In the eternal struggle between life and art, I’ve been much occupied recently by life, the daily doing of things, most with pleasure, and some with stoic duty. So it’s been a while since I last managed to post something. Now with my ailing computer almost healed, I’ll launch the fourth Aztec icon for my coloring book YE GODS!  THE AZTEC ICONS.

Remember, that’s 4 of a planned 26. At the moment I’ve mostly completed the fifth and sixth and am half-way through the seventh. Don’t worry, you can still see the third icon by clicking here or any of the first three through the list on the coloring book page.

ICON #4: CHANTICO

(The Lady of the House)

To download this icon as a pdf file with a page of caption and model images from the Aztec Codices, right click here and select “Save Target (or Link) As.”  You can also download it in freely sizable vector drawings from the coloring book page.

CHANTICO, The Lady of the House {chan-tee-ko} is the goddess of fire in the family hearth and fire of the spirit, as well as fire of the earth (volcanoes), and logically the wife of XIUHTECUHTLI, the god of fire. Patroness of cooking, eating, domesticity, and weaving she represents the feminine side of life, fertility, and the waters of birth. She is also the goddess of precious things, the lady wealth and jewels, defensive of her possessions and vindictive with gods or mortals who take her treasures. Her own particular omen-bird (parrot?) is attached to her headdress. (Each deity has one.) The jaguar-pelt seat indicates a divine or royal being.