay Almere Jason J Gonzalez 2002 Handbook of Mesoamerican Mythology A Guide to the Gods Heroes Rituals and Beliefs of Mexico and Central America Oxford and New York Oxford University Press ISBN 978 0 19 514909 8 OCLC 77857686 Sahagun Bernardino de 1997 ca 1558 61 Primeros Memoriales Civilization of the American Indians series vol 200 part 2 Thelma D Sullivan English trans and paleography of Nahuatl text with H B Nicholson Arthur J O Anderson Charles E Dibble Eloise Quinones Keber and Wayne Ruwet completion revisions and ed Norman University of Oklahoma Press ISBN 978 0 8061 2909 9 OCLC 35848992 de Alva J Jorge Klor 1986 California Chicano Literature and Pre Columbian Motifs Foil and Fetish Confluencia 1 2 18 26 JSTOR 27921652 ProQuest 1307994236 Gingerich Willard 1988 Three Nahuatl Hymns on the Mother Archetype An Interpretive Commentary Mexican Studies Estudios Mexicanos 4 2 191 244 doi 10 2307 1051822 JSTOR 1051822 Carrasco David Sessions Scott 2007 Cave City and Eagle s Nest An Interpretive Journey Through the Mapa de Cuauhtinchan No 2 UNM Press ISBN 978 0 8263 4283 6 External links EditBrady James E Coltman Jeremy D June 2016 Bats and the Camazotz Correcting a Century of Mistaken Identity Latin American Antiquity 27 2 227 237 doi 10 7183 1045 6635 27 2 227 S2CID 164112975 An image of Rothschildia orizaba Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title itzpapalōtl amp oldid 1121770336, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
