alexandra

Tonatiuh, the Fifth Sun.

Aztec Sun God, successor to the previous Sun as per several Mesoamerican beliefs in a cycle of destruction and rebirth. One peculiar thing about the worship to Tonatiuh was the necessity for blood sacrifice in order to maintain the reign of the Fifth Sun. Thus leading to ritual sacrifice for divine purposes. These sacrifices were linked to the character of the God as a warrior; the offerings in blood would nourish the God to engage in cosmic warfare to then prevent the Fifth Sun from suffering the fate of those that came before.

In terms of design, I went for scorched aesthetics, which I believe fall well in line with the war and blood surrounding Tonatiuh. His armour is burnt black, and the flames that radiate from his being carry some momentum like some fierce wind blowing outward in all directions. The shoulder pads I fashioned after an eagle and a snake, both of which are often present in ancient depictions of the Sun God.