What was the name of the Aztec underworld of nine levels?

The name of the Aztec underworld of nine levels was Mictlan. In Aztec mythology, Mictlan was the destination for most people who died, although the manner of death could send some people to other supernatural realms.

The dead faced a difficult journey through Mictlan’s nine levels, traditionally taking four years. The journey included dangers such as colliding mountains, flesh-scraping winds, and a river associated with fearsome animals. The deity Xolotl served as a guide or psychopomp for the dead.

Mictlan was ruled by Mictlantecuhtli, the Lord of the Underworld, and his wife Mictecacihuatl, the Lady of the Underworld. The realm also appears in the creation story involving Quetzalcoatl, who entered it to obtain bones used in creating humankind.

Mictlan was not the only possible afterlife destination. Warriors and people who died in sacrifice were linked with the sun, while those who died by drowning or certain illnesses could go to Tlalocan, a paradise associated with the rain god Tlaloc.