Coatlicue

Coatlicue (Classical Nahuatl: cōātl īcue, pronounced [koː(w)aːˈt͡ɬiːkʷeː]) is the Aztec goddess known from the mythology of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. Her name means "snake skirt" in Nahuatl, derived from cōātl "snake" and cuēitl "skirt". She is also called Tēteoh īnnān, meaning "mother of the gods".

Etymology

The name Coatlicue fuses two Nahuatl words: cōātl ("snake") and īcue ("her skirt"), thus describing a deity adorned with a snake skirt. The alternative name Tēteoh īnnān derives from tēteoh (plural of teōtl "god") and īnnān ("their mother") emphasizing her fertility and motherly function. She is associated with other goddesses such as Toci ("our grandmother") and Cihuacōātl ("snake woman"), patrons of women who died in childbirth.

Mythology

According to Aztec mythology, Coatlicue gave birth to the moon, stars, and the sun. She is notably the mother of Huitzilopochtli, the god of the sun and war, who defended her when her other children attacked her. Her image is terrifying yet nurturing: she is portrayed wearing a skirt made of snakes, a necklace of human hearts and hands, and often with a skeletal head, symbolizing both fertility and death. As a mother figure to the deities of celestial bodies, she played a central role in Aztec cosmology. She was worshipped in Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital.

Cultural Significance

Coatlicue demonstrates the Aztec worldview where femininity, creation, and destruction were intertwined. As a mother who births gods and nourishes all life, she gives, but her devouring aspect mirrors themes of cosmic balance and sacrifice. Today, her monumental stone statue discovered in 1790 at the Templo Mayor of Mexico City is an iconic artifact of pre-Hispanic art and is housed in the National Museum of Anthropology.

• Meaning: "Snake skirt" (Nahuatl)
• Typical Usage: First name
• Usage Regions: Aztec / Mesoamerica
• Gender: Feminine
• Parent Name: Huitzilopochtli (root name)