| Xolotl was the god of twins and monsters, a patron god of the ballgame, the dog who guided souls of the dead on their journey to the underworld. Xolotl the evening star, was the twin of Quetzalcoatl, the morning star. Xolotl plays an important role in certain Aztec accounts of the creation of the Fifth Sun at Teotihuacan. According to Sahagun, during the sacrifice of the gods at the first drawing, Xolotl unsuccessfully tries to escape by first turning into the double mexolotl, or maguey, and finally the salamander known as the axolotl, or water salamander. However, in the Mendieta accounts of the mass sacrifice, Xolotl is described as the sacrificer rather than the victim. In the codical depictions of the Trecena 1 Cozcacuauhtli, Xolotl holds the flint blade of the sacrifice. He also serves as the patron of the day Ollin. |
