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| In [[Aztec mythology|Aztec]] and [[Toltec mythology|Toltec]] mythology, '''Xolotl''' ("The Animal", Lord of the Evening Star, Lord of the [[Underworld]]) was the god of lightning and a [[psychopomp]], which is to say that he was the one who aided the dead on their journey to [[Mictlan]], the afterlife.
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| ==Origin==
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| Xolotl was also the god of fire and of bad luck. He was the twin of [[Quetzalcoatl]], the pair being virgin Coatlicue, and was the evil personification of Venus, the evening star. He guarded the sun when it went thrthe [[underworld]] at night.
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| He also brought forth humankind and fire from the underworld.
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| ===Appearance===
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| In art, Xolotl was depicted as a [[skeletons|skeleton]], a dog-headed man - "xolotl" can also mean "dog" in [[Nahuatl]], the Aztec language - or a monster animal with reversed feet. He was also the patron of the Ulama game. He is identified with Xocotl as being the Aztec god of fire.
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| ===Etymology===
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| The '''axolotl''', a type of salamander native to Mexico, is not directly named after the god. Instead, its name derives from the Nahuatl words for water ("atl") and dog (also "xolotl").
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| Xoloitzcuintle is the official name of the Mexican Hairless Dog (also known as ''Perro Pelón Mexicano'' in Spanish), a canine species endemic to Central America dating back to Pre-Colombian times.
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| This is one of many native dogs species in the Americas and it is often confused with the Peruvian Hairless Dog. The name Xoloitcuintle makes reference to '''Xolotl''' because, historically, one of this dog's missions was to accompany the dead in their journey into eternity. In spite of this prominent place in the [[mythology]], the meat of the Xoloitcuintle was very much part of the diet of some of the ancient peoples of the region.
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| ==See also==
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| *[[Anubis]]
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| *[[Perkunas]]
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| *[[Perun]]
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| *[[Thor]]
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| *[[Underworld]]
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| ===External links===
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| *[http://www.scns.com/earthen/other/seanachaidh/godaztec.html ''The Gods and Goddesses of the Aztecs'']
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| {{wikipedia}}
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| [[Category:Aztec mythology]] [[Category:Toltec mythology]] [[Category:Psychopomps]] [[Category:Animal]] [[Category:Death]]
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