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Tlaltecuhtli

Tlaltecuhtli photoTlaltecuhtli. The gaping maw of this god is ready to devour the cadavers of dead warriors. This relief was placed face down in contact with the earth, its very element, and it formed part of a monumental sculpture the claws of which are still visible on what would have been the upper part. Tlaltecuhtli's main attributes are a fantastic head with a series of flint knives; clawed hands and feet (although these have been lost); masks at the elbows and knees; and a belt adorned with a large skull. His hair is curly like that of terrestrial and death deities.

 

Last Modified: January 14, 1998.
Museo del Templo Mayor, Instituto Nacional de Antropología e História, México.
Seminario #8, Centro Histórico. Cuauhtémoc, México, D.F. 06060
©Copyright 1997
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