Tlazolteotl
/tɬa.soɬˈte.oːt͡ɬ/noun
An Aztec goddess associated with sexuality, filth, purification, and the confession and cleansing of sins.
Did you know?Tlazolteotl was linked to both lust and the ritual cleansing of sexual sin, making her a rare deity whose power moved from impurity to absolution.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Nahuatl
Nah
tlazōlli + teōtl
“"filth, dirt, vice" + "god, deity"”
Postclassic Mesoamerica
Nah
Tlazolteotl
“A goddess embodying filth, sexuality, and purification”
16th Century
Spanish
Tlazolteotl
“Recorded by Spanish chroniclers as an indigenous deity name”
Modern English
Eng
Tlazolteotl
“The Aztec goddess of filth, lust, and cleansing”