Ahuizotl (mythology)
| Creature information | |
|---|---|
| Other name(s) | Water Dog |
| Similar entities | Nguruvilu, Kelpie, Underwater panther, Iemisch |
| Folklore | Legendary creature |
| Origin | |
| Country | Mexico |
| Region | Lake Texcoco |
The ahuizotl (from the Classical Nahuatl: āhuitzotl for "spiny aquatic thing", a.k.a. "water dog") is a legendary creature in Aztec mythology. It is said to lure people to their deaths. The creature was taken as an emblem by the ruler of the same name, and was said to be a "friend of the rain gods". The ahuizotl is most likely a water opossum, which possesses dexterous hands "like a raccoon's or a monkey's", as well as a prehensile tail (the hand most likely represents this prehensile nature), waterproof marbled black and grey fur, and small pointed ears.
The conquistador Hernán Cortés once reported to the King of Castile that one of his men had been killed by an ahuizotl.
The name of the revolutionary anti-porfirist periodical El Hijo del Ahuizote (The Son of the Ahuizote) is in reference to the ahuízotl.