Mayahuel

Goddess of the Maguey

Mayahuel was the Aztec goddess of the maguey (agave) plant, from which pulque is fermented. The maguey was called "metl" and was sacred, providing fiber for rope and cloth, needles from its spines, food from its heart, and above all, pulque, the milky fermented beverage central to Aztec religious ceremonies.

The 400 Rabbits

Mayahuel was mother to the Centzon Totochtin ("400 Rabbits"), the gods of drunkenness. Each rabbit represented a different form or degree of intoxication. She is depicted with 400 breasts to nurse her countless offspring. The phrase "400 rabbits" was an idiom meaning "innumerable."

The Discovery of Pulque

In myth, Mayahuel discovered that the maguey plant, when its heart is pierced, produces sweet sap called aguamiel. When fermented, this becomes pulque. She taught this knowledge to humanity, making her a culture hero as well as a goddess.

Cosmic Tragedy

One myth tells how Quetzalcoatl fell in love with Mayahuel and brought her down from the heavens. Her grandmother, a tzitzimime (star demon), pursued them. When she caught them, she tore Mayahuel apart. Quetzalcoatl buried her bones, and from them grew the first maguey plant.

Sacred Intoxication

Pulque was not for casual consumption. It was sacred to the gods and used in religious ceremonies. Only priests, the elderly, and those participating in rituals were permitted to drink it freely. Unauthorized drunkenness was severely punished.