Chicomecoatl

Chicomecoatl in an illustration from Rig Veda Americanus

In Aztec mythology, Chicomecoatl "Seven snakes", was the Aztec goddess of maize during the Middle Culture period. She is sometimes called "goddess of nourishment", a goddess of plenty and the female aspect of corn. Every September a young girl representing Chicomecoatl was sacrificed. The priests decapitated the girl, collected her blood and poured it over a figurine of the goddess. The corpse was then flayed and the skin was worn by a priest.

She is regarded as the female counterpart of the maize god Cinteotl, their symbol being an ear of corn. She is occasionally called Xilonen, ("the hairy one", which referred to the hairs on unshucked maize), who was married also to Tezcatlipoca.

She often appeared with attributes of Chalchiuhtlicue, such as her headdress and the short lines rubbing down her cheeks. She is usually distinguished by being shown carrying ears of maize. She is shown in three different forms:

• As a young girl carrying flowers
• As a woman who brings death with her embraces
• As a mother who uses the sun as a shield

See also

• Xipe Totec

References

• "Maize Deity (Chicomecoatl)". Metropolitan Museum of Art. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/08/canm/ho_00.5.51.htm. Retrieved 9 September 2008.