The five Aztec suns are five sequential world-ages, each created and destroyed by a different god, and the gods most directly associated with them are Tezcatlipoca, Quetzalcoatl, Tlaloc, Chalchiuhtlicue, and Tonatiuh. These deities each presided over an era, and their conflicts and sacrifices drove the cosmic cycle of creation and destruction that the Aztecs believed would continue until a final earthquake ended the fifth sun.
The Aztec Concept of Cosmic Eras
In Aztec (Mexica) cosmology, time did not move in a straight line but in repeating cycles. The current era, called the Fifth Sun, was preceded by four others, each with its own sun, inhabitants, and catastrophic end. This framework is recorded in colonial-era documents such as the Codex Chimalpopoca (which contains the Legend of the Five Suns) and the Florentine Codex by Bernardino de Sahagún. The Aztecs believed they lived in the era of the Fifth Sun, which was destined to end in earthquakes. The gods of the five suns are not a fixed pantheon separate from the rest of Aztec mythology; rather, they are the major deities who took turns acting as the sun and whose struggles shaped each age.
The First Sun: Tezcatlipoca (Jaguar Sun)
The first sun, called Nahui-Ocelotl (Four Jaguar), was ruled by Tezcatlipoca, the god of the night sky, sorcery, and conflict. According to the Legend of the Five Suns, Tezcatlipoca was the first to become the sun, but his reign was cut short when Quetzalcoatl struck him down, causing Tezcatlipoca to turn into a jaguar and devour the giants who inhabited that era. The first age ended with the jaguars eating the world’s people. This story establishes the rivalry between Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl, a central theme in Aztec myth. Tezcatlipoca is often depicted with a smoking mirror and a missing foot, which he lost when he was pulled from the sea as a primordial monster.
The Second Sun: Quetzalcoatl (Wind Sun)
The second sun, Nahui-Ehécatl (Four Wind), belonged to Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent god of wind, knowledge, and life. In this era, the inhabitants were humans who ate only wild seeds. The age ended when Tezcatlipoca, in revenge, knocked Quetzalcoatl from the sky with a blow from a jaguar claw. A great wind arose, and the people were turned into monkeys. Quetzalcoatl himself is also associated with the creation of the current humanity in the Fifth Sun, as he descended to the underworld to retrieve the bones of previous generations and mixed them with his own blood to make new people.
The Third Sun: Tlaloc (Rain Sun)
The third sun, Nahui-Quiahuitl (Four Rain), was ruled by Tlaloc, the god of rain, lightning, and agriculture. Tlaloc’s era was a time of plenty, but it ended in a fiery rain when Quetzalcoatl, perhaps acting on Tezcatlipoca’s instigation, caused fire to fall from the sky. The people of that age were turned into turkeys, and the world was consumed by volcanic ash and fire. Tlaloc remained an important god in later Aztec religion, receiving child sacrifices on mountaintops to ensure rain. His consort, Chalchiuhtlicue, appears in the next sun.
The Fourth Sun: Chalchiuhtlicue (Water Sun)
The fourth sun, Nahui-Atl (Four Water), was governed by Chalchiuhtlicue, the goddess of rivers, lakes, and oceans, and Tlaloc’s sister or wife. Her era ended in a great flood that drowned all living things. The people of that age were turned into fish. According to some versions, the sky itself collapsed during this flood, and the gods had to recreate the world. Chalchiuhtlicue is often depicted wearing a blue-green skirt and carrying a water vessel. Her role as a sun goddess is unusual because she is primarily a water deity, but in the Aztec cyclical view, each element could become the sun.
The Fifth Sun: Tonatiuh (Movement Sun)
The fifth and current sun, Nahui-Ollin (Four Movement), is ruled by Tonatiuh, the sun god himself. The Aztecs believed that Tonatiuh was born from the sacrifice of the gods at Teotihuacan, where the humble god Nanahuatzin threw himself into a fire and became the sun, followed by the wealthy god Tecuciztecatl, who became the moon. To keep Tonatiuh moving across the sky, the Aztecs practiced human sacrifice, offering hearts and blood to nourish him. This era is destined to end in a great earthquake, and the world will be destroyed by monsters called tzitzimime (star demons). Tonatiuh is typically depicted as a young warrior with a red face and a solar disk.
How the Five Suns Relate to Aztec Ritual
The myth of the five suns was not just a story; it justified the Aztec practice of human sacrifice. Because the gods had sacrificed themselves to create the current sun, humans were obligated to repay that debt with blood. The Florentine Codex describes how the Aztecs believed that without sacrificial blood, Tonatiuh would stop moving and the world would end prematurely. This belief was central to Aztec state religion, and it made the sun gods—especially Tonatiuh and Huitzilopochtli (the patron god of the Mexica, who is also associated with the sun)—the focus of elaborate rituals at the Templo Mayor in Tenochtitlan. The five suns also served as a calendar system, with each era corresponding to a specific day sign in the 260-day ritual calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who created the five suns?
In Aztec mythology, the five suns were not created by a single creator god but were born from the actions and conflicts of the gods themselves. The primordial pair Ometeotl (also called Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl) is sometimes seen as the source of all gods, but the suns emerged from the struggles of Tezcatlipoca, Quetzalcoatl, Tlaloc, Chalchiuhtlicue, and Tonatiuh. The current sun was created at Teotihuacan when the gods gathered to sacrifice themselves.
What is the order of the five suns?
The order, as recorded in the Codex Chimalpopoca, is: First Sun (Tezcatlipoca, Jaguar), Second Sun (Quetzalcoatl, Wind), Third Sun (Tlaloc, Rain), Fourth Sun (Chalchiuhtlicue, Water), and Fifth Sun (Tonatiuh, Movement). Each era is named after the day on which it ended, such as Four Jaguar or Four Water.
Did the Aztecs believe the fifth sun would end?
Yes, they believed the fifth sun was the last and would end in a catastrophic earthquake. Unlike the previous four suns, which were destroyed by jaguars, wind, fire, and flood, the fifth sun will be destroyed by seismic upheaval. The Aztecs performed sacrifices to delay this inevitable end, but they did not think they could prevent it forever.
Are the five suns the same as the Aztec calendar?
No, the five suns are a mythological timeline, not the calendar itself. The Aztec calendar consists of a 365-day solar year (xiuhpohualli) and a 260-day ritual calendar (tonalpohualli). The five suns are sometimes associated with the five directions (four cardinal directions plus the center) and with the five points of the quincunx, but they are not a calendrical cycle that repeats within a human lifetime.
Why are the gods of the five suns different from other Aztec gods?
The gods of the five suns are not a separate set of deities; they are the same major gods who appear throughout Aztec mythology. What makes them special is their role as the sun in each era. For example, Tlaloc is usually a rain god, but in the third sun, he acts as the sun. This fluidity reflects the Aztec belief that the gods could transform and that cosmic forces were interchangeable.
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