Ahuizotl
Also called Ahizotoul.
Descended from Aztec lore, the Ahuizotl is a dog-like creature with a hand on the end of its tail. This appendage is used to snatch unsuspecting victims, pulling them into watery graves.
At a glance
- Tradition
- Aztec mythology
- Region
- Mexico (habitat)
- Trait family
- The False Guides
Near this figure
Symbols
Judged against the description by a model. Meanings are our own paraphrase.
- Hand bears image-domain The hand denotes agency and the reach of consciousness, which makes, blesses, grasps and destroys, so its loss figures a will barred from acting.
why
Descended from Aztec lore, the Ahuizotl is a dog-like creature with a hand on the end of its tail.
- Legs bears image-domain Legs denote upright support and the individual journey of a life, answering the Sphinx's riddle by their number, and hobbled to signify conquest.
why
The creature's arms and legs are muscular, equipped with webbed fingers and toes that make it an excellent swimmer.
- Teeth bears image-domain Teeth denote the capacity to seize, bite and hold, bared in threat or defence, and dreamt falling when the power to grasp life feels compromised.
why
Its face bears a resemblance to that of a dog, with sharp teeth and keen eyes adapted for hunting in low-light conditions.
Traits
Read from the figure's description, which a model wrote. Open "why" for the sentence a trait came from.
Form
- Hybrid of multiple animals
why
Resembling a hybrid between a dog and a monkey, this beast possesses a unique and deadly feature: a hand-like appendage at the end of its tail.
Behaviour
- Mimics infant or woman cry to lure victims
why
Known for its cunning nature, the Ahuizotl is said to mimic the cries of a human baby or a woman in distress to lure compassionate individuals to the water's edge.
- Consumes only eyes teeth and nails of victim
why
The Ahuizotl then drags its catch beneath the surface, where it is said to consume the victim's eyes, teeth, and fingernails, leaving the rest of the body for other aquatic predators.
Offensive powers
- Tail strike
why
Once its prey is within reach, the tail-hand strikes with lightning speed, often targeting the victim's ankles or feet to pull them off balance and into the water.
Utility powers
- Vocal mimicry
why
Known for its cunning nature, the Ahuizotl is said to mimic the cries of a human baby or a woman in distress to lure compassionate individuals to the water's edge.
Roles
Judged from the works' own entries, not from the description. Carries: the figure holds the role. Meets: the role is in its stories, held by something it meets.
- Trickster carries both readings
3 citations
- Carol Rose, Giants, Monsters, and Dragons, s.v. "Ahuizotl."
- Maria Leach, editor, Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend, s.v. "Ahuizotl."
- Theresa Bane, Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore, s.v. "Ahuizotl."
- Water carries
3 citations
- Carol Rose, Giants, Monsters, and Dragons, s.v. "Ahuizotl."
- Maria Leach, editor, Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend, s.v. "Ahuizotl."
- Theresa Bane, Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore, s.v. "Ahuizotl."
- Death meets
3 citations
- Carol Rose, Giants, Monsters, and Dragons, s.v. "Ahuizotl."
- Maria Leach, editor, Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend, s.v. "Ahuizotl."
- Theresa Bane, Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore, s.v. "Ahuizotl."
- Hero meets
3 citations
- Carol Rose, Giants, Monsters, and Dragons, s.v. "Ahuizotl."
- Maria Leach, editor, Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend, s.v. "Ahuizotl."
- Theresa Bane, Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore, s.v. "Ahuizotl."