Chicomecōātl facts for kids

Chicomecōātl, as shown in an ancient book called the Codex Borgia

Chicomecōātl was an important goddess in Aztec mythology. Her name means "Seven Serpent". She was known as the Aztec goddess of agriculture, especially during an older time period called the Middle Culture. People sometimes called her the "goddess of nourishment" or the "goddess of plenty". She was also seen as the female side of maize, which is another name for corn.

Chicomecōātl was generally thought of as a deity who looked after food, drinks, and how people lived. She was considered the female partner of the maize god, Centeōtl. Their special symbol was an ear of corn. Sometimes, she was also called Xilonen, which means "doll made of corn".

What Her Name Means

Chicomecōātl's name, "Seven Serpent", hints at two different sides of the goddess. She represented good things like gathering corn and having plenty of food from farming. However, people also believed she could cause harm. If there was a bad harvest, the Aztecs sometimes thought she was to blame.

How She Looked

Chicomecōātl was often shown with red paint on her face. She wore a special paper headdress on her head and a shirt with water-flower patterns. On her feet, she wore foam sandals. She was also described as carrying a shield that looked like the sun.

She often had features similar to another goddess named Chalchiuhtlicue. These included her headdress and short lines drawn down her cheeks. You can usually tell Chicomecōātl apart because she is shown holding ears of maize. She was often pictured in three main ways:

• As a young girl holding flowers.
• 

  Chicomecōātl, from the Codex Magliabechiano
  As a woman who could bring death with her hugs.
• As a mother who used the sun as a shield for protection.

Festivals and Celebrations

Chicomecōātl was especially honored during a festival called Huey Tozoztli. This was the first of three important festivals held during the high season, marking the time of harvest. During this festival, her priestesses would choose the special seed corn that would be planted for the next growing season.

To please the goddess and ask for a good harvest, priests would perform important ceremonies. The dried seed maize, which was saved from one year to plant the next, was given the name Chicomecōātl. However, the corn that was eaten right after the harvest was usually called Cinteotl.

A sculpture showing Chicomecóatl at the Brooklyn Museum in New York

Images for kids

• 

  Chicomecōātl, as depicted in Codex Magliabechiano

• 

  Relief with Maize Goddess (Chicomecóatl), a stone carving by the Aztecs.

• 

  Maize Deity (Chicomecoatl), made from basalt stone.

• 

  A statue of Chicomecōātl at the Museo Nacional de Antropologia.

See also

In Spanish: Chicomecóatl para niños