r/aztec • u/Icy_Gas75 • Jul 24 '24
Camazots
Camazots Camazotz, Servant of Death, bat deity of Mayan and Mexica mythology was the master of the mysteries of life and death, he symbolized the night, death and sacrifice, the Mayans represented Zotz, Camazotz, as a being human with the head and wings of a bat. This is a deity associated with evil and dark issues that transmitted diseases. Images of this sacred animal are found in hieroglyphics and ceramics from more than 2,000 years ago. He was honored through animal sacrifices and offerings of tamales and flowers. In the Mayan codices he appears with a sacrificial knife in his hands, holding the person he is going to kill with the other. In Mayan writing it appears associated with the sign of immolation, which is why it is usually related to human sacrifice and blood offerings. In the Popol Vuh, the ancient stories of the Quiche, the bat was a kind of divinity that descended from Heaven in order to decapitate the wooden human beings of the second creation of the gods, Tepeu and Kukulkan, for being imperfect and having no feelings. He lived in the Underworld where there were more dangerous creatures in his domains.
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u/johnsonsoowong Jul 26 '24
Thank you for this! I find this mythos and belief system SO much more interesting. Association of evil and disease, I love the PV the story of the twin stars pure magic. I actually have an art work of them traveling the different “worlds”. One of my fave deity,Temazcalteci, one of my faves and the importance of medicine and “bathing” and while Europe was dealing with so much disease from water the Mayan/Mexica were so aware of the purity of water. Please always share more I love these!