Xolotl: The Dog God of the Aztecs

"Xolotl was the dog god of the Mexica people, commonly known as the Aztecs. He is represented in codices, statuary, and other extant examples of Aztec art as a dog or a god with the head of a dog. While this figure might seem obscure, his name and role echo into the present day through a critically endangered amphibian, a scruffy but loyal companion on an adventure to the afterlife, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, a breed of hairless dog."

"The name Xolotl comes from the Nahuatl language and is pronounced "SHOH-lot", with the emphasis on the penultimate syllable as is usual with words in Nahuatl. Xolochaui, another word in the Nahuatl language, means "to wrinkle or double over," and Xolotl himself is often depicted in art with deep grooves in the skin of his face. Xolotl was the patron god of twins & individuals with physical abnormalities."

Xolotl is the dog deity of the Mexica people represented as a dog or a canine-headed god in codices, statuary, and other Aztec art. The name Xolotl derives from Nahuatl and is pronounced "SHOH-lot". Xolochaui means "to wrinkle or double over," and Xolotl is often depicted with deep facial grooves. Xolotl serves as patron of twins and individuals with physical abnormalities. The name xolotl also names courtly pages and appears in mexolotl, the double maguey used for bloodletting, rope fiber, and pulque production. Twins were often feared, yet individuals with abnormalities held notable social and supernatural roles.

Read at World History Encyclopedia