30 May 2025 / 10 House
Article suitable for older students
Find out moreWhat was the symbolism of the four directions?
ORIGINAL QUESTION received from - and thanks to - Katia Hougaard: What was the symbolism of the four directions (East, West, North and South) in Mexica culture? The 4 directions are important in many North American native cultures so it would be interesting to compare what it meant in Mexica culture. (Answered by Julia Flood/Mexicolore)
The four cardinal directions form the foundation of Mesoamerican religion and cosmology. From the time of the Olmecs around 3500 years ago, they have been shown in sculpture, stone reliefs and paintings. The comparatively recent (1345-1521) Aztecs associated the 20 signs attributed to the days of their calendar with east, north, west and south (in this order). Each cardinal direction had 5 day signs attributed to it. Some Aztec divinatory books show the following groupings alongside a specific deity.
• Direction: East (Tlapallan)
Deity: Tonatiuh; Colour: Red
Signs: Alligator-Snake-Water-Reed-Movement
• Direction: North (Mictlampa)
Deity: Tezcatlipoca; Colour: Black
Signs: Wind-Death-Dog-Jaguar-Flint Knife
• Direction: West (Cihuatlampa)
Deity: Quetzalcoatl; Colour: White
Signs: House-Deer-Monkey-Eagle-Rain
• Direction: South (Huitzlampa)
Deity: Huitzilopochtli; Colour: Blue
Signs: Rabbit-Lizard-Vulture-Grass-Flower
The Aztecs had complex myths based on these directions. It was their belief, for example, that the earth was surrounded by ocean on all sides east, north, west and south. At night, the waters would tower above each direction and meet in the middle of the night sky. The water would then fill the earth’s caves, bringing growth and fertility to humankind. This is why the Aztecs believed that the first maize was found in a cave called Tonacatepetl (Mountain of Our Sustenance). The maize was coloured in four different variations and was scattered by storm gods to the four corners of the earth.
In another legend the earth was covered in a vast ocean. The gods Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca destroyed the terrible water monster, Tlalteotl, in order to lower the waters and create the sky and earth. After they had done this, five massive cosmic trees grew in the east, north, west and south, and most importantly, in the centre of the world. This ensured that the sky would not collapse.
The idea of a fifth direction, the centre, was key to Aztec religious philosophy. It was considered to be the heart of the world, and the place where earth, sky and underworld met. As the fifth direction, the centre was the symbol of our current age (which the Aztecs call the ‘Fifth Sun’). The five directions are manifested in art in the shape of the quincunx.
The quincunx is traditionally described as a cross with five points, one being the centre. It appears repeatedly in Mesoamerican imagery. Here are some examples:-
Ollin, or Movement (pic 5). An Aztec day sign and symbol of the era of the Fifth Sun. Each of its corners represent east, north, west and south, and the centre is marked with a circle. Perhaps the most famous representation of Ollin is in the Aztec Sun Stone. Our current era of the Fifth Sun is placed at the centre (see pic 4). See the four corners jutting outwards and a face in the centre.
Similar to the story mentioned here, there is a Northern American myth from the Coast Miwok that recounts the story of how their creator, Coyote, made the waters of the earth recede and land appear by performing a ritual to the south, east, north and west. There must be many other myths from around the world about the four (or five!) directions. We would love to hear more, so do write back and share them with us!
Thanks, Katia, for your interesting question!
Picture sources:-
• Pic 1: illustration by Abel Mendoza, based on the Codex Fejérváry-Mayer
• Pic 2: Image scanned from our copy of the ADEVA facsimile edition of the Codex Fejérváry-Mayer, Graz, Austria, 1971
• Pic 3: Photo courtesy John E. Staller
• Pic 4: Illustration by Miguel Covarrubias scanned from ‘The Aztecs, People of the Sun’ by Alfonso Caso, University of Oklahoma Press, 1958
• Pic 5: Image supplied by Julia Flood
• Pic 6: Photo by Ian Mursell/Mexicolore.
Comments (5)
Riv Loveshine
12th Sep 2022
So there’s this musician that would do Aztec music named Jorge Reyes (R.I.P.) and he made a song called The Nine Directions. The Aztecs had myth surrounding the four main directions. What are the other five he could be referring to? If he’s thinking about north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, and north west, that’s still only eight…
Mexicolore
We’re not sure but our first thought would be that he’s referring to the nine levels of the underworld or otherworld, starting with the earth itself and moving down through eight stages to Mictlan, the Land of the Dead.
GEOARKADIA
30th Jul 2022
The four cardinal directions is a memory, a echo from an ancient age, found in almost every culture.
This Tradition is based on a compass, to find the navel of the World, Jerusalem, Paradise... many words one point of the World.
The Egyptians are more precise, they talk about a place where the four cardinal directions makes no sense anymore, the centre.
culturs world wide are still on the Quest to find this place where heaven touch earth.
Michael Gmirkin
25th Oct 2020
Ohh, there are plenty of other “4 directions” myths:-
Anemoi (Greek mythology)
Bacab (Mayan mythology)
Dikpālas / Lokapālas (Buddhist / Hindu mythology)
Norðri, Suðri, Austri, and Vestri [4 dwarves] & [possibly] Dáinn, Dvalinn, Duneyrr, and Duraþrór [4 stags of Yggdrasil] (Norse mythology)
Four Auspicious/Holy Beasts (Chinese/Vietnamese mythology, respectively)
Four Heavenly Kings (Chinese Buddhist mythology)
Shitenno (Japanese Buddhist mythology).-
Compare with other notions of “Four Winds,” “Four Rivers,” “Four Pillars,” etc.-
All variants on a common theme.-
There are likely many more besides!
Mexicolore
Thanks very much for sharing insights! Great minds think alike...
Gabrielle
29th Aug 2020
I’m wondering, what exactly does it means, five signs associated with one of the directions? How did a direction influence its 5 associated daysigns?
Mexicolore
Rudolph van Zantwijk has written lucidly on this in his classic book ‘The Aztec Arrangement’ (1985):-
’Many historical records say that the twenty day-signs of the “tonalpoalli” were arranged in accordance with the four points of the compass... We can assume that the twenty calpollis [community neighbourhoods of Tenochtitlan, each with its own administration] were related to the twenty day-signs and therefore that every city quarter is connected to five different day-signs. Furthermore, on the basis of its individual connection to one of the points of the compass and a god or goddess, each separate day-sign can be reckoned to belong to one of the original calpollis, whose relative positions in each city quarter are known to us...’
van Zantwijk illustrates his theory with reference to the Aztec Sunstone, which of course depicts the ring of twenty signs and marks the four most important as compass points and year-bearers. We can’t do justice to his ideas here, but strongly recommend you read Chapter 11 of his book...
Katia H
20th Oct 2013
Thank you very much for your diligent work in finding info on the 4 directions. This explains why sometimes 4 or 5 directions are alluded to in Aztec sources.
More Ask Us Entries
- The colours of maizeDid the Aztecs and Maya believe in predestination?What did the Europeans make of the Aztecs brought to Spain?Is the Templo Mayor the only double shrine?How were disputes settled?Why no backgrounds?What was the Maya moon symbol?Why didn’t most Aztec warriors wear helmets?Why did the Aztecs sculpt goddesses?Why did Aztec priests practice asceticism?Was the Toltec calendar similar to the Mexica?What about cougars?Is Xoaltecuhtli a real Aztec god?Was another layer planned for the Templo Mayor?Did women sing and dance in rituals?Did the Aztecs have organised schools of thought?What about Aztec toilets and bathing together?Did the Aztecs adapt to Spanish tactics?Questions about Aztec warriorsDid Aztec warriors have their own warrior code?Did the Aztecs know about peccaries?Did the Aztecs know soap?A symbol for welcomeAre Toci and Tlazolteotl the same?Aztec fortressesAhuitzotl’s childrenDid the Aztecs have ritual specialists?Tell us more about OpochtliDid the Aztecs use canoes for war?The town of MixtlanWas tobacco a harvest offering?Who was Huemac?Diadem versus feather headdressWhat did the Aztecs think of Venus?Did the Aztecs perform mummification?Did the Toltecs paint codices?What is the origin of the Aztec spirit bird?What were battle formations like?Calendar signs on a chess setAztec stone toolsWhat is the object in Xochipilli’s hand?Did the massacre of Toxcatl affect the Mexica army?Did Tezcatlipoca have four wives?What did noble houses look like?Is this a Nezahualcoyotl poem?What do we know about Teotitlan?The art of magicWhat did heron feathers represent?How did the bridges in the causeways work?How did Spaniards describe Aztec warriors?How bad was it to be under the control of the Mexica?How did the Aztecs write distances?What connects Xiuhtecuhtli, Huehueteotl and Chantico?Itzpapalotl and her Chichimec originsDid spiders have any symbolism?What’s with Ixtlilton?Please describe Aztec sling projectilesWere other animals associated with the moon?What do Quetzalcoatl’s earplugs really look like?The ‘Rise Talokan!’ hand gestureHow did Aztec warriors train?Were fish symbolic to the Aztecs?Did sharks or swordfish symbolise anything?Did crows mean anything to the Aztecs?Did they scar children going to religious school?What rituals accompanied Aztec deaths?Did the Aztecs have anything like the 7 deadly sins in Christianity?What was the average age of an Aztec emperor?What would be the Aztec term for empress?Did the Aztecs refer to Tenochtitlan and Mexico?Did merchants stay at inns?Could priests and priestesses marry?Did codices advise on being a good ruler?Did commoners have access to codices?Did they have a preferred hand for wielding weapons?How did warriors carry weapons?Did Mictecacihuatl have her own temple?What was the symbol for the Mexica themselves?Did the Aztecs use wood saws?Why did Quetzalcóatl and Tezcatlipoca dominate creation?The Mexica war cryA name for the north American continentDeclaring warDid the Aztecs use perfume?How do I choose an Aztec name?Did the Mexica say prayers before hunting?Who created Mictlantecuhtli?Were there initiation rites for new warriors?Did they use cooking fat and earth ovens?What animals were associated with the sun?Were albinos special in ancient Mexico?Is there an Aztec symbol for family?Is sobador (massage) culture prehispanic?What type of war paint did they have?Did the Aztecs practice martial arts?Is any of Cortes’s treasure left today?Everything for sale in the great marketDid Aztec men grow beards?Did all festivals include human sacrifices?What happened to the Culhuas?When does a day ‘start’ in the tonalpohualli?Towns linked by causeways to TenochtitlanThe Aztecs and mental illnessWere all Mexica great astronomers?How did they light their homes?Did the Aztecs hug?The Aztecs and the seaWhat about giants in Aztec mythology?The colour bands on Tezcatlipoca’s faceSacrifice of a Colhua princessAxolotls in Mexica(n)/Aztec mythologyWhat’s the meaning of this statue?Xochipilli and XochiquetzalCommon features of Aztec/Mesoamerican religionWhat was the hairstyle of (seasoned) Aztec warriors?How did commoners address the emperor?Resources on Mexica writingOther examples of Aztec templesIs this tattoo an Aztec eagle?Did the Aztecs convert conquered peoples?What’s painted red on the face of Tenoch?Why no bears in Aztec mythology?Red paint on Aztec stone sculpturesGod figures made of corn stalk pasteComing-of-age ritualsCan you identify this poster?What does Temaxcalapa mean?What evidence is there of human sacrifice?Did the Aztecs have a term for religion?How did the Aztecs get their stones for building?Did the Aztecs use metal spears?What does this Nahuatl saying mean?How did the Aztecs use stars?What happened to the nobility?What did the Aztecs call the Spanish?How did Aztec culture influence their housing?Why did Alvarado massacre the Aztecs?What surgery did the Aztecs practice?What did royal women wear?Were all gods male and female?The feast for XilonenCould you get divorced?What would Cuauhtémoc have looked like?Is Tlaltecuhtli on this ring?Keeping the Aztec army supplied and treating woundsThe Aztecs and dwarfsCan you identify this object?Was Xochiquetzal a female Aztec warrior?Is this the urn with Ahuitzotl’s ashes?Dogs as guides for soulsWar chantsThe clothing of Aztec priests and royalsWhat’s going on in this image from the Florentine Codex?Which feast was dedicated to Chalchiuhtlicue?Royal court musiciansHow did they make colourful costumes?Did the Aztecs use a ‘Mixtec Sabre’?The symbolism of the four directionsWere women stargazers?Turquoise mosaic discMesoamerican tradeWhat happened to the rest of the sacrificed person’s body?Who exactly were the Chichimec people?Is there a name for the Aztec speech glyph?Did the Aztecs paint their canoes?The symbol for turquoiseHow do we know Tenochtitlan had a zoo?Did the Spanish eliminate Aztec song and dance?The tongue hanging out in Aztec artThe 13 heavens and 9 underworldsWhat exactly was a ‘calpulli’?Aztec children’s clothesGood source books on Mexica musicWhere are the codices today?Deerskin strap masks‘Mum’ and ‘Dad’How much gold did the Conquistadores get?Can you translate this poem?The origin of ‘pulque’The eagle and the snake...Many partners or one?Volcano mythsMapsWere war banners sacred or utilitarian?Did war shield symbols represent cities?Symbol for war‘A typical battle’TonantzinThe monkey’s earringDouble-headed serpentWho was Prime Minister at the Conquest?The ‘crying boy’ whistling jugThe wind god’s fanThe symbol for goldAztec gardensMysterious rectangular motifAztec/Mexica clothingCuauhtémoc’s emblemThe ruler’s white dressFood storesThe name Moctezuma todayWho are these 2 gods?Aztec shieldsHow should I start teaching a topic on the Aztecs?How did the Aztecs make molcajetes?Aztec God of Good Health?Why wear headdresses?How big was the Aztec Calendar (Stone)?An image of Citlalicue?Aztec pyramidsPictures of what the Aztecs ateTezcatlipoca or Tezcatilpoca?Sacred birds, flowers and Day LordsAztec symbol for protectorTraditional Náhuatl greetingsChild-friendly sources on the ConquestWere the Aztecs barbaric?What does (my) name Cuitlahuac mean?Ce Acatl Topiltzin QuetzalcoatlWomen and the ConquestMoctezuma’s deathAztec earringsThe Aztec ArmyWhat about Tlatelolco?