What was the name of the Aztec fire serpent deity?

Xiuhcoatl was the Aztec fire serpent deity, also understood as a powerful fiery or turquoise serpent.

The name comes from Classical Nahuatl: xiuh means “turquoise,” “year,” or “fire,” while coatl means “serpent.” Xiuhcoatl was closely connected with Xiuhtecuhtli, the god of fire, heat, and time. In Aztec art, the serpent often appears with a sharply turned snout, a segmented body, flames, and symbols associated with the solar year.

Xiuhcoatl was also a weapon of Huitzilopochtli. In the famous myth of Huitzilopochtli’s birth, the fire serpent helps him defeat Coyolxauhqui and the Centzon Huitznahua. This imagery linked the serpent with sunlight overcoming darkness, the moon, and the stars. It could also be associated with the dry season and solar heat.

The deity is easy to confuse with Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent. Quetzalcoatl is a major creator and culture hero, whereas Xiuhcoatl is the fiery serpent associated with fire, warfare, rulership, and the sun. Xiuhcoatl imagery appears in codices, monumental sculpture, and ritual objects.