TYPE: Supreme Deity
ORIGIN: Toltec-Aztec (Classical Mesoamerican) [Mexico]
KNOWN PERIOD OF WORSHIP: Circa 750 CE to Spanish conquest circa 1500 CE but probably much earlier.
SYNONYMS: Olin-Tonatiuh
ART REFERENCES: Codex illustrations; stone carvings.
LITERARY SOURCES: Pre-Columbian codices.
INFORMATION: The supreme being of the Aztec religion, the god represents dual aspects of all living things and of the fecundity of the natural world. One of the group classed as the Ometeotl complex. Probably of Toltec origin, "he" is perceived as androgynous. He has no sanctuaries, but is personified in the moment of birth, or in the conception of life. He is depicted in human form and is often accompanied by the further depiction of a couple engaged in sexual intercourse.
The household hearth is sacred to Ometecuhtli and he is closely linked with the fire god Xiuhtecuhtli. For alternative creation mythology see Texcatlipoca.