#tecciztecatl

This painting is part of the story of the creation of the Fifth Sun, which is the sun under which we live. The Lord of Snails and Nanahuatzin, the Syphilitic Lord, leapt into the Spirit Fire. The Lord of Snails grew afraid when he felt the extreme heat of the Spirit Fire, and held back. Nanahuatzin, however, fearlessly went forward and leapt into the heart of the Spirit Fire. The Lord of Snails, when he saw this, felt ashamed, and leapt also into the Spirit Fire, but even then, because of his cowardice, he leapt only into its coals and ashes, where he too was consumed by the fire. In honor of the sacrifices of the two Teteo, the jaguar and the eagle leapt over the flame, thereby proving their bravery and acquiring their stripes and spots from the smoky ashes of the fire. The sacrificed Teteo arose in the East as two great suns. The gathered Teteo threw a rabbit in the face of the Lord of Snails, thus dimming his brilliance and transforming him into the Moon.

This painting will be on display at Art Bug Gallery! You can also find it as a print in my Etsy store! Click here!