Centeotl was the Aztec god of Maize. His name means “Maize cob Lord” or “the Dried Ear of the Maize God”, and he represents the Aztec version of a more ancient and pan-Mesoamerican deity. Earlier Mesoamerican cultures, like the Olmec and the Maya, worshipped the maize god, as one of the most important source of life and reproduction. Furthermore, in many Mesoamerican cultures, the idea of kingship was associated with the maize god.
Origin of the Maize God
Centeotl was the son of Tlazolteotl, the goddess of fertility and childbirth, and husband of Xochiquetzal. As like many Aztec deities, the maize god had a dual aspect, both masculine and feminine. Many Nahua sources report that in origin the Maize god was a goddess, and only in later times became a male god, named Centeotl, whereas his feminine counterpart was the goddess Chicomecóatl. Apparently, Centeotl and Chicomecoatl also oversaw different stages in maize maturation.
Aztec mythology holds that was the god Quetzalcoatl to give maize to humans. The myth goes that the god spotted an ant carrying a maize kernel. He followed the ant and reached the place where maize grew, the “Mount of Sustenance”, or Tonacatepetl (Ton-ah-cah-TEPE-tel) in Nahua. Here, Quetzalcoatl turned himself into an ant and stole a kernel of corn to bring back to the humans to plant.
Maize God Festivities
The month dedicated to the maize gods Centeotl and Chicomecoatl was called Huei Tozoztli. Different ceremonies took place in this month. To honor the maize gods, people carried out self-sacrifices through blood-letting rituals, and sprinkling their houses with blood. Furthermore, young women adorned themselves with necklaces of corn seeds. Maize ears and seeds were brought back from the field, the former placed in front of the gods' images, whereas the latter were stored for planting in the next season.
Maize God Images
Centeotl is often represented in Aztec codices as a young man, with maize cobs and ears sprouting from his head, handling a scepter with green cob’s ears.
Sources
This glossary entry is a part of the About.com guide to Aztec Civilization, and the Dictionary of Archaeology.
Taube, Karl A., 1993, Aztec and Maya Myths. Fourth Edition. University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas.
Van Tuerenhout Dirk R., 2005, The Aztecs. New Perspectives, ABC-CLIO Inc. Santa Barbara, CA; Denver, CO and Oxford, England.