A depiction of the Ahuizotl
The Ahuizotl (from the Classical Nahuatl: āhuitzotl which means "spiny aquatic thing", or, "Water dog") is a fabled legendary creature in Aztec mythology. It is also said to lure people to their deaths.
The creature was taken as a mascot by the ruler of the same name, and was said to be a "friend of the rain gods".
Description[]
It was described as dog-like, with hands capable of manipulation and an additional hand on its tail. The ahuizotl was feared due to its liking for human flesh, especially nails, eyes, and teeth. It was said to live in or near the water and uses the hand on the end of its tail to snatch its prey.
The ahuizotl included within Book 11 of the Florentine Codex, which describes it as:
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"...very like the teui, the small teui dog; small and smooth, shiny. It has small, pointed ears, just like a small dog. It is black, like rubber; smooth, slippery, very smooth, long-tailed. And its tail is provided with a hand at the end; just like a human hand is the point of its tail. And its hands are like a raccoon's hands or like a monkey's hands...." |
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- The creature's name became that of the 8th Aztec ruler King Ahuitzotl.
- Some say that the ahuizotl was the guardian of lakes, whose purpose was to protect the fish therein.
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