Gender and Roles of Lunar Deities in Postclassic Central Mexico and their Correlations with the Maya Area

Resumen

Study of colonial period sources, Precolumbian iconography, and ethnographic data provides insights about the different roles played by male and female lunar deities. The multiplicity of lunar deities probably reflects the many "personalities" of the moon as it undergoes rapid transformation over the course of a month and disappears for a period of up to three days during conjunction with the sun (new moon phase).