this post was submitted on 22 Sep 2025
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Xolotl was the dog god of the Mexica people, commonly known as the Aztecs. He is represented in codices, statuary, and other extant examples of Aztec art as a dog or a god with the head of a dog. While this figure might seem obscure, his name and role echo into the present day through a critically endangered amphibian, a scruffy but loyal companion on an adventure to the afterlife, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, a breed of hairless dog.

Etymology & Associations

The name Xolotl comes from the Nahuatl language and is pronounced "SHOH-lot", with the emphasis on the penultimate syllable as is usual with words in Nahuatl. Xolochaui, another word in the Nahuatl language, means "to wrinkle or double over," and Xolotl himself is often depicted in art with deep grooves in the skin of his face.

His name was synonymous with the Nahuatl term for twin, xolotl, and appeared in the word for the double maguey, mexolotl, a plant that had a number of uses in Aztec culture, including bloodletting rituals, the creation of fibrous rope, and the brewing of pulque.

While twins were generally seen as a bad omen and viewed with trepidation in the Aztec civilization, Xolotl was the patron god of twins and individuals with physical abnormalities, which were a subject of fascination in Mesoamerican cultures. "In Olmec art representations of dwarves and hunchbacks abound. Rather than being objects of derision, these individuals are often portrayed with great supernatural powers" (Miller & Taube, 75). According to one source, individuals with physical abnormalities were referred to as xolome. Indeed, xolotl is also the Nahuatl name for courtly pages. These pages were often individuals with physical abnormalities, some of whom, like those in the court of Motecuhzoma II (commonly known as Montezuma), entertained the tlatoani and sometimes advised him on matters pertaining to Aztec religion and government. Likely referencing Xolotl, two-headed dogs and figures with hunched backs and dwarfism appear frequently in the Protoclassical ceramic art of West Mexico.

Psychopomp & Companion to Quetzalcoatl

While dogs were primarily bred in Mesoamerica for use as food and were considered by the Aztecs to be unclean and unvirtuous creatures, they were also regarded as companions and guides to their masters in death. As Miller and Taube note, "In both Aztec and Maya belief, dogs, perhaps embodying the role of Xolotl, guided their masters into the Underworld after death and were of particular use in crossing bodies of water" (80).

As the canine companion to the powerful god Quetzalcoatl, also known as Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl in his manifestation as a wind god, Xolotl is depicted in art wearing the wind god's emblematic conch shell pectoral, which was known in Nahuatl as ehecailacacozcatl, "wind jewel." Through this relationship, Xolotl was associated with the evening star, mirroring Quetzalcoatl's identification with the morning star under which role he was called Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, "Lord of the Dawn." According to Manuel Aguilar-Moreno in his book Handbook to Life in the Aztec World, Xolotl accompanied Quetzalcoatl on his mission to retrieve bones from the underworld in order to create humanity, a role consistent with his canine nature in the Mesoamerican imagination.

Creation of the Fifth Sun

Xolotl also appears as a reluctant sacrifice in the Aztec myth of the creation of the fifth sun. After the destruction of the four preceding suns, the gods come together at Teotihuacan to witness a sacrifice that will create a new sun and moon. This fifth sun – Nahui Ollin, meaning 4 Motion – and its moon are born from the sacrifice of two gods, Nanahuatzin and Tecciztecatl, respectively. But even after the sun and moon are created, the gods find that they will not move without further sacrifice, at which point they begin to line up to give their lives to the cause. Aguilar-Moreno writes, "While both celestial bodies had appeared, neither moved. Understanding this as a sign of their fate, the gods freely accepted death, sacrificing themselves…and offering their own blood, or chalchiuatl (precious water) to generate movement of the Sun" (Aguilar-Moreno 2006, 161)

Whether in the form of a Pokémon, psychopomp, or puppy, Xolotl has left a small legacy in the modern world, providing an opportunity for those aware of his unique history to look into the living likeness of an Aztec god.

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[–] makotech222@hexbear.net 22 points 6 days ago

gonna write on my bullet casing:

"If you are reading this, it is because the FBI is planting evidence and framing me"

[–] GalaxyBrain@hexbear.net 14 points 6 days ago
[–] LeeeroooyJeeenkiiins@hexbear.net 17 points 6 days ago (8 children)

The vegans at this school don't even know how hard i work for them. This recipe was just like "toss some tofu in some seasoning and serve cold" and im like nah i marinated it in diluted soy sauce with a vegan chicken stock, fried it, then tossed it in the seasoning, then drizzled a red pepper coulis and garnished with parsley

Then the fried okra they've been using turns out to not be vegan and i find out 40 minutes before we open so thankfully I had some cut okra from last week, I whipped up a vegan tempura batter and fried it in that. The sous and executive chef were just like "shhhhh just don't tell them it's not vegan" lol

[–] Keld@hexbear.net 9 points 6 days ago (1 children)

You're the GOAT. My campus has a single wrap as the vegan option. There's a vegetarian wrap, a vegan wrap, two carnivorous sandwiches and then the buffet with 0 vegan options (Unless you just grab the potatoes or something when they're serving those)

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[–] Horse@lemmygrad.ml 19 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (4 children)

many chess grandmasters have a remarkable degree of arrogance for how entirely unimpressive being very good at a board game is

[–] CrawlMarks@hexbear.net 11 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

You ever watch an anime where people are playing high stakes children's card games? That is how I feel about it.

Like, they should dress like anime villans

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[–] GalaxyBrain@hexbear.net 10 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

I should have a super power where if I talk for more than 20 seconds straight the listener begins to see mgs style cutscene power points with stock footage and Yoki Shinkawa art

[–] hexaflexagonbear@hexbear.net 5 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I want Para-medic’s power, ie I want people to be obligated to call me and listen to me talk about movies.

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[–] oscardejarjayes@hexbear.net 9 points 6 days ago

Conservatives on twitter are writing "ANTI-ICE", just like the write "ANTIFA". all caps

[–] HarryLime@hexbear.net 12 points 6 days ago

Oh fuck, Maru the Japanese cat died.

RIP to a real one

[–] Wmill@hexbear.net 12 points 6 days ago (2 children)

There should be a room where I can just sit there staring at a wall for hours on end not being perceived

[–] LeeeroooyJeeenkiiins@hexbear.net 8 points 6 days ago (2 children)
[–] Wmill@hexbear.net 8 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (3 children)

Sorry too busy washing my doo doo butt in there to think

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[–] Keld@hexbear.net 7 points 6 days ago

My shower is directly perceivable by people walking by. Student housing is not great

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[–] tocopherol@hexbear.net 13 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Saw a nice shirt at the thrift store, in new condition:

I would have gotten it, seemed good quality actually but I didn't want to be too controversial or look like a real patriot to people that don't get it, I should have bought it for the resale value or Halloween though

[–] Abracadaniel@hexbear.net 8 points 6 days ago

stupid relationship stuff, polyamory, sexmy partner crying because they're triggered because I asked how they felt about me possibly having a one night stand after an upcoming party: "I didn't know we were doing ethical non-monogamy now"

literally they've had another partner for I think 2 years now, we've both fucked them multiple times, we've had threesomes. what the hell.

[–] DragonBallZinn@hexbear.net 12 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I’m sure someone much smarter than me has observed this phenomenon, but has anyone noticed “lumpenization” of the working class?

By employers keeping small keeping every last opportunity to themselves and pushing more and more people to the ‘lumpenproletariat’ condition, they not only destroy any hope of proletariats forming any bargaining power because literally “you need the capitalist, but the capitalist doesn’t need you. You only exist because us capitalists let you.” but also sets the condition for them to be loyal reactionaries.

[–] Rojo27@hexbear.net 10 points 6 days ago

Its no accident that one of the biggest things reactionary talking heads like to harp on is that DEI is costing young white men jobs that they would have had in the past.

[–] MF_COOM@hexbear.net 7 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Oof this is bleak. Episode #795 of some shit video essay series - two weeks old 0 views 0 likes.

Like damn this would make me feel so bad about myself how does this person do it

[–] Carl@hexbear.net 7 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

"21st Century Home Economics" instead of learning how to balance a checkbook the entire class is geared around correcting Gen X misconceptions about home appliances that a lot of people still believe like that you have to pre-wash your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.

Also the class should teach everyone how to use Bash. That's an essential skill.

[–] hexaflexagonbear@hexbear.net 7 points 6 days ago

Maybe too much hopium but it does seem like we’re on the verge of the same sort of international movement against apartheid South Africa in the 80s.

[–] Euergetes@hexbear.net 7 points 6 days ago

i literally can't believe i missed how openmw's shaders worked last time i installed it and needed a youtuber to tell me how to use it

i played tens of hours just thinking the cool screenshots everyone else had were from like reshade because unlike skyrim nobody labels graphic setups on screenshots, because it's just a matter-of-fact everyone can VERY EASILY implement the shaders

the masculine urge to redacted-1redacted-2 a CEO just to see how i'd be portrayed by the news media

Told my gf i needed to dookie a shooter and asked if she could pack a big fat bowl for me and she didn't. Is it over chat

[–] acab_means_cop_Dva@hexbear.net 7 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)
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[–] oscardejarjayes@hexbear.net 7 points 6 days ago (7 children)

The ICE facility shooter's name got released, and this image was apparently on social media that was probably his. Conservatives are using it to say that he was a communist antifa "assault liberal".

It's a sarcastic response image, though, so wouldn't posting something like that indicate more anti-communist tendencies?

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[–] miz@hexbear.net 8 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

blocking the local ultra after they disingenuously said that thinking the Great Firewall is a positive or necessary policy means you are racist

[–] oscardejarjayes@hexbear.net 6 points 6 days ago (1 children)

We don't appear to have any Mamdani emojis, of any kind. At the very least, we should get some when he becomes mayor.

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[–] oscardejarjayes@hexbear.net 6 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Anyone know a good way to reduce my sodium intake while still having things salty?

(I cook most of my food from scratch, so that salt gets slowly manually added along the way)

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[–] Carl@hexbear.net 8 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Job for today got put on hold because the parts were delayed.

I think this may be a sign from the cosmos that I need to clean up my yard, which I've been procrastinating doing all month.

[–] TerminalEncounter@hexbear.net 6 points 6 days ago (1 children)

there is no such thing as a fish

[–] buckykat@hexbear.net 5 points 6 days ago (1 children)

The dialectic between "there is no such thing as a fish" and "literally all vertebrates are fish"

[–] john_browns_beard@hexbear.net 6 points 6 days ago

I'm a loud and proud all vertebrates are fish supporter. We are all fish on this blessed day. No one should be ashamed of their heritage.

[–] ratboy@hexbear.net 7 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Phew, almost got all my food prep done for the rest of the week! yummy

Big batch of Dò chua (stupid keyboard doesn't have the correct accents), oat milk, iced yerba mate. Also prepped almost all of the veg/sauces/spices for eggroll in a bowl and a Vietnamese stirfry for a couple dinners so I can just dump them in a pan when I'm ready to Cook. Feels good man. Might fuck around and prep my protein shakes too.

Carrots are so fucking hard to slice with a julienne slicer I really need to l get a slice proof glove cause that could be badddd

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[–] wideopenarms@hexbear.net 6 points 6 days ago

RFK Jr looks more and more like Mr Smith when Neo does the pool dive straight into his chest and sits there waiting to die as his head starts bulging and deforming

But in this case instead of neo, it's a worm

[–] Abracadaniel@hexbear.net 8 points 6 days ago

in the book Patrick Bateman meets Tom Cruise in an elevator (Cruise owns the penthouse of Bateman's building) and it makes obvious that Bateman is a massively uncool, anxious dork.

The autumn feeling. We love

[–] thelastaxolotl@hexbear.net 7 points 6 days ago
[–] Wmill@hexbear.net 8 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Got a rejection email or something not a "we found someone better" but a "this position on hold" a first with companies not even sure if they can employ people it's very ugh what's the point in trying to participate if the very few jobs out there are being frozen anyway

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[–] BigWeed@hexbear.net 5 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Plant tissue culture is a fun hobby but it's real easy to get caught up in the capitalism of it. I just want an abundance of nice plants and do some fun science on the way.

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[–] CrawlMarks@hexbear.net 7 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

AI is a fun toy right. I know the consensus is AI is bad but I dunno. However I am in class and we are doing a group thing and my entire group appart from me immediately got their chat gpt and are comparing notes this feels extremely bad

[–] oscardejarjayes@hexbear.net 8 points 6 days ago (6 children)

Is Rose City Antifa still active? A bunch of conservatives are using them as an example of how Antifa is actually an organization.

I don't see any posts, website updates, or news about them from later than the spring of this year.

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[–] Keld@hexbear.net 7 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Whenever there's American college media I'm always freaked out because none of these people are ever fucking studying. Everyone has so much free time.

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wow I just realized I'm a huge fucking liar and I didn't make a red pepper coulis for my tofu today because I didn't strain it and straining it is what makes it a coulis bear-despair

[–] GeckoChamber@hexbear.net 7 points 6 days ago

Silksong seems to really de-emphasize the search-action genre staple of the game showing you a hundred doors that open with a key ability you get later, both visually and design-wise. I wouldn't have thought it possible, like "that's just what the genre is", but it does not need them at all, and it kind of makes other games in the genre feel cheap in comparison.

[–] Arahnya@hexbear.net 6 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Started offering some dried corn by the 'hog burrow, and ms groundhog has reappeared after a brief disappearance. 😊 which means I can give her carrots!!

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