Aztec mythology describes a fragile universe sustained by sacrifice. From the dual creator Ometeotl sprang the gods who built and destroyed four earlier worlds before the present "Fifth Sun." The full company of deities is gathered in the Aztec Pantheon.
At the heart of the myths stand two rival brothers: Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent of wind and wisdom, and Tezcatlipoca, the smoking mirror of night and sorcery. Their endless contest shapes each age of the world.
Other gods rule the necessities of life and afterlife: the war-sun Huitzilopochtli, the rain-bringer Tlaloc, and Mictlantecuhtli, lord of the underworld of Mictlan.
