Mictlan

Mictlan (Nahuatl pronunciation: ) was the underworld of Aztec mythology. Most people who died went to Mictlan, although other possibilities existed (see "Other Destinations," below).^[1] Mictlan, far to the north,, consisted of nine distinct levels.^[1]

The journey from the first level to the ninth was difficult and took 4 years, but the dead were aided by the psychopomp, Xolotl. The dead had to pass many challenges, such as crossing a mountain range where the mountains crashed into each other, a field with wind that blew flesh-scraping knives, and a river of blood with fearsome jaguars.

Mictlan was ruled by King Mictlantecuhtli ("Lord of the Underworld")^[2] and his wife, Mictecacihuatl ("Lady of the Underworld").^[3]

Other deities in Mictlan included Cihuacoatl (who commanded Mictlan spirits called Cihuateteo), Acolmiztli, Chalmecacihuilt, Chalmecatl and Acolnahuacatl.

Other destinations

In addition to Mictlan, the dead could also go to other destinations:

• Warriors who died in battle and those who died as a sacrifice went east and accompanied the sun during the morning.^[1]

• Women who died in childbirth went to the west and accompanied the sun when it set in the evening.^[4]

• People who died of drowning — or from other causes that were linked to the rain god Tlaloc, such as certain diseases and lightning — went to a paradise called Tlalocan.^[1] Mictlan also features in the Aztec creation myth. Mictlantecuhtli set a pit to trap Quetzalcoatl. When Quetzalcoatl entered Mictlan, Mictlantecuhtli was waiting. He asked Quetzalcoatl to travel around Mictlan four times blowing a conch shell with no holes. Quetzalcoatl eventually put some bees in the conch shell to make sound. Fooled, Mictlantecuhtli showed Quetzalcoatl to the bones. But Quetzalcoatl fell into the pit and some of the bones broke. The Aztecs believed this is why people are different sizes.

References

Aztec civilization
Aztec society
Nahuatl language
Religion · Mythology · Philosophy · Calendars
Human sacrifice · Medicine
Aztec history
Aztlán · Codices · Warfare
Aztec Empire
Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire
Fall of Tenochtitlan · La Noche Triste
Moctezuma II · Hernán Cortés

Aztec religion and mythology Primordials Ometeotl Ometecuhtli Omecihuatl Tonacatecuhtli Tonacacihuatl Creator gods Huitzilopochtli Quetzalcoatl Tezcatlipoca Tlaloc Xipe Totec Deities Lords of the Night Centeotl Chalchiuhtlicue Itzpapalotl Mictlantecuhtli Piltzintecuhtli Tepeyollotl Tlaloc Tlazolteotl Xiuhtecuhtli Lords of the Day Centeotl Chalchiuhtlicue Citlalicue Mictecacihuatl Mictlantecuhtli Quetzalcoatl Tezcatlipoca Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli Tlaloc Tlaltecuhtli Tlazolteotl Tonatiuh Xiuhtecuhtli Patrons of War Mixcoatl Tlaloc Xipe Totec Xiuhtecuhtli Patrons of Travellers Tlazolteotl Tonatiuh Xolotl Yacatecuhtli Zacatzontli Matron goddesses Chimalma Coatlicue Others Atlacoya Centeotl Chalchiuhtlicue Chicomecoatl (Centeotl) Chimalma Cihuacoatl Cipactonal Citlalicue Coatlicue Coyolxauhqui Ehecatl Huehuecoyotl Itzpapalotl Itzpapalotlcihuatl Itzpapalotltotec Ixtlilton Macuiltochtli Mayahuel Metztli Mictecacihuatl Mictlantecuhtli Mixcoatl Opochtli Oxomoco Patecatl Piltzintecuhtli Temazcalteci (Toci) Tepeyollotl Tezcatzoncatl Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli Tlalcihuatl Tlaltecuhtli Tlazolteotl Tlilhua Toltecatl Tonatiuh Xantico Xiuhtecuhtli Xochipilli Xochiquetzal Xolotl Zacatzontli Groups Ahuiateteo Centzon Mimixcoa Centzon Huitznahuac Centzon Totochtin Cinteteo Cihuateteo Tianquiztli Tzitzimitl Places Aztlán Chicomoztoc Mictlan Tamoanchan Thirteen Heavens Tlalocan Tlillan-Tlapallan Tollan

Underworlds Aztec mythology Mictlan Buddhism Naraka Chinese mythology Diyu Persian mythology Duzakh Christianity Outer darkness Purgatory Limbo Hades Hell Ancient Egyptian religion Duat Germanic and Norse paganism Hel(heim) Niflheim Greek and Roman mythology Hades Orcus Tartarus Hinduism Naraka Patala Islam Barzakh Jahannam Jainism Naraka Judaism Gehenna Sheol Mesopotamia Irkalla Slavic paganism Nav Shinto Yomi Turkic-Mongolian Erlik