Aztec Symbols - Aztec Meanings - Graphic and Meanings of Aztec Symbols (2024)

Aztec Symbols. The Aztecs were a Mesoamerican culture that existed in modern-day Mexico from the 14th to 16th centuries. The Aztec Empire, a confederation of three large city-states, was formed around the 15th Century. The Aztecs were composed of several ethnic groups from the region. Most, but not all, were speakers of the Nahuatl language.
Much of what we now consider to be Aztec in terms of culture, truly relates more broadly to the whole central Mexican region of that time. Aztec culture involved agriculture, with the primary crop being maize. Societies were unequal, with an upper and peasant class. Religion included a pantheon of gods, each of which was responsible and tied to the changing seasons and days set out in the Aztec calendar.
The Aztec Empire reached its zenith just as first Spaniards arrived in Central America, in 1519, led by Hernán Cortés. The conquistadors defeated the emperor Cuauhtemoc and founded Mexico City on the ruins of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. The conquest radiated outwards from there, until the Spanish had incorporated all of Mesoamerica into the Spanish Empire.

Much of what we know about the Aztec culture comes from the contemporary writings of the Spanish conquerors. More, still, comes from indigenous Nahuatl writing (created post-conquest) and excavated archaeological evidence found at religious sites.
At its height, Aztec culture had rich and complex mythological and religious traditions, as well as achieving remarkable architectural and artistic accomplishments.
Aztec life was organized around two calendars: one calendar of 260 days organised religious rituals and the other, a solar calendar of 365 days, tracked the seasons for agricultural purposes. Each had a name and number in both calendars, as well as an associated god who governed the day. Every 52 years, the two calendars aligned and a great celebration was held to mark the event.

Ozomahtli

Ozomahtli, meaning ‘monkey’, is the day in the Aztec calendar associated with the god Xochipili. Xochipili, sometimes called the Flower Prince, is the god of flowers, feasts, fun and creativity. Ozomahtli is a day to be light-hearted and frivolous. It is a bad day for seriousness.

Itzcuintli

Itzcuintli, meaning ‘dog’, is the day in the Aztec calendar associated with the god Mictlantecuhtli. Mictlantecuhtli is the god of death and ruler over the lowest underworld, associated with funerals, wakes and remembrance. He is also associated with spiders, owls and bats. Itzcuintli is a day to be trustworthy, but a bad day to be overly trusting of others.

Xochitl

Xochitl, meaning ‘flower’, is the day in the Aztec calendar associated with the goddess Xochiquetzal. Xochiquetzal is the goddess of youth, love, pleasure and beauty. She watches over artists while they work. Xochitl is a day for creating things that speak truth to the heart. It is a day to remember that life is short, and to reflect. It is a bad day to repress desire.

Quiahuitl

Quiahuitl, meaning ‘rain’, is the day in the Aztec calendar associated with the god Tonatiuh. Tonatiuh is the Aztec sun god, represented as fierce and warlike, and associated with human sacrifice. Quiahuitl is associated with travel and education. It is a good day to rely on luck, but a bad day for making plans or completing business.

Tecpatl

Tecpatl, meaning ‘stone knife’, is the day in the Aztec calendar associated with the god. Chalchihuihtotolin is the god of plagues and diseases. He is a symbol of powerful sorcery, able to shapeshift into animal form. Tecpatl is associated with ordeal, trial and tribulation. It is a day to test one’s character and sharpen one’s mind. It is a bad day to rely on one’s past achievements or reputation.

Ollin

Ollin, meaning ‘movement’, is the day of the Aztec calendar associated with Xolotl. Xolotl is the god of shifting shapes, twins and Venus, the Evening Star. Cozcacuauhtli is associated with wisdom, long life, good advice and mental balance. Ollin is associated with transmutation, disorder, and seismic change. It is a good and auspicious day to be active, a bad day to be passive.

Cozcacuauhtli

Cozcacuauhtli, meaning ‘vulture’, is the day in the Aztec calendar associated with the goddess Itzpapalotl. Itzpapalotl is associated with rejuvenation, sacrifice and purification. She is sometimes called the Obsidian Butterfly. It is a good day to confront one’s troubles head on and to best those who would be deceitful.

Cuauhtli

Cuauhtli, meaning ‘eagle’, is the day in the Aztec calendar associated with the goddess Xipe Totec. Xipe Totec is the god of seeds, rebirth and the shedding of skin. He is associated with springtime and transformation. Cuauhtli is associated with freedom and equality. It is a day for action, not reflection. It is a bad day to ignore the will of the gods.

Ocelotl

Ocelotl, meaning ‘jaguar’, is the day in the Aztec calendar associated with the god Tezcatlipoca. Tezcatlipoca is the god of the night sky, ancestral memory, and of time. He is associated with change brought about by conflict. Ocelotl is associated with power, valor and recklessness in dangerous situations. It is a day to honor brave warriors.

Acatl

Acatl, meaning ‘reed’, is the day in the Aztec calendar associated with the god Tezcatlipoca. Tezcatlipoca is the god of the night sky, ancestral memory, and of time. He is associated with change brought about by conflict. Acatl is associated with authority and justice. It is a bad day to move against one’s enemies.

Malinalli

Malinalli, meaning ‘grass’, is the day in the Aztec calendar associated with the god Patecatl. Patecatl is associated with medicine, healing, and fertility. Malinalli is associated with tenacity and rejuvenation. It is a good day for perseverance against the odds, forging alliances and shaking off oppression. It is a bad day for those who wish to be oppressive.

Atl

Atl, meaning ‘water’, is the day in the Aztec calendar associated with the god Xiuhtecuhtli. Xiuhtecuhtli is the god of fire, and the personification of life, creation, warmth and sustenance. Atl is associated with battle, and holy war (both internal and external). It is a day of conflict and clearing the air. It is a bad day for idleness or rest.

Tochtli

Tochtli, meaning ‘rabbit’, is the day in the Aztec calendar associated with the goddess Mayahuel. Mayahuel is the goddess of fertility, the womb and the maguey plant – used to brew the alcoholic pulque drink. Tochtli is a mystical day, best used to commune with nature. It is a bad day to move against one’s enemies.

Mazatl

Mazatl, meaning ‘deer’, is the day in the Aztec calendar associated with the god Tlaloc. Tlaloc is the god of rain and thunderstorms, associated with fertility, floods and droughts, and wrath. Mazatl is a good day for hunting, but a bad day to be hunted. It is associated with breaks in routine and strongly recommends paying close attention to the routines of others.

Miquiztli

Miquiztli, meaning ‘death’, is the day in the Aztec calendar associated with the god Tecciztecatl. Tecciztecatl is the god of the moon, associated with transformation, and endings leading to new beginnings. Miquiztli is a day for reflection and reconsidering priorities. It is a bad day to ignore possibilities.

Coatl

Coatl, meaning ‘snake’, is the day in the Aztec calendar associated with the god Chalchihuitlicue. Chalchihuitlicue is the goddess of oceans, rivers and running water, though she is also associated with childbirth and labor. Coatl is a day to be selfless and humble. It is a bad day to act in accordance with self-interest.

Cuetzpalin

Cuetzpalin, meaning ‘lizard’, is the day in the Aztec calendar associated with the god Huehuecoyotl. Huehuecoyotl is a trickster god, known sometimes as the Old Coyote. He is the god of reversals and cruel pranks, but also storytelling, music and dancing. The day of Cuetzpalin is associated with changing luck. It is a day for action rather than words, and for improving on reputations.

Calli

Calli, meaning ‘house’, is the day in the Aztec calendar associated with the god Tepeyollotl. Tepeyollotl is the god of animals, caves, echoes and earthquakes. The day of Calli is associated with rest, tranquillity and family. It is a day to spend at home with trusted friends, rather than in public, and to work on close relationships.

Ehecatl

Ehecatl, meaning ‘wind’, is the day in the Aztec calendar associated with the god Quetzalcoatl. Quetzalcoatl is a primordial creator, and god of intelligence and self-reflection. The day of Ehecatl is associated with inconsistency and vanity. It is a day to renounce bad habits but to avoid working closely with others.

Cipactli

Cipactli, meaning ‘crocodile’, is an auspicious day in the Aztec calendar. It is associated with advancement and honor, as well as reward and recognition. It is a good day for fresh starts, or to begin a new project. The god Tonacatecuhtli governs the day of Cipactli. He is a primordial creator and god of fertility and new beginnings.

Aztec font

Inspired by Xiuhpōhualli, a 365-day calendar used by the Aztecs and other pre-Columbian Nahua peoples in central Mexico.
The Aztec Font font has been designed taking into consideration the typical geometry present in Aztec system of writings and architectures: trunked pyramids, circle plots, rectangular shapes, basically simple shapes merged together creating the letter shape.
The main characteristic of this font is to have a double line decoration always present in sculptures and bas-reliefs of Aztec manufacturing.
A decorative presence of a dot in the middle of circle letters which remind the use of dots in the “tonalpohualli” (days) symbolism.
The Aztec font comes together with a family of 20 symbols from Aztec symbolism.