Facts about The Aztec Underworld
- 16
Howling dogs were sacrificed at Aztec funerals to serve as spiritual guides for the deceased through Mictlan's dark passages.
- 15
Xolotl, the dog-headed god, guided souls through Mictlan's darkest passages while also serving as the Aztec deity of fire, lightning, and Venus in the evening sky.
- 14
Earthquakes and volcanic tremors were interpreted by the Aztecs as Mictlantecuhtli shaking the underworld, reflecting their belief that geological disturbances originated from the god's domain beneath the earth.
- 13
Traveling shamans among the Aztecs consumed psilocybin mushrooms to spiritually experience visions of Mictlan before their actual death and underworld journey.
- 12
Completing each of Mictlan's nine levels required the deceased to present payment offerings to Mictlantecuhtli, with the fourth level demanding a precious quetzal feather as tribute.
- 11
Four years of spiritual wandering through Mictlan required the deceased to successfully complete all nine levels before achieving eternal rest in the underworld's deepest realm.
- 10
In Aztec belief, those who drowned or died from water-related causes bypassed Mictlan entirely and went directly to Tlalocan, the paradise realm of Tlaloc the rain god.
- 09
Bones of the deceased were bundled and painted with ochre in Aztec burial practices to prepare them spiritually for their passage through Mictlan's underworld realm.
- 08
Aztec commoners who died of natural causes were believed to journey to Mictlan, while warriors killed in battle ascended to the eastern sky to accompany the sun.
- 07
Mictlan's geography included a mountain pass where the deceased had to navigate between two clashing peaks that threatened to crush those attempting passage.
- 06
Travelers through Mictlan had to pass through a place of flint knives where the wind itself could cut flesh, representing one of the underworld's most dangerous physical obstacles.
- 05
Souls traveling through Mictlan encountered four trials including crossing a treacherous river guarded by Xolotl, the dog-headed god of fire and the underworld.
- 04
Deceased Aztecs required cacao beans and dog companions to navigate Mictlan's treacherous eight-day journey through cold, wind, and obsidian-lined passages.
- 03
Obsidian blades and jade ornaments were placed in Aztec tombs to equip the deceased for treacherous trials within Mictlan's shadowy passages.
- 02
Mictlantecuhtli and his consort Mictecacihuatl ruled over Mictlan, the Aztec underworld, as the deities of death and the dead.
- 01
Nine levels comprised Mictlan, the Aztec underworld, through which deceased souls journeyed for four years before reaching final rest.