The+Creation+Cycle-Aztec

The gods created five worlds, each illuminated by their own sun. The sun of the earth lit the first world, and its people acted improperly, so the gods punished them by having jaguars eat their flesh. The second world had the sun of air, however, these people acted without wisdom so they were turned into apes. Having the sun of the rain of fire for light, the third group of people lacked respect for the gods, causing them to experience a flaming death.

The fourth world was given the sun of water, but the people acted with greed, so a flood wiped them out. A supreme being saved one human couple from the flood, forcing them to overcome their greed by only eating one corncob each. However, they fail their task when they eat fish from the flood and are turned into dogs by the angry gods.

The fifth and final world, the one we live in now, has a combination of all the previous suns. To illuminate this world, the gods need a sacrifice of courage, which they find in a god who they do not highly value, Nanautzin. The gods burned a fire with many sacrifices for four day and nights, and on the last night, Nanautzin sacrifices himself into the fire creating light for the fifth world. Nanautzin lived on in honor among the gods forever after his courageous action.

The earth was created from a monstrous goddess who floated upon the water and devoured everything the gods created. Two great gods transformed into serpents and attacked the goddess pulling apart her body in the middle; the lower half of her body became the heavens and the upper half became the earth. Her body now provides sustenance for human life, and in return demands human lives for her own sustenance.