In the late post-classic period of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, the Aztec empire proved to be the largest and most advanced civilization in the region. Until its fall in 1521, the Aztec world was centered at the city of Tenochtitlan and grew to include an estimated 11 million people (Coe and Koontz 235). Warfare was an integral part of Aztec culture, as were religious rituals, which often included sacrifice of some kind. The Effigy Mask of Coyolxauhqui, on show at the Getty Museum Exhibition, “Golden Kingdoms: Luxury and Legacy in the Ancient
Americas,” is representative of the struggle between the Moon and Sun that featured so prominently in many aspects of Aztec mythology. To the Aztec people, this mask served a religious and ritualistic role …show more content…
The mask alludes to death through the slightly parted lips and closed eyes of the figure depicted. Additionally, surrounding the face, there is an elaborate headdress, suggesting the woman held a role of some status or importance. However, the clearest indication of who is represented on the mask comes from the bells adorning the cheeks of the figure. In Nahuatl, the traditional language of the Aztec empire, Coyolxauhqui literally translates to “She Who Has Facial Painting with Bells” (Pillsbury 264). The myth of Coyolxauhqui, goddess of the moon, and her brother Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec sun god, describes the relationship between the Sun and the Moon. Coyolxauhqui and her four hundred other brothers are said to have become enraged when they learned their mother, Coatlicue, was pregnant with Huitzilopochtli, and traveled to Mount Coatepec planning to kill him. However, at the precise moment of their attack, Huitzilopochtli emerged from his mother’s womb a fully grown warrior and decapitated Coyolxauhqui. He threw her body off of the mountain, with her head rolling down and coming to rest at its base. According to Markman, this myth details the Aztecs view on the constant struggle between the sun and moon. Coyolxauhqui behaves cowardly, and only amongst her followers, whereas Huitzilopochtli acts independently and with true bravery, which is how the …show more content…
This stone is a circular relief carving approximately ten, feet in diameter and depicts Coyolxauhqui’s dismembered and disfigured body (Aguilar-Moreno 55). The placement of the stone was of great interest to scholars, as it indicates that the Aztecs would recreate the myths of their people’s origin. Any human body that was thrown from the top of the temple would roll down its sides and land atop the Coyolxauhqui stone, paralleling the story of Coyolxauhqui’s death. If the Aztecs did reenact certain religious tales, then the need for a mask of one of the prominent deities is more
Americas,” is representative of the struggle between the Moon and Sun that featured so prominently in many aspects of Aztec mythology. To the Aztec people, this mask served a religious and ritualistic role …show more content…
The mask alludes to death through the slightly parted lips and closed eyes of the figure depicted. Additionally, surrounding the face, there is an elaborate headdress, suggesting the woman held a role of some status or importance. However, the clearest indication of who is represented on the mask comes from the bells adorning the cheeks of the figure. In Nahuatl, the traditional language of the Aztec empire, Coyolxauhqui literally translates to “She Who Has Facial Painting with Bells” (Pillsbury 264). The myth of Coyolxauhqui, goddess of the moon, and her brother Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec sun god, describes the relationship between the Sun and the Moon. Coyolxauhqui and her four hundred other brothers are said to have become enraged when they learned their mother, Coatlicue, was pregnant with Huitzilopochtli, and traveled to Mount Coatepec planning to kill him. However, at the precise moment of their attack, Huitzilopochtli emerged from his mother’s womb a fully grown warrior and decapitated Coyolxauhqui. He threw her body off of the mountain, with her head rolling down and coming to rest at its base. According to Markman, this myth details the Aztecs view on the constant struggle between the sun and moon. Coyolxauhqui behaves cowardly, and only amongst her followers, whereas Huitzilopochtli acts independently and with true bravery, which is how the …show more content…
This stone is a circular relief carving approximately ten, feet in diameter and depicts Coyolxauhqui’s dismembered and disfigured body (Aguilar-Moreno 55). The placement of the stone was of great interest to scholars, as it indicates that the Aztecs would recreate the myths of their people’s origin. Any human body that was thrown from the top of the temple would roll down its sides and land atop the Coyolxauhqui stone, paralleling the story of Coyolxauhqui’s death. If the Aztecs did reenact certain religious tales, then the need for a mask of one of the prominent deities is more