The image above reproduces "The Coyolxauhqui Stone," a giant monolith found at
the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan.
Click on image for full size
Image courtesy of the Museo del Templo Mayor, Mexico.
Coyolxauhqui was the Moon
goddess according the Aztec mythology. Her name means "Golden Bells." She was the daughter of the Earth goddess, Coatlicue
and the sister of the Sun god, Huitzilopochtli.
Coyolxauhqui encouraged her four hundred sisters and brothers to kill their dishonored mother. Coatlicue gave birth to Huitzilopochtli after a ball of feathers fell into the temple where she was sweeping and touched her. Huitzilopochtli sprang out of his mother as an adult fully armed and saver her.
Coatlicue regretted such violence. Thus, Huitzilopochtli cut off Coyolxauhqui's head and threw it into the sky to form the Moon.
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