Amazing Aztec mythological images

 

Worthy of note is the work of author, artist and scholar Richard Balthazar of Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Richard has an amazing biography, which can be viewed at his blog/website https://richardbalthazar.com/art/coloring-book/

One of his current projects is a “coloring book” called “Ye Gods: Icons of Aztec Deities and Commentary” which is downloadable and totally free. Here’s the intro to the site:

 I find the Aztecs’ pantheon larger, more diverse, and flat-out scarier than that of any other culture I know of in the world.  Indeed, the Hindus may have a dozen or two deities, including fairly weird ones, and the Egyptians kept a veritable divine zoo, but the Aztecs worshiped around sixty divinities, many right up there with your worst nightmares.  In that pinnacle civilization of the Americas, the uniquely human propensity to personify (whether singly or multiply) the divine, the ineluctable, and/or the supernatural, ran hog wild.

The ancient Mexican culture was of tremendous influence in the American Southwest, including New Mexico.  It’s iconography and mythology pervades much of the culture still today.  It’s fascinating stuff.  Richard’s work and the rest of his blog might be of interest.  He’s written several scholarly books on Native America that are also available to the public.  Here’s one image from the coloring book:

ICON #8:  ITZPAPALOTL, The Obsidian Butterfly

Itzpapalotl, The Obsidian Butterfly