Aztec T-shirt – Tepeyollotl

HISTORY:

Artefact: Codex Borgia
Current Location: Vatican Library
Also known by name: Codex Borgianus, Manuscrit de Veletri, Codex Yohualli Ehecatl
Date: Between 1250 – 1521

Tepeyollotli is an Aztec deity associated with mountains, hills, and earthquakes in Aztec mythology. The name “Tepeyollotl” can be translated as “Heart of the Mountain” or “Heart of the Hill,” emphasizing the god’s connection to these geographical features.

Tepeyollotli is often depicted as a monstrous creature, sometimes portrayed with jaguar features and a prominent heart on the chest. The Aztecs believed that earthquakes were caused by the movement of Tepeyollotli within the earth, and this god was associated with the regenerative and transformative forces found in the mountains and hills.

Codex Borgia is a pre-Columbian Mesoamerican manuscript that provides valuable insights into the religious and cultural practices of the Aztec civilization. The codex is believed to have been created in the region of central Mexico, which was the heartland of the Aztec Empire. Named after the Italian cardinal Stefano Borgia, who owned the manuscript in the 18th century.

The artefact is a significant example of the indigenous pictorial writing system used by the Aztecs, known as the codex format. It consists of a series of folded sheets made from animal skins, forming a long, rectangular accordion-like book. The intricate illustrations and hieroglyphic symbols in the Codex Borgia depict various aspects of Aztec cosmology, religion, rituals, and divination.

The content of is primarily focused on the divinatory and ritual aspects of Aztec life. It contains detailed depictions of gods, ceremonies, and calendrical information. The images are accompanied by hieroglyphic texts, which scholars have studied to unravel the meanings and significance of the scenes depicted.