description Tonatiuh Overview
Tonatiuh is the Aztec solar deity who presides over the fifth sun, the current era in Aztec cosmological history, which was believed to require human blood sacrifice to sustain its movement across the sky. He appears at the center of the Aztec Sun Stone (Piedra del Sol), a large monolithic basalt sculpture excavated in Mexico City's main square in 1790 and now displayed at the Museo Nacional de Antropología. The Aztec believed that the fifth sun would eventually be destroyed by earthquakes, marking the end of the present world.
help Tonatiuh FAQ
Why did the Aztecs believe Tonatiuh needed human blood?
In Mexica cosmology, the current sun required nourishment so that it could continue moving across the sky. Human blood and hearts were offered as a sacred debt connected with the gods' own sacrifices.
Is Tonatiuh the face at the center of the Aztec Sun Stone?
The central face is traditionally identified as Tonatiuh, surrounded by signs associated with the previous cosmic eras. Some scholars have proposed other interpretations, so the identification is influential but not entirely uncontested.
What is Tonatiuh's connection to the Fifth Sun?
Tonatiuh is associated with the Fifth Sun, the present cosmic age in Mexica tradition. That age was called Nahui Ollin, or Four Movement, and was expected eventually to end through seismic upheaval.
How is Tonatiuh usually depicted in Aztec art?
He is commonly shown with a solar disk, elaborate ornaments, and a tongue or sacrificial knife projecting from his mouth. These features express both the sun's power and its demand for sacrificial nourishment.
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