- Xolotl
In
Aztec mythology , Xolotl (pronounced|ˈʃolotɬ in Nahuatl) was the god with associations to bothlightning and death.Although often depicted in relation to the underworld, Xolotl was not a
psychopomp in the Western sense. Xolotl did, however, aid the dead on their journey toMictlan , the afterlife in some myths.Xolotl was also the god of fire and of bad luck. He was the twin of
Quetzalcoatl , the pair being sons of the virginCoatlicue , and was the dark personification of Venus, the evening star [http://www.pantheon.org/articles/x/xolotl.html] . He guarded the sun when it went through theunderworld at night. He also assisted Quetzalcoatl in bringing humankind and fire from the underworld.In art, Xolotl was depicted as a
skeleton , a dog-headed man or a monster animal with reversed feet. He was also the patron of theMesoamerican ballgame Fact|date=July 2007. He is identified withXocotl as being theAztec god of fire.Xoloitzcuintle is the official name of theMexican Hairless Dog (also known as "Perro Pelón Mexicano" in Spanish), a canine breed endemic toCentral America dating back toPre-Colombian times. This is one of many native dog breeds in the Americas and it is often confused with thePeruvian Hairless Dog . The name Xoloitzcuintle makes reference to Xolotl because, mythologically, one of thisdog 's missions was to accompany the dead in their journey into eternity. In spite of this prominent place in themythology , the meat of the Xoloitzcuintle was very much part of the diet of some of the ancient peoples of the region. Fact|date=July 2007External links
* [http://www.scns.com/earthen/other/seanachaidh/godaztec.html "The Gods and Goddesses of the Aztecs"]
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