Mictlantecuhtli Lord of the Dead

Deep within the nine levels of Mictlan, Mictlantecuhtli sat upon his throne of skulls, his fleshless face adorned with owl feathers and his body draped in necklaces of human eyeballs. When Quetzalcoatl, the Plumed Serpent, descended into the gloom to retrieve the bones of the ancestors to create a new race of men, the Lord of the Dead was not eager to yield his treasures. He challenged Quetzalcoatl to travel around his realm four times while blowing a conch shell that had no holes. Cleverly, Quetzalcoatl summoned worms to drill openings and bees to fly inside, making the shell hum with a divine sound. Outmaneuvered, Mictlantecuhtli feigned a gift of the bones but secretly ordered his servants to dig a pit. As Quetzalcoatl fled toward the light with the precious remains, he tripped and fell, scattering the bones across the earth where they shattered into pieces of varying sizes. Though Quetzalcoatl escaped and used his own blood to breathe life into the fragments, the breakage meant that humans would henceforth be born in all different heights. Mictlantecuhtli remained in the shadows, a stern reminder that while life is a gift of the gods, all souls must eventually return to his silent, skeletal embrace.

“The bones of the past are the seeds of the future, but they always belong to the earth.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the moral of Mictlantecuhtli Lord of the Dead?

The story teaches that life and death are interconnected and that even the creation of humanity required overcoming the obstacles of the underworld. It emphasizes that death is the final destination for all living things, regardless of their stature.

Who is Mictlantecuhtli in Aztec mythology?

He is the primary god of death and the ruler of Mictlan, the lowest level of the underworld. He is typically depicted as a skeletal figure wearing owl feathers and jewelry made of human remains.

Why did Quetzalcoatl visit the underworld?

Quetzalcoatl descended into Mictlan to retrieve the bones of the people from previous world cycles. He needed these bones to create the fifth race of humanity, which is the current human race in Aztec belief.

How did Mictlantecuhtli try to trick Quetzalcoatl?

He gave Quetzalcoatl a conch shell without holes and demanded he play it while circling the underworld. Later, he had a pit dug to prevent Quetzalcoatl from escaping with the ancestral bones.

Why are humans different heights according to this myth?

When Quetzalcoatl fell into the pit dug by Mictlantecuhtli's servants, the bones he was carrying shattered into different sized fragments. Because he used these broken pieces to create humans, people now come in many different sizes.

What does Mictlan represent in Aztec culture?

Mictlan is the place of the dead where souls go after a four-year journey through various trials. It is not a place of punishment like hell, but rather a final resting place for those who died of natural causes.