Tonatiuh (deity)
Tonatiuh is the Aztec sun god, revered as a central figure in the Aztec pantheon. The Aztecs regarded him as the source of warmth and fertility on Earth, manifesting their deep respect for the sun by constructing their cities in alignment with its path across the sky. He is frequently depicted adorned with an eagle feather headdress, emphasizing his connection to the eagle, a significant symbol in Aztec culture. Tonatiuh is often referred to as the fifth sun, reflecting the belief that he is the current sun in a series of divine suns, each representing different cosmic eras.
Mythologically, Tonatiuh was born from a sacrificial act in which the god Nanahuatzin offered himself to create the sun. His ascension was initially weak, prompting the other gods to sacrifice their hearts to empower him. This belief in the necessity of sacrifice was integral to Aztec rituals, with human sacrifices performed to ensure Tonatiuh's daily journey across the sky. Tonatiuh was also the patron of warriors who captured enemies for sacrifice. The New Fire Ceremony, held every fifty-two years, was another key ritual dedicated to him, aimed at renewing the sun's strength and marking the cycle of time within Aztec culture.
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Tonatiuh (deity)
Symbol: Eagle
Culture: Aztec
Tonatiuh was the Aztec sun god and a central god in the Aztec pantheon. The Aztecs believed that because he was the sun god, Tonatiuh was the source of warmth on Earth as well as a promoter of fertility. The Aztecs held the sun in such high regard, in fact, that they constructed their cities from east to west to reflect the sun’s path across the sky. Tonatiuh was also closely associated with the eagle, and he is often depicted wearing a headdress made from eagle feathers. Much of the mythology surrounding Tonatiuh is important to the Aztec traditions of human sacrifice.
The Aztecs believed that different sun gods existed and then became extinct, their rise and fall marking the end and beginning of new cosmic eras. According to these myths, each era was called a sun. In some accounts, a different god ruled each one of the suns, but other myths tell a slightly different story. In one account, the first sun was actually the god Tezcatlipoca, and he was known as the earth sun before his extinction came about by way of the second sun, the god Quetzalcoatl. The third and fourth suns were the rain god Tlaloc and the goddess Chalchiuthlicue, respectively. Tonatiuh is also sometimes referred to as the fifth sun, for he was the fifth and final sun—the world’s current sun and the first sun to move in the sky. The Aztecs believed that when the fifth sun was destroyed, the world would follow suit, succumbing to a great earthquake.
In Mythology
According to Aztec myth, when the fourth sun Chalchiuthlicue became extinct, all of the gods gathered in the ancient city of Teotihuacan for a meeting. The gods started a bonfire and began the discussion of how to go about creating the new, fifth sun. First, Nanahuatzin, known as the disease god, offered himself as sacrifice in in order to create the sun, and he dove into the bonfire’s flames. Another volunteer, Tecciztecatl, stepped forward and also threw himself on the fire, but because he was the second god to do so, he was not resurrected as the sun. Instead, Tecciztecatl was resurrected as the moon, and Nanahuatzin returned as Tonatiuh, the sun god. At first, Tonatiuh was not strong enough to make his first ascent into the sky, so the gods deemed it necessary to offer up a sacrifice in order to provide him with sufficient strength. They ripped out the hearts of 1,600 gods, wrapping them up together and offering them up to Tonatiuh. Supplied with so much sustenance, Tonatiuh made his ascent into the sky and continued to move across the heavens, becoming the first moving sun in the history of the world.
Another myth detailing Tonatiuh’s requirement of sacrifice involves the Lord of the Dawn, Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli. According to the myth, after being supplied with his first sacrifice, Tonatiuh refused to move again unless he was provided with more hearts and blood. Angered by the new god’s demands, Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli threw a dart in the direction of Tonatiuh, but his aim was off. Tonatiuh retaliated by throwing a dart of his own, and because his aim was better than that of the Lord of the Dawn, he struck his enemy directly in the head. This hit, which caused Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli to become cold, provided an explanation for why the dawn can be so frigid. The other gods realized that their refusal of Tonatiuh’s demands was futile, and so they cut out their own hearts to please the sun god.
The Aztecs believed that the journey across the sky was difficult and taxing for Tonatiuh, so they felt that sacrifice continued to be necessary in order to ensure he could make the journey each day. Following the action of the gods before them, the Aztecs maintained the tradition of sacrificing humans for their blood and beating hearts out of fear that the sun would otherwise cease its movement. Each year, 20,000 people were sacrificed as offerings to Tonatiuh as well as to other important gods in the Aztec pantheon. Historians believe that the Aztecs may have exaggerated this number in an attempt to appear more terrifying to and to dissuade any enemies who may have posed a threat to their empire.
Origins and Cults
The Aztecs were devoted worshippers of the sun and carefully tracked its movements in their solar calendar. One of the most famous visual representations of Tonatiuh exists at the center of the spherical calendar stone of Aztec emperor Axayacatl. The stone, which was created around 1479 CE and measures twelve feet in diameter, helped the Aztecs keep track of time. A red Tonatiuh sat at the center of the stone, with the eagle feather headdress atop his head and, in his mouth, an obsidian knife (the traditional sacrificial tool used by the Aztecs). In each of the sun god’s hands, depicted as eagle claws, was a human heart, and the other five suns surrounded his image. In this calendar, thirteen total days are devoted to Tonatiuh, and many significant Aztec structures were built in line with the sun’s path.
Tonatiuh was also considered to be a patron of warriors, most specifically the jaguar and eagle warriors. These Aztec warriors were responsible for capturing enemies during war, and those enemies were then sacrificed to Tonatiuh. Likewise, many other cults that were devoted to the sun god frequently performed human sacrifices. Every fifty-two years, the Aztecs would celebrate the New Fire Ceremony, a day that marked the coincidence of the solar calendar (which lasted 365 days) with the sacred calendar (with a length of 260 days). As an event that only occurred every fifty-two years, the New Fire Ceremony saw the extinguishing of holy fires that were kept lit for the entire fifty-two-year cycle. At this time, many household and sacred objects were destroyed. Sacrifices were also performed in honor of Tonatiuh, and the Aztecs believed these rituals would help to renew the sun and ensure that it would remain powerful for the next fifty-two years.
Bibliography
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Bingham, Ann. South and Meso-American Mythology A to Z. New York: Facts on File, 2004. Print.
Harasta, Dr. Jesse. The Mythology and Religion of the Aztec. Cambridge: Charles River Editors, 2014. Print.
"Tonatiuh." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online, 2015. Web. 12 Dec. 2015. <http://www.britannica.com/topic/Tonatiuh>.
Van Tuerenhout, Dirk R. The Aztecs: New Perspectives (Understanding Ancient Civilizations). Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2005. Print.