Xochipilli and Xochiquetzal

I’ll be drawing Nahua (Aztec) deities as anthro, and this one is the first of them.

Xochipilli and Xochiquetzal are closely related deities. They both bear the name Xochitl (Flower) and are associated with beauty, pleasure, and fertility. It is suggested that they might be a couple based on dualism, which is crucial in Mesoamerican mythology. Several pre-Hispanic codices, such as Codex Borgia and Codex Fejervary-Mayer, depict them as couples, sitting side by side facing each other. Xochipilli was the god of music, dance, art, and games—in this aspect he is often fused with Maculixochitl, the god of gambling. Xochiquetzal was the goddess of beauty, flowers, sex and the patron of prostitutes, pregnancy, childbirth, and domestic crafts.

I chose deer for Xochipilli and Xochiquetzal. Deer has a very deep symbolism in Nahua mythology, so much so that the majority of deities are associated with it! Xochipilli is depicted as a deer on page 53 of Codex Borgia, with the day signs arrayed on him. Deer is symbolically associated with the sun, heat, and fertility, all of which are tied to Xochipilli. Xochiquetzal's relationship with deer is less explicit, but given her connection to Xochipilli, I opted to draw her as a deer also.

This design is an amalgamation of several different codices. I wanted to make my own design while retaining accuracy. Xochipilli is wearing a red diadem with roseate spoonbill feathers (tlauhquecholtzoncatl). His whole body is painted with red ochre, with a teardrop facial paint. Sometimes white palm or butterfly is painted over his mouth, but that appearance denotes when he is Macuilxochitl. I’m going for plain red instead. On the neck he wears a jade necklace and a gold mirror. The motifs on the banner (panitl) are four jade stones (chalchihuitl). Lastly, he is holding a heart-shaped staff (yollotopili). Other clothing includes turquoise mosaic bracelets, loincloth (maxtlatl), hipcloth (tzinipilli), and sandal (cactli).

Xochiquetzal’s complex headdress is based on the Codex Borbonicus. On her head is a horizontal band of pink feathers. Interestingly, this headdress can be seen in several Toltec figurines, which suggests her iconography comes from earlier tradition. Behind that feather band, there are two upright quetzal feather tassels (quetzaltlalpiloni), which appear in many other depictions of Xochiquetzal. What’s unique is the flower between the two tassels. I interpreted it as a red poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima), which is indigenous to Mexico and Central America.

As for the garment, she is wearing a quechquemitl and cueitl (skirt) with multicolored stripes. In Nahua culture, the quechquemitl was used solely in religious contexts, worn by ixiptla (deity impersonators and statues). However, there is some evidence that the Tlaxcalteca might’ve worn quechquemitl as a day-to-day costume, likely influenced by their coastal neighbors, the Totonaca and Huasteca.