I dedicate this one to helping people with indigenous roots and for those willing to learn to better understand the Aztecs. I've created this piece after the Aztec Sun Stone. Many people see the Sun Stone as a calendar, but that minimizes what it did for the people. It wasn't just a way to tell time. It was a way to define our cosmic identity. Each day and year on the calendar represents a different energy. Depending on the day and year you were born, that energy represent who you are. This is how people were named. Depending on which calendar used my name could be tekpatl ozomatli or tekpatl cipatli.
The Sun Stone did more than just act as a zodiac. It also told us a story of creation. This painting in particular shows how humanity has been created and destroyed multiple time. Four cardinal points can be found representing different suns.
The first sun represented by a jaguar spirit, Ocelotonatiuh. In this era it was believed people were giants who were devoured by jaguars.
The second sun is represented by the Wind God, Ehecatonatiuh. At the end of the second era, humanity was destroyed by hurricanes and the survivors transformed into monkeys.
The third sun also know as the Rain Sun is represented by Quiauhtonatiuh. the god that reigned over this period was Tlaloc, god of rain, since it was believed that humanity was then destroyed by a rain of fire, The men who survived were converted into birds.
The fourth sun is represented by the Water God, Atonatiuh. At the end of the forth era, humanity was destroyed by a flood and those who survived were turned into fish.
According to the Aztecs we are in the fifth sun. In this era the gods built a fire to creat a fifth sun. The god Tecuciztecatl was to sacrifice himself into the fire, but hesitated at the last minute. So the the god Nanahuatzin jumped in his place. Fueled with jealousy, Tecuciztecatl then jumped in followed by an eagle and jaguar. The result was two sun, which shined to bright. So the gods threw a rabbit over the face of Tecuciztecatl to dim his light, which created the moon.
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