Aztec tattoos are semi-popular type of tattoos. During their day, your average Aztecan individual would spend most of their day ensuring that the gods were pleased. Of these gods, the most important was the sun god. He was most commonly known as Huitzilopochtili. Because so much of their life was dedicated toward their faith in him, Huitzilopochtli showed up quite often in their art and stories. Huitzilopochtli is often depicted as a large blue character who wore a headdress and had large hummingbird-style feathers. In most depictions he was carrying a weapon, and often times had some sort of armor that protected him.

Today, a tattoo of Huitzilopochtli can mean many different things. Since the god has no relevance in any over our modern day religions, most of the time individuals tattoo Huitzilopochtli on themselves in order to symbolize a belief in something. Usually the sun god is tattooed on someone to illustrate their belief in the afterlife, a divine power, or an overarching oneness among humans.

Another popular Aztec tattoo design is the Aztecan dagger. In ancient stories that dagger was used to tear out the beating heart of humans during sacrifices as offering to Huitzilopochtli. The dagger is often tattooed on people in the modern world to symbolize a sacrifice, or a broken heart. Sometimes the Aztec dagger tattoo is accompanied by a tattoo of Huitzilopochtli watching over the sacrifice. These tattoos would be considered more traditional and are often worn by individuals who have Aztecan ancestors.

Many Aztecan tattoos are quite colorful, and full of life. Sometimes Aztecan characters were depicted with the head of an animal, or some other feature that is usually seen in animals such as feathers. Most of the characters who were depicted in Aztecan art are shown to be wielding a weapon, or wearing armor. This is a reflection of the harsh lifestyle that was lived by the Aztecs so many years ago.

The feathered serpent god, known as Quetzalcoatl, was a large part of both Aztecan and Mayan culture. This god symbolized several different things including wisdom, creativity, and fertility. Quetzalcoatl was highly revered by the Aztecs, and was also often depicted to be holding a bow and arrow. He had the body of a serpent, but was covered in feathers very much like Huitzilopochtili. Quetzalcoatl was not considered to be the strongest of all of the gods that the Aztecs or Mayans believed in, but nevertheless was a very important piece to the divine puzzle that they had sculpted through years of worship. Quetzalcoatl can mean a number of things when he is tattooed on someone. He may represent the ability to be born again, or the ability to see oneself for who they really are. Quetzalcoatl was a highly popular figure in several different cultures, and was one of a few gods that popped up in several different cultures and civilizations throughout Central America.

Take a look at our Aztec tattoos gallery:

123►