Among the fertility gods must be mentioned the goddess of flowers, love and pregnancy, Xochiquetzal (Pl. [IX, 6]; p. 82), especially worshipped by the Tlalhuica (also at Tlaxcala), and mentioned as the wife of Cinteotl, though one legend makes her the first wife of Tlaloc, stolen by Tezcatlipoca, the Mexican Jupiter. Her distinguishing insignia are two large feather plumes upon her head, and she seems to be akin to the Tarascan goddess of Tzintzuntzan, Xaratanga, who was associated with Curicaveri as his wife. The functions of this deity however were rather more extended, since she was also regarded as an earth- and maize-goddess, and was connected with the game tlaxtli. Xochiquetzal was the especial patroness of weaving and embroidery, of which arts she was the supposed inventor. The male equivalent to this goddess was Xochipilli, god of flowers, dance, song and games (Pl. [V, 1]). He is figured with the high crest of the coxcoxtli bird on his head, a white butterfly painted on his mouth, and occasionally with the tear face-paint. He appears to have been introduced from the Xelhua district on the Oaxaca border, and in one of his manifestations was known by the calendrical name of Macuil Xochitl (Five Flower), in which case he bears a hand painted across his mouth (a constant feature of gods into whose name the number five enters). He was further regarded as identical with, or as the son of, Pilzintecutli, a sun-god, who again was thought to be the son of Mictlantecutli, the lord of the underworld. During recent excavations in Mexico city, a stone figure of Xochipilli was found with a large number of miniature musical instruments in stone and pottery.
1
2
British Museum
MEXICO
1. Stone figure of Xochipilli (the characteristic high crest of the head-dress is missing)
2. Stone with figure of a Xiuhcoatl (fire-snake in relief)
(Scale: 1, ⅛th; 2, ⅑th)