Why Is Coatlicue She Of The Skirts Of Serpents
Coatlicue, she of the skirts of serpents
Mother, goddess, or sacrificial offerings?
Prenceller Bradley (Robinson)
HUMA 2323
Spring 2018
CRN: 19009
Dr. Diane Nielsen
20 February 2018
In the city of Mexico in their National Museum you will find a sculpture. It is one of the most amazing pieces of art one will ever come across. Coatlicue, she of the skirts of serpents. What does she truly represent, that of a mother, a nurturing goddess, or sacrificial offerings for all? “Coatlicue, c. 1500, Mexica (Aztec), found on the SE edge of the Plaza mayor/Zocalo in Mexico City, basalt, 257 cm high (National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City), photo: Steven Zucker (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)” (Khan Academy).
In our studies we find that there are several …show more content…
This feather landed on her belly and she miraculously conceived a child. Now her daughter; Coyolxauhqui, was furious at this news and gathered all of her brothers in an attempt to kill the Goddess. They began to storm the mountain and Coatilue became very afraid, but was soon comforted by her unborn son, Huitzilopochtli. “At the moment Coyolxauhqui approached her mother, Huitzilopochtli was born, fully grown and armed. He sliced off his sister’s head, and threw her body off the mountain. As she fell, her body broke apart until it came to rest at the bottom of Snake Mountain” (Khan Academy). Now, whose head was decapitated? According to the above myth, it was the daughter, not the mother, …show more content…
To be labeled as a goddess she was not a pleasant sight. The sculpture is almost frightening. As with her name and its interpretations, “she represents many dualities such as the loving nurturing mother, yet also a deadly monster. Her loving qualities are attributed to her sunken breasts that have nurtured so many, and her deadly qualities are attributed to her necklace of human bodies she has consumed. In this case she represents both the creator and the destroyer, symbolic of the Earth that has the power to create and destroy humans, where both the grave and the womb exist simultaneously” (Serpent
Mother, goddess, or sacrificial offerings?
Prenceller Bradley (Robinson)
HUMA 2323
Spring 2018
CRN: 19009
Dr. Diane Nielsen
20 February 2018
In the city of Mexico in their National Museum you will find a sculpture. It is one of the most amazing pieces of art one will ever come across. Coatlicue, she of the skirts of serpents. What does she truly represent, that of a mother, a nurturing goddess, or sacrificial offerings for all? “Coatlicue, c. 1500, Mexica (Aztec), found on the SE edge of the Plaza mayor/Zocalo in Mexico City, basalt, 257 cm high (National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City), photo: Steven Zucker (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)” (Khan Academy).
In our studies we find that there are several …show more content…
This feather landed on her belly and she miraculously conceived a child. Now her daughter; Coyolxauhqui, was furious at this news and gathered all of her brothers in an attempt to kill the Goddess. They began to storm the mountain and Coatilue became very afraid, but was soon comforted by her unborn son, Huitzilopochtli. “At the moment Coyolxauhqui approached her mother, Huitzilopochtli was born, fully grown and armed. He sliced off his sister’s head, and threw her body off the mountain. As she fell, her body broke apart until it came to rest at the bottom of Snake Mountain” (Khan Academy). Now, whose head was decapitated? According to the above myth, it was the daughter, not the mother, …show more content…
To be labeled as a goddess she was not a pleasant sight. The sculpture is almost frightening. As with her name and its interpretations, “she represents many dualities such as the loving nurturing mother, yet also a deadly monster. Her loving qualities are attributed to her sunken breasts that have nurtured so many, and her deadly qualities are attributed to her necklace of human bodies she has consumed. In this case she represents both the creator and the destroyer, symbolic of the Earth that has the power to create and destroy humans, where both the grave and the womb exist simultaneously” (Serpent