Ahuizotl Of Aztec Mythology | Ahuizotl Mythology Explained| Aztec Mythology Explained

Ahuazotl is a dog-like creature with black, shiny and smooth rubber-like skin. Its waterproof fur often clumps up to create spikes, hence its name. The Ahuazotl's limbs are replaced with very agile hands capable of manipulation and an additional hand on its long tail. The Ahuazotl is greatly feared for its voracious appetite for human flesh, particularly, human nails, eyes, and teeth. It is said to live in or near the water and sometimes even weeps like an abandoned infant in order to attract its prey. Passers-by, curious indigenes or non-indigenes that would venture a little too close to the water's edge would be snatched by this creature using the powerful hand on the end of its tail, dragging the person into the depths, to its home deep in the caves, thereby drowning them. Then it would gladly feed on the nails, eyes, fingers and teeth of the victim. Left over corpses were often found completely unscathed but always left toothless, with empty eye sockets and mutilated digits. The Ahuazotl is thought by some investigators to be the bane of the water-goers. There is an obscure story of how an unfortunate foreigner ventured into a watery cavern, where the Ahuazotl lay in wait, unbeknownst to him. When the man was within reach, he was pulled into the water by the hand on the end of the Ahuazotl's tail. After a struggle that threw up fish, frogs and frothy water, the man was dragged below the surface and drowned. The Ahuazotl used its sharp fangs to pull out the man's eyes, teeth and nails. After a few days the body floated to the surface but not just any Aztec was authorized to pull it out of the water as it was considered to be too precious to touch. This task could only be completed by the priests of the Tlaloc, water deities. According to Aztec religious belief, victims of the Ahuazotl, who met their death by drowning traveled to the beautiful earthly paradise of Tlalocan, home to the water god Tlaloc, his wife, Chilchi Utlicu, and their helpers, the Tlaloc. It was thought that they were chosen for this fate by these deities either because of their goodness in life should be rewarded by an eternity in Tlalocan, or because they had dared to hoard precious stones, symbols of water, instead of offering them to the gods. A Tirana Aztec king once named himself after the beast and chose it as his mascot. He was known as the Hueytlatoani or Great Speaker, Ahuazotl, and ruled the Aztec Empire for 16 years, from 1486 to 1502. Like his namesake, this emperor was swift in war and his aggressive nature led him to conquer 45 Mesoamerican territories. He is believed to have ordered the sacrifice of over 20,000 people in the name of the construction of the Great Pyramid in Tenochtitlan. After the death of this evil king, the Aztecs continued to believe in the stories of this horrible mythical beast. In a bid to identify what kind of creature the Ahuazotl is, the beaver has been likened to it. However, the beaver's vegetarian tendencies, flat rodent teeth, and lack of a coiled tail whose tip shows a hand, indicate that the beaver could not be this bizarre creature. Also, the Tlacuache, a shy, nocturnal animal, which had a great legacy among the Aztecs, was likened to the Ahuazotl. Some investigators believe that it was this creature that contributed to the creation of the mythical Ahuazotl. Nevertheless, this shy animal, does not share the traits of an aggressive attacker. Another animal that was likened to the Ahuazotl is the otter, which has often shown itself keen to assail humans, especially when its nest is in danger. With short, sharp teeth, and an oily sheen to its fur, this animal has much in common with the Ahuazotl. It is carnivorous and, if hungry, would scavenge meat from a drowned body, whose softest parts are the eyes, gums and fingertips. Having unsuccessfully tried to classify the Ahuazotl as a living animal, present in Mexico's ecosystem, it has become evident that this treacherous animal could have been the mythical guardian of the waters, a warrior sent by Tlaloc to claim the lives of Aztecs.