Ometeotl.
| “ | They have always dwelled in the thirteenth heaven; nothing is known of their beginning, just of their creations. In the thirteenth heaven, they shall remain forever. | „ |
| ~ Huītzilōpōchtli |
Ometeotl is the primordial Aztec deity and parent of Quetzalcoatl, Tezcatlipoca, Huitzilopochtli and Xipe Totec.
Description[]
Ometeotl is a dual deity, with both a male and female aspect, known as Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl. As simultaneous opposites, male and female, Ometeotl represented the aztec belief that the entire universe was composed of polar opposites: light and dark, night and day, order and chaos, etc.
Overview[]
Ōmeteōtl was a binary god comprised of the husband and wife duo Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl who was responsible for the creation of the universe. The Aztecs believed that—prior to Ometeotl creating themselves—the universe was unknowable, and for all intents and purposes did not exist. Residing in the thirteenth and highest heaven, Ometeotl existed outside of human influence and rarely interacted with other deities.
There has been debate amongst scholars about the nature of Ometeotl. Some have argued that they represented a dual god, while others contended this was a misinterpretation foisted upon the Aztec by historians reading a deific multiplicity, similar to the Holy Trinity, onto translated texts.