In an era of rampant aggression and human suffering, taking time to consider a male deity of flowers and artists seems particularly appealing. In the Aztec language of pre-conquest Mexico, Xochipilli literally means “prince of flowers.”

Aztec culture was a particularly violent one which included the practice of human sacrifice. The summer festival that celebrated Xochipilli and his twin sister Xochiquetzal was the only one in which the Aztecs didn’t make that awful sacrifice. As such, the ritual could be a time of unambiguous joy and pleasure. The celebration of the Dance of Flowers was one of the most popular among the Aztec people.

Xochipilli and Xochiquetzal represented the pleasures of the senses, license, and merriment. Irene Nicholson notes the Aztec believed that Xochipilli was originally a mortal man, married to a girl named Mayahuel. When the two discovered the pleasures of intoxicating drink, they introduced it to the gods. In reward, the Aztec gods granted the couple divinity. Mayahuel became the goddess of an intoxicant called pulque (p. 68).

Xochipilli and Xochiquetzal as Patrons of the Arts

Xochipilli, for his part, became a handsome deity who loved music, dance, and beauty. As such, Lewis Pence describes him as the patron deity of “all artistic effort”, especially “painters, weavers and musicians” (p. 203). To this list, scholar Randy P. Conner adds entertainers in general, including “dancers, singers, actors, jugglers, gymnasts, and game players” (p. 225). Given his association with fragrant flowers, Xochipilli also watched over perfumers.

His sister, Xochiquetzal, or “feathered flower,” played a parallel role. She was said to preside over flowers, dance, passion, and non-procreative sexuality. According to Conner, she was also the patron of craftsman, weavers, and artists. Both Xochipilli and Xochiquetzal are said to live in the divine paradise of Tamoanchan, also known as the “the place of women.” The paradise is linked to earth by a huge flowering tree that never goes out of bloom. The souls of artists and craftsmen dwelt in Tamoanchan between lifetimes, enjoying the beauty of the resident hummingbirds, parrots and butterflies. Her sacred flower was the marigold. The rabbit and the spider, as an expert weaver, were her special animals.

Xochipilli as a Feminine Man

Being a prince of flowers suggested a certain softness to Xochipilli’s character. Conner points out that calling a person xochioa in Aztec culture indicated a flowery nature or femininity in a man (p. 220).  For example, feminine male poets who used lyrical speech to cast spells or work magic were called xochihua. Clark Taylor notes that in the Aztec recounting of history, the period just before theirs was called an “Age of Flowers, of Xochiquetzal. According to the macho Aztecs, it was a time in which the “manly virtues of warfare” were given up for what was seen as “the easy, soft life of sodomy” and the license encouraged by the Dance of Flowers and Xochiquetzal (p. 7).

Sexuality and Ambivalence

In most human cultures the world of drink, entertainment and celebration can easily slip into excess and indulgence. Deities who watch over such activities are often regarded with some judgment by the forces of moral order. While associated with heterosexual pleasures, as a god of license, Xochipilli is also thought to preside over same-sex passions as well. Male prostitutes were under his protection. Female prostitutes, who served unmarried soldiers, were watched over by his sister.

The tension between moral restraint and sensual release was captured by the Dance of Flowers festival. In the four days prior to the festival, men and women were to fast and refrain from sexual activity. It was feared that Xochipilli would punish those who didn’t remain abstinent with venereal diseases. But once the festival began, much like Mardi Gras, indulgence and sexual license was permitted. If Xochipilli could cause VD, he also had the power to cure it.

The Role of the Mariposa or Butterfly

In drawings and sculptures described by Spence, Xochipilli is sometimes portrayed wearing a bird mask or simply a crest of feathers. In his hand he carries a staff adorned with turquoise stones and flowers. One sculpture of Xochipilli has the images of various psychedelic plants etched into his skin and also into the throne on which he sits. Experts suggest the god appears to be enjoying an altered, perhaps shamanic state.

In one painting of the youthful god, Xochipilli has a butterfly design painted around his mouth. In another his mouth is covered by the image of a white hand. Images of butterflies abound in the imagery connected with the twin deities. Per Conner, favored offerings to Xochipilli included toasted corn and butterfly-shaped bread, both reflecting the joy of abundant food. Nicholson recounts how, during the Dance of Flowers, “youths masquerading as birds and butterflies danced around (Xochiquetzal) and climbed the artificial trees that had been erected for the occasion” (p. 110). Conner speculates this may be part of the reason feminine homosexuals in Mexico came to called “mariposa,” which is Spanish for butterfly.

Xochipilli, Priest of Sunset, Lord of Twilight

Xochipilli presided over the seventh hour of the day, the eleventh day of the month and the seventh month of the year, this last along with Xochiquetzal. He protects the sacred tree of the east, yet symbols of the west, twilight or dusk are also connected to him. In an ancient song honoring the deity, Xochipilli is heard to declare, “Out of the place of flowers I come, Priest of the sunset, Lord of the Twilight.” (Spence, 200)

Mark Carlson-Ghost

References

Conner, Randy P. (1991). Blossom of Bone. San Francisco: Harper/Collins, pp. 220, 223-227.

Conner, Randy P.; Sparks, David H.; & Sparks, Mariya (1997). Cassell’s Encyclopedia of Queer Myth, Symbol and Spirit. London: Cassell, pp. 351-352.

Nicholson, Irene (1985). Mexican and Central American Mythology. New York: Peter Bedrick Books, pp. 14, 52, 96-97, 109-110, 116, 118.

Spence, Lewis (1923). The Gods of Mexico. London: T. Fisher Unwin Ltd., pp. 187-203.

Taylor, Clark L.(1995). “Legends, syncretism, and continuing echoes of homosexuality from pre-Columbian and colonial Mexico. In Stephen O. Murray (Ed.), Latin American Homosexualities. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, pp. 82-83.