What Does Coatlicue Say About The Statue Of Aztec Art

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Question 2:
Coatlicue is the most well known surviving Aztec statue in history. Coatlicue was one of the terrifying deities shown in Aztec art, and she is typically portrayed as an elderly lady to signify the age of her love and kindness. Made out of colossal basalt and measuring up to 2.52 meters (8.3 ft) tall. The artist who carved this statue is unknown. There are many debates on what the figure represents, as many different myths have formed about the statue. Coatlicue’s name means “She of the Serpent Skirt” in Nahuatl, the native language of the Aztecs. She is known as the mother of the moon, sun, and stars. she was the mother of Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec god of war. She is also displayed as a terrifying deity because she represents the creation of nature and destruction. She is expressed through her clothing as numerous snakes emerge from different areas of the statue. Snakes …show more content…

The statue reveals religious aspects of ancient Aztec society. Source 1 shows that the Aztecs believed in cyclical cosmology and human sacrifice. Human sacrifice was a very important part of Aztec religion as it was believed human sacrifice brought good fortune and nourished the gods. In source 2, The statue has a carving of another god/deity, Tlaltechhtlion on its base. The deity is usually hidden from view which means the Aztecs paid precise attention to every part of their artworks/artefacts even if they were not always visible. The statue also tells us for example the height of the statue was apparently similar to their empire at the time. The Height of statue was also made so tall that people would fear her and the punishments she would bring. This source is very reliable and trustworthy as it is a primary source. But this information is not enough to give us an understanding of their beliefs and