|
In Aztec mythology, Xiuhtecuhtli ("Turquoise Lord" or "Lord of Fire"),〔Fernández 1992, 1996, p.104. Matos Moctezuma & Solis Olguín 2002, p.476. Miller & Taube 1993, 2003, p.189.〕 was the god of fire, day and heat.〔Matos Moctezuma & Solis Olguín 2002, p.433.〕 He was the lord of volcanoes,〔Coe & Koontz 2002, p.55.〕 the personification of life after death, warmth in cold (fire), light in darkness and food during famine. He was also named Cuezaltzin ("flame") and Ixcozauhqui ,〔Sahagún 1577, 1989, p.47. (Book I, Chapter XIII).〕 and is sometimes considered to be the same as Huehueteotl ("Old God"),〔Fernández 1992, 1996, p.104.〕 although Xiuhtecuhtli is usually shown as a young deity.〔Matos Moctezuma & Solis Olguín 2002, p.476.〕 His wife was Chalchiuhtlicue. Xiuhtecuhtli is sometimes considered to be a manifestation of Ometecuhtli, the Lord of Duality, and according to the Florentine Codex Xiuhtecuhtli was considered to be mother and father of the Gods,〔Fernández 1992, 1996, p.104. León-Portilla 2002, pp.25, 26.〕 who dwelled in the turquoise enclosure in the center of earth.〔Matos Moctezuma 1988, p.94.〕 The Nahuatl word ''xihuitl'' means "year" as well as "turquoise" and "fire",〔 and Xiuhtecatl was also the god of the year and of time. In the 260-day ritual calendar, the deity was the patron of the day ''Atl'' ("Water") and with the trecena 1 Coatl ("1 Snake").〔Miller & Taube 1993, 2003, p.190. Smith 1996, 2003, pp.246-7. Díaz & Rodgers 1993, p.xix.〕 Xiuhtecuhtli was also one of the nine Lords of the Night and ruled the first hour of the night, named ''Cipactli'' ("Alligator").〔Díaz & Rodgers 1993, p.xix. Smith 1996, 2003, p.248〕 Xiuhtecuhtli was the patron god of the Aztec emperors, who were regarded as his living embodiment at their enthronement.〔Matos Moctezuma & Solis Olguín 2002, p.447.〕 The deity was also one of the patron gods of the ''pochteca'' merchant class.〔Coe & Koontz 2002, p.197.〕 Stone sculptures of Xiuhtecuhtli were ritually buried as offerings, and various statuettes have been recovered during excavations at the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan with which he was closely associated.〔Matos Moctezuma & Solis Olguín 2002, pp.172, 476.〕 Statuettes of the deity from the temple depict a seated male with his arms crossed.〔Matos Moctezuma & Solis Olguín 2002, p.172.〕 A sacred fire was always kept burning in the temples of Xiuhtecuhtli.〔Matos Moctezuma & Solis Olguín 2002, p.414.〕 In gratitude for the gift of fire, the first mouthful of food from each meal was flung into the hearth.〔 ==Attributes== Xiuhtecuhtli was usually depicted adorned with turquoise mosaic, wearing the turquoise ''xiuhuitzolli'' crown of rulership on his head and a turquoise butterfly pectoral on his chest,〔Miller & Taube 1993, 2003, p.189. Barrera Rodríguez & López Arenas 2008, p.19.〕 and he often wears a descending turquoise ''xiuhtototl'' bird (''Cotinga amabilis'') on his forehead and the Xiuhcoatl fire serpent on his back.〔Miller & Taube 1993, 2003, p.189.〕 Xiuhtecuhtli is closely associated with youthful warriors and with rulership, and was considered a solar god.〔Miller & Taube 1993, 2003, p.189. Matos Moctezuma & Solis Olguín 2002, pp.419-20.〕 His principal symbols are the ''tecpatl'' (flint) and the ''mamalhuatzin'', the two sticks that were rubbed together to light ceremonial fires.〔Fernández 1992, 1996, pp.104-6.〕 A staff with a deer's head was also an attribute of Xiuhtecuhtli, although not exclusively so as it could also be associated with Xochiquetzal and other deities.〔Matos Moctezuma & Solis Olguín 2002, p.468.〕 Many of the attributes of Xiuhtecuhtli are found associated with Early Postclassic Toltec warriors but clear representations of the god are not common until the Late Postclassic.〔 The ''nahual'', or spirit form, of Xiuhtecuhtli is Xiuhcoatl, the Fire Serpent.〔Fernández 1992, 1996, p.107.〕 Xiuhtecuhtli was embodied in the ''teotecuilli'', the sacrificial brazier into which sacrificial victims were cast during the New Fire ceremony.〔 This took place at the end of each cycle of the Aztec calendar round (every 52 years),〔Smith 1996, 2003, p.249.〕 when the gods were thought to be able to end their covenant with humanity. Feasts were held in honor of Xiuhtecuhtli to keep his favors, and human sacrifices were burned after removing their heart. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Xiuhtecuhtli」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|