For the Aztec people, there were four possible destinations for their souls after death. An orchard with a milk giving tree, a lunar paradise, the warriors’ kingdom of the sun, and the place of darkness, ruled by the most metal of couples. We might not be as great a guide as Xolotl, but we invite you to journey with us through the upper worlds and underworlds and meet the magnificent and terrifying beings that rule them. Think they’ll accept our heavenly tres leches cake from Azteca #2 as tribute?
There are 4 possible afterlife destinations in the Ancient Aztec religion:
Chichihuacuauhco - The Sacred Orchard of the Gods, Mansion of the gods, and dead infants.
Souls wait to repopulate the earth.
Mictlan - The Place of Darkness, reserved for those who died of natural causes, old age, or "common" illness.
After a 4 year journey, your soul is destroyed. No reincarnation for you!
Ilhuuicatl-Tonatiuh - The Kingdom of the Sun, Kingdom for Warriors who died in battle. (Male and Female have different houses) Male warriors are reincarnated after 4 years, to become hummingbirds and butterflies. Women warriors (those who died in childbirth - who become Cihuateteo) reside in their own place (Cihuateotl), in this Kingdom. They help push the sun out of the sky every night, for it to rest.
Tlālōcān - The Mansion of The Moon, reserved for those who died in storms, by water or lightning and uncommon illnesses or those related to water.
Souls in this paradise, live here happily FOREVER. It's the literal moon.
Mictlantecutli, Ruler of The Underworld and Main Death God & his consort Mictecacihuatl rule over Mictlan. Sometimes the dead are led through Mictlan with a psychopomp, Xolotl, a soul-guide, and God of Twilight, Twins, Monsters, Misfortune, Illness, and Deformity.
Tlāloc, although not a death god, is the ruler of the 4th layer of the upper world, Tlālōcān. Tlālōcān is a paradise for souls who died in storms, water, lightning, diseases associated with water, as well as children who were sacrificed, usually to Tlaloc, in exchange for the rain to aid their crops.
Ītzpāpālōtl is also not a death goddess. But in some myths, she is the ruler of not only theCihuateteo, (divine women, souls of women who died in childbirth), but also the ruler over theTzitzimitl (star demons who were progenitresses of mankind but also cosmic shit-disturbers awaiting the solar eclipse to swallow everything so the sun wouldn't rise again). WHAT A BAD ASS. We are fangirling hard.
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