What does ATL mean in Mayan?
Atl, meaning ‘water’, is the day in the Aztec calendar associated with the god Xiuhtecuhtli. Xiuhtecuhtli is the god of fire, and the personification of life, creation, warmth and sustenance. Atl is associated with battle, and holy war (both internal and external). It is a day of conflict and clearing the air.
What is the Aztec symbol for war?
You can see the Mexica symbol for war on this famous vertical drum (huehuetl), though it might not be obvious straight away. It’s NOT to be confused with the better known Aztec shield symbol (chimalli) – that you can see in our ‘Aztec Artefacts’ section – nor the symbol for a battle victory (burning, toppled temple).
What does an eagle with a snake in its mouth symbolize?
The eagle was a representation of the sun god Huitzilopochtli, who was very important, as the Mexicas referred to themselves as the “People of the Sun”. Based on this, Father Diego Durán reinterpreted the legend so that the eagle represents all that is good and right, while the snake represents evil and sin.
What does the Aztec circle mean?
The center of the stone is believed to be a representation of the sun god Tonatiuh. The deity is holding a human heart in each of his hands. The face of the deity is enclosed by a circle, representing movement, and he has a tongue depicting a sacrificial stone knife.
How do you read Aztec glyphs?
Aztec Glyphs do not have a set reading order, unlike Maya hieroglyphs. As such, they may be read in any direction which forms the correct sound values in the context of the glyph.
Who was the Aztec war god?
Huitzilopochtli
Huitzilopochtli, also spelled Uitzilopochtli, also called Xiuhpilli (“Turquoise Prince”) and Totec (“Our Lord”), Aztec sun and war god, one of the two principal deities of Aztec religion, often represented in art as either a hummingbird or an eagle.
What flag has an eagle and a snake on it?
the Mexican flag
The center of the Mexican flag is its most striking feature. It’s a powerful looking Golden Eagle, perched atop a prickly pear cactus, with a snake in its beak and talons.
What is the altar of the Frogs at Tlaloc?
At the base of the Tlaloc side of the temple, on the same axis as the chacmool, are stone sculptures of two frogs with their heads arched upwards. This is known as the Altar of the Frogs.
What does the Eagle symbolize in Huitzilopochtli?
In some codices, the eagle holds the glyph for war to represent the victorious Huitzilopochtli. This glyph, the Atl tlachinolli, which means “water and flame”, has a certain resemblance with a snake, and may plausibly be the origin of this confusion.
What is the difference between Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc?
Tlaloc was the deity of water and rain and was associated with agricultural fertility. Huitzilopochtli was the patron deity of the Mexica, and he was associated with warfare, fire, and the sun.
What type of sculpture is Tlaloc?
At the top center of the Tlaloc temple is a sculpture of a male figure on his back painted in blue and red. The figure holds a vessel on his abdomen likely to receive offerings. This type of sculpture is called a chacmool, and is older than the Mexica. It was associated with the rain god, in this case Tlaloc.