Star Gods of the Maya: Astronomy in Art, Folklore, and Calendars by Susan Milbrath

Author:Susan Milbrath [Milbrath, Susan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780292778511
Google: kd7_dzfVK_AC
Published: 2008-09-11T22:25:08+00:00

180

VENUS AND MERCURY: THE BODY DOUBLES

Water-lily Serpent, and Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl are all them. As Xolotl dances, the skeletal Morning Star, related by an association with Venus and the wind.

pierced by a dart, descends into the jaws of the earth The evidence for associating Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl

monster. Perhaps this scene and the one in the Co-

with a specific Venus phase, however, remains

dex Borgia tell us that the Morning Star must de-

debatable.

scend to the underworld when the Evening Star rises.

At the dawn of the fifth world age, Quetzalcoatl

This is the reverse of the transformation represented and Ehecatl faced to the east to await the sunrise, in the chronicles, where the priest-ruler Quetzalcoatl which would suggest a Morning Star association (Sadies when the warlike Morning Star rises as Tlahuiz-haguń 1950 –1982, 4 : 7, 52). Some texts, however, calpantecuhtli (Lord of Dawn), reflecting a transfor-refer to Quetzalcoatl as Heśpero, a name for the Eve-mation from one phase to another.

ning Star (Sprajc 1993a : 28 –29). Aztec legends have Throughout the Codex Borgia, there are many Ve-Quetzalcoatl traveling to the east, where he is trans-nus transformations representing Quetzalcoatl and

formed into the Morning Star, at which point he be-Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli (Milbrath 1989). In my opin-

comes Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli. This suggests perhaps ion, pages 29 – 46 represent the motions of Venus in that Quetzalcoatl is a god of the Evening Star who a pattern substantially different from that originally changed identity when he became the Morning Star.

proposed by Seler (1963, 2 : 9 – 61). My research in-The most comprehensive inventory of Postclassic

dicates that this eighteen-page sequence correlates Venus imagery is found in the Codex Borgia, be-with the eighteen months of the festival calendar, lieved to be from the area of Tlaxcala or Puebla

with each page representing a different 20-day pe-

(home to Cholula’s cult to Quetzalcoatl). Here we

riod; the Venus cycle is integrated into this calendric see a great variety of images of Quetzalcoatl. Some-sequence (Milbrath 1989, fig. 1).

times he takes the form of Ehecatl, with a long-

The first page (29) refers to days 20 – 40 of the

beaked wind god mask, or he can be a starry Venus

Morning Star phase, when Venus is clearly visible

serpent wearing the same mask (Fig. 5.4e). Some

rising above the horizon. The wriggling figures of Codex Borgia images depict Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl as Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl emerging from the ashes of a

an anthropomorphic being with a conical hat, a long burning bundle apparently symbolize the transfor-beak, a shell necklace, and a beard (Fig. 5.4d). Simi-mation of Venus as it becomes the Morning Star,

lar images of Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl are represented in recalling an account in the chronicles saying that Mixtec and Aztec codices (Fig. 5.4b, f, g).

Quetzalcoatl was burned when he was transformed

Codex Borgia 19 may represent contrasting im-

into the Morning Star.

ages of Venus as a warrior and a priest (Fig. 5.4d).

Page 30 represents days 40 – 60 of the Morning

Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl watches as the skeletal ‘‘lord of Star phase, when Venus reaches its maximum bril-dawn’’ (Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli) descends into the unliance as it rapidly ascends in the dawn sky. The

derworld. The imagery suggests

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