The Bestiary
7 creatures from the Aztec Pantheon in the atlas, listed from most to least dangerous by the atlas's own rating.
The primordial sea monster from Aztec creation mythology, a massive crocodilian creature with mouths at every joint of its body. The gods Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl tore Cipactli apart to create the earth and sky, with its body becoming the land and its endless hunger explaining why the earth demands blood sacrifice.
Fearsome skeletal star demons from Aztec cosmology, feminine spirits who dwell in the heavens and threaten to descend during solar eclipses to devour humanity. Led by the goddess Itzpapalotl, they represent the stars that battle the sun at dusk and dawn, waiting for the moment when the Fifth Sun dies to consume all living things.
The Fire Serpent, a supernatural serpent made of turquoise and fire that serves as a weapon of the gods in Aztec mythology. Huitzilopochtli wielded a xiuhcoatl to defeat his sister Coyolxauhqui and the four hundred stars. It represents the sun's rays, drought, and the destructive power of celestial fire.
A fearsome aquatic creature from Aztec mythology resembling a dog with monkey-like hands and a human hand at the end of its tail. It lurks in lakes and rivers, using the hand on its tail to snatch unsuspecting victims and drag them underwater. Those it drowns are found with their eyes, teeth, and nails removed, offerings destined for Tlaloc, the rain god.
Obsidian-butterfly warriors of the paradise Tamoanchan — beautiful, jagged, and lethal to the uninitiated.
The spirits of women who died in childbirth, honoured by the Mexica as warriors who accompanied the sun from noon to sunset, and feared because on certain days of the calendar they descended to crossroads to strike children with sickness.
The 'bracelet serpent' of Nahua lore, a snake with a head at each end, listed and drawn among the serpents of New Spain in the Florentine Codex; two-headed serpents were regarded as bearers of bad omens.
Built from each creature's catalog entry. Back to the Aztec Pantheon, or browse every creature.