Quilatzli

A language class I taught in the early 90's at Latino Youth Alternative High School became a Nahuatl study group. Students' interest had been awakened in their Chicano History class. One resource we had was a big dictionary full of names. We explored and selected Nahuatl names. I chose the name, Quilatzli. The definition in that dictionary was short and had something to do with the stars and fertility, which fit me, as I had recently given birth. With expanded information access many years later, I learned much more about QUILATZLI, became more in awe of the name, but feel connected to it in sound and meaning, in that I too, have "remained in the North."

The following is a compilation I referenced for personal use, but am sharing although I didn't keep track of the various websites to which I am grateful and ask forgiveness for not citing:

Quilaztli = Ilamatecuhtli: La Vieja Princesa, anciana diosa de la tierra, la muerte, y la Vía Láctea. Su rugido indicaba la guerra.

Praised as the Mother of Humankind. Also called Cihuacoatl, Serpent Woman. The hymn Cihuacoatl Icuic extolls her coming from Colhuacán, the Place of Elders, "with her hoe, beating her drum," her hands full of good things. "Our mother is as twelve eagles, goddess of drum-beating... She comes adorned in the ancient manner with the eagle crest, in the ancient manner with the eagle crest."

Legends of Nahuas' southern migration say that Quilaztli challenged the war chiefs, enumerating her powers as Eagle Woman, Snake Woman, Warrior Woman and Underworld Woman.
She and her supporters remained in the north.


1. Quaui, quaui, quilaztla, coaeztica xayaualoc uiuiya quauiuitl uitzalochpa chalima aueuetl ye colhoa.

2. Huiya tonaca, acxolma centla teumilco chicauaztica, motlaquechizca.

3. Uitztla, uitztla, nomactemi, uitztla, uitztla nomactemi, açan teumilco chicauaztica motlaquechizca.

4. Malinalla nomactemi, açan teumilco chicauaztica motlaquechizca.

5. A omei quauhtli, ye tonanaya chalmecatecutli ay tziuac y mauiztla nechyatetemilli, yeua nopiltzinaya mixcoatla.

6. Ya tonani, yauçiuatzin, aya tonan yauçiuatzi aya y maca coliuacan y yuitla y potocaya.

7. Ahuiya ye tonaquetli, yautlatocaya, ahuiya ye tonaquetli yautlatocaya moneuila no tlaca cenpoliuiz aya y maca coliuaca y yuitla y potocaya.

8. Ahuia quauiuitl amo xayaualli onauiya yecoyametl amo, xayaualli.

Var. i. Cohoaeztica. 2. Acxoima. 3. Maneuila, cenpoalihuiz, inmaca.

Gloss.

i. Q. n., in quauhcihuatl, ic oxaualoc in coaetztli, ioan in quauhtli yhuitli in moteneua iquauhtzon, ipan iualuicoc yn umpa colhuacan.

2. Q. n., inic motocaya çentli, in mochiuaya teumilpa, ichicauaztlca inic tlatatacaya, inic tocaya.

3. Uitztla, q. n., nomactemi nochicauaztica inic nitocaya, inic nitlatatacaya.

4. Malinalla, uictli, q. n., uictica in tlachpanaya, id est, iceliniquia, yn uncan teumilpan auh ychicauaztica inic nitlatatacaya, inic tocaya.

5. Q. n., matlactli omei quauhtli yn notonal innamona auh ynan nopilhoan in chalmeca xicuiti in tziuactli xinechtemilica.

6. Q. n., in iyauciuatzin yn amona umpa nochan in coluaca auh in quauiuitl nictemaca ynic oquauhtiuac.

7. Q. n., ca otonac ca otlatuic momochiua yauyutl ma tlainalo tlalpiliuiz nic temaca in quauiuitl.

8. Q. n., aahuia yn otlamaloc in quauiuitl yc moxaua.

Hymn to Cihuacoatl.

1. Quilaztli, plumed with eagle feathers, with the crest of eagles, painted with serpents' blood, comes with her hoe, beating her drum, from Colhuacan.

2. She alone, who is our flesh, goddess of the fields and shrubs, is strong to support us.

3. With the hoe, with the hoe, with hands full, with the hoe, with hands full, the goddess of the fields is strong to support us.

4. With a broom in her hands the goddess of the fields strongly supports us.

5. Our mother is as twelve eagles, goddess of drum-beating, filling the fields of tzioac and maguey like our lord Mixcoatl.

6. She is our mother, a goddess of war, our mother, a goddess of war, an example and a companion from the home of our ancestors (Colhuacan).

7. She comes forth, she appears when war is waged, she protects us in war that we shall not be destroyed, an example and companion from the home of our ancestors.

8. She comes adorned in the ancient manner with the eagle crest, in the ancient manner with the eagle crest.



Cihuacoatl was the mythical mother of the human race. Translated as "serpent woman," should be rendered "woman of twins" or "bearing twins," as the myth related that such was her fertility that she always bore two children at one lying-in. (Torquemada, Monarquia Indiana, Lib. VI., cap. 31.) She was also known by the title Tonan or Tonantzin, "our mother," as in v. 5 and 6. Still another of her appellations was Quilaztli, which is given her in v. 1. (Comp. Sahagun, Historia, Lib. VI., cap. 27.) She was essentially a goddess of fertility and reproduction. The name cihuacoatl was also applied to one of the higher magistrates and war chiefs (Sahagun). Reference is made to this in v. 6. As a goddess of venerable antiquity, she is spoken of as coming from Colhuacan, "the place of the old men," or of the ancestors of the tribe. This name is derived from coloa, to bend down, as an aged person, colli, an old man. (See Ancient Nahuatl Poetry, pp. 172-3.)

Chihuacoatl (también Chihucoatl o Ciucoatl) Divinidad azteca, mitad serpiente mitad mujer. Cihuacoatl fue la primera mujer en dar a luz, considerada por ello protectora de los partos y, en especial, de las mujeres muertas al dar a luz. Ayudó a Quetzalcóatl a construir la presente era de la humanidad moliendo huesos de las eras previas y mezclándolos con sangre. Es madre de Mixcoatl, al que abandonó en una encrucijada de caminos. La tradición dice que regresa frecuentemente para llorar por su hijo perdido, pero en el lugar solo halla un cuchillo de sacrificios. Regía sobre el Ciuteoteo.
En la leyenda, esta divinidad surge en forma fantasmal para advertir sobre la destrucción del imperio de Moctezuma, tomando después como nombre popular el de La Llorona.
Es también un aspecto de Ilamatecuhtli, Toci y Tlazolteotl, así como el título del vice-regente de Tenochtitlán.


QUILAZTLI- "She Who Makes Legumes Grow" "Goddess of Childbirth"