Unsolved:Thirteen Heavens

Short description: Place in the Nahua people's cosmology

The Nahua people such as the Aztecs, Chichimecs and the Toltecs believed that the heavens were constructed and separated into 13 levels, usually called Topan or simply each one Ilhuicatl iohhui, Ilhuicatl iohtlatoquiliz. Each level had from one to many Lords (gods) living in and ruling them.

Aztec mythology

In Aztec mythology, the Thirteen Heavens were formed out of Cipactli's head when the gods made creation out of its body, whereas Tlaltícpac, the earth, was made from its center and the nine levels of the underworld (Mictlan) from its tail.

The most important of these heavens was Omeyocan (Place of Two), where Ometeotl - the dual Lord/Lady, creator of the Dual-Genesis who, as male, takes the name Ometecuhtli (Two Lord), and as female is named Omecihuatl (Two Lady) —resided.

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  Tlahuiztlampa, East hemisphere with its respective trees, temples, patron deities and divinatory signs.

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  Mictlampa, North hemisphere with its respective trees, temples, patron deities and divinatory signs.

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  Cihuatlampa, West hemisphere with its respective trees, temples, patron deities and divinatory signs.

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  Huitztlampa, South hemisphere with its respective trees, temples, patron deities and divinatory signs.

Thirteen Heavens
Name			Dwellers
1	Ilhuicatl-Meztli Ilhuicatl-Tlalocan-Meztli Ilhuicatl-Tlaloc-Meztli Ilhuicatl-Tlalocan	"Sky where the moon moves"	Meztli, moon goddess (Moon). As lunar phases Tlazolteotl, goddess of lust and illicit affairs, patron of sexual incontinence, adultery, sex, passions, carnality and moral transgressions. Tiacapan, one of the goddesses of sex Ixcuina, one of the goddesses of sex Tecotzin or Teicu, one of the goddesses of sex Tlaloc, god of thunder, rain and the earth. In this layer he pierces the "clouds' bellies" to make them rain. Ehecatl, god of the wind. In this layer he blows the clouds with his breath (breezes) to make them move. The Ehecatotontli, gods of the breezes. Mictlanpachecatl, god of the north wind. Cihuatecayotl, god of the west wind. Tlalocayotl, god of the east wind. Huitztlampaehecatl, god of the south wind. Here the moon and the clouds are in motion.
2	Ilhuicatl-Tetlaliloc Ilhuicatl-Cintlalco	"Where the stars move"	Citlalicue, goddess who created the stars along with her husband (Milky Way). Citlalatonac, god who created the stars along with his wife (Milky Way). Constellations Citlaxonecuilli (Ursa Major). Citlaltlachtli (Orion). Citlalcolotl (Scorpius). Citlalozomahtli (Cepheus, Ursa Minor and Draco). Citlalmiquiztli (Sagittarius and Corona Australis). Citlalhuitzitzilin (Columba and Lepus). Citlalmazatl (Eridanus and Fornax). Citlalolli (Leo). Citlalcuetzpalli (Andromeda and Pegasus). Citlaltecpatl (Piscis Austrinus and Crane). Citlalxonecuilli (Auriga and Perseus). Tianquiztli (Pleiades). The two armies of stars Centzon Mimixcoa, gods of the northern stars. Centzon Huitznahuac, gods of the southern stars. Here the stars are in motion.
3	Ilhuicatl-Tonatiuh	"Where the Sun moves"	Tonatiuh, god of the Fifth Sun. Nanahuatzin, another god of the sun, constantly sacrificing himself in a burning fire so that the sun could continue to shine around the world, with Tonatiuh taking his place. Western abode of the yellow god, to where the sun travels before submerging into the Mictlan underworld.
4	Ilhuicatl-Huitztlan	"The sky of the Big Star"	Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, god of dawn and the morning star Citlalpol or Hueycitlalin (Venus). Associated with Quetzalcoatl. Huixtocihuatl, goddess of salt. The way of Venus.
5	Ilhuicatl-Mamaloaco	"Sky that is sinking or being drilled"	Citlalicue, goddess of female stars (Milky Way). Citlalatonac, god of female stars (Milky Way). Here the comets (called citlallinpopoca or also citlalmina or xihuitl, depending on their shape) are in motion.
6	Ilhuicatl-Yayauhco	"Dark green space"	Tezcatlipoca, god of providence, of the material, of the intangible and ubiquity, patron of Ursa major and the night, ruler of the North. Place from where the night comes and spreads.
7	Ilhuicatl-Xoxoauhco Ilhuicatl-Xoxoco Ilhuicatl-Xoxoauhqui	"Region of blue"	Huitzilopochtli, god of the sun and will, patron of war and its tactics, of battles and fire, ruler of the South. Here the sun shows its face at dawn. Sky that is seeing during the day.
8	Ilhuicatl-Nanatzcayan Ilhuicatl-Itzapan-Nanatzcayan	"Where the obsidian knives are creaking"	Mictlantecuhtli, god of death and ruler of Mictlan (the Underworld). Mictecacihuatl, goddess of death and ruler of Mictlan (the Underworld). Itztlacoliuhqui, god of darkness, storms, disasters and frost. Sacrifice gods Itzpapalotltotec, god of sacrifice Itzpapalotlcihuatl, goddess of sacrifice Tlaloc, god of thunder, rain and the earth. He is also a fertility god. Place of storms. Heavenly abode of the god of death from where the darkness comes.
9	Ilhuicatl-Teoiztac Ilhuicatl-Teoixtac	"Region of white"	Quetzalcoatl, god of life, of light, of wisdom, of fertility and knowledge, patron of the winds and the day, ruler of the West. Tzitzimime, stellar spirits. Abode of the white god and stellar spirits.
10	Ilhuicatl-Teocozauhco	"Region of yellow"	Tonatiuh, god of the Fifth Sun. Eastern abode of the Yellow God where he comes from and goes to the west.
11	Ilhuicatl-Teotlatlauhco Ilhuicatl-Teotlauhco	"Region of red"	Xiuhtecuhtli, god of fire. Chantico, goddess of fire, homes and volcanoes. The Xiuhtotontli, gods of fire (alternative manifestations or states of Xiuhtecuhtli). Xiuhiztacuhqui, god of the white fire. Xiuhtlatlauhqui, god of the red fire. Xiuhcozauhqui, god of the yellow fire. Xiuhxoxoauhqui, god of the blue fire. Abode of the red god. Red sky with rays of light to express that the first creation of the world was the earthly fire.
12	Ilhuicatl-Teteocan	"Sky that is the place of the gods"	Quetzalcoatl (East) Xipe Totec (West) Tezcatlipoca (North) Huitzilopochtli (South) Abode of the gods. Ruled by the Four Creator Lords or Tezcatlipocas. Eminently divine place where the deities remain and project themselves to be in other places. Where the gods take on faces, and where they put on masks to become others while still being themselves. Where they are born, reborn and feed in their quality of eternal and mutating beings.
13	Ilhuicatl-Omeyocan	"Place of Two", "Place of Duality"	Ometeotl, gods of duality. Ometecuhtli, originating god of sustenance, of the furtive, of the inert and the inherent, patron of maintenance and ruler of the cycle of life. Omecihuatl, originating goddess of sustenance, of the furtive, of the inert and the inherent, patron of maintenance and ruler of the cycle of life. The alternatives Tonacatecuhtli (Ometecuhtli). Tonacacihuatl (Omecihuatl). Residence or mansion of the creator couple; source of the gods and the creation of the universe, where the generating principle of all that exists is conceived.

See also

• Aztec mythology
• Aztec philosophy
• List of Aztec gods and supernatural beings

General and cited references

Cecilio Agustín Robelo (1905) (in es). Diccionario de Mitología Nahua. México: Biblioteca Porrúa. Imprenta del Museo Nacional de Arqueología, Historia y Etnología. pp. 851. ISBN 978-9684327955.