Quiahuitl – Symbolism, Meaning and Importance
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The day Quiahuitl is the 19th auspicious day in the religious Aztec calendar, represented by the symbol for rain. The day is governed by Tonatiuh, and is associated with travel, learning, and education.
What is Quiahuitl?
Quiahuitl, meaning rain, is the first day of the 19th trecena in the tonalpohualli. Known as Cauac in Maya, this day was regarded by the Mesoamericans as a day of unpredictability. They believed that it was a good day to rely on one’s luck. It was also considered a good day for learning and travel, but a bad day for planning and business.
The Aztecs organized their lives around two calendars: one with 260 days for religious rituals and the other with 365 days for agricultural purposes. Each day in both calendars had a name, number and symbol that represented it, and was associated with a god who governed it. The 260-day calendar, known as tonalpohualli, was divided into sections (called trecenas) with 13 days in each.
The Governing Deities of Quiahuitl
Tonatiuh, the Aztec sun god, was the protector and patron of day Quiahuitl. He was a fierce deity, represented as warlike and typically associated with human sacrifices.
Tonatiuh’s face can be seen embedded in the center of the sacred Aztec sun stone since his role, as the Sun god, was to support the universe. Tonatiuh was regarded as one of the most important and highly revered deities in Aztec mythology.
The Aztecs believed that Tonatiuh’s strength needed to be maintained since he played such an important role in the universe, and they made offerings of human sacrifices to the deity. He is the symbol of the present era, known as the Fifth World.
The trecena starting with Quiahuitl was governed by Tlaloc, the Aztec god of rain. He was often depicted wearing a strange mask and having long fangs and large eyes. He was the god of water and fertility, widely worshipped as a giver of life as well as sustenance.
Quiahuitl in the Aztec Zodiac
In the Aztec Zodiac, Quiahuitl is a day associated with negative connotations. According to various sources, it was the belief of the Aztecs that those born on day Quiahuitl would be considered ‘unlucky’.
FAQs
Quiahuitl means ‘rain’ and is an important day in the Mesoamerican calendar.
Tonatiuh, the sun god of the Aztecs, and Tlaloc, the god of rain ruled the day Quiahuitl.
