Question: Axolotl mythology, legends & folklore?

I've been trying to find more information about the cultural history related to axolotls, especially in connection to Aztecs and chinampa farming. Or basically just any cultural connection to traditions and history in Mexico. Surprisingly googling something like "axolotl mythology" mainly shows the same origin story of Xolotl with different variations but not much else. Since I don't speak Spanish, it's possible that I'm missing out some good information sources just because I don't know what to search for.



Mostly I'm interested in learning what role wild axolotls have had in the lives of the people who live in the same region and what kind of beliefs are connected to axolotls. I know they have been eaten and they are believed to have healing abilities, but details would be interesting to know. And of course the Julio Cortazar's novel shows up in the google searches so that's also already familiar. Any tips on how to find more material? Any academic papers on the topic? Or, on the other end of the spectrum, fairytales for children? And everything in between :happy: Thanks for help!

https://www.mexicolore.co.uk/aztecs/stories/

this site seems to have the best resources on Aztec myths, sadly a lot of the stories are lost or only remembered in the oral tradition so there doesnt seem to be much more about Axolotls beyond the Xolotl origin myth.

Thanks for the link :happy: But I have to say that I'm really surprised about the scarcity of material. I kind of assumed that since axolotls have lived near the farms for such a long time alongside humans that there would be huge amount of stories about them. And that axolotl would also be seen in art and craftswork as a common symbol. Recording the oral material would most likely also benefit the conservation efforts. This would be a great topic for research for someone.

I've given it a quick search, and it is indeed not easy to find.
In general, though, I think there isn't a lot of information on Nahua mythologyor culture, other than what was written down (often filled with mistakes) post-colonisation.

I'm also not sure if you have any way, through employer or university, to access academic texts. Sadly, most science is still locked behind heavy paywalls.


One that seems promising (but, due to said paywalls, I haven't been able to verify) is a book named "Pre-Columbian Foodways - Interdisciplinary Approaches to Food, Culture, and Markets in Ancient Mesoamerica" by Staller, Carrasco (2010), which has an entire chapter named "The Axolotl as Food and Symbol in the Basin of Mexico, from 1200 BC to today".
Sounds about right.

Another interesting, but slightly weird piece of literature that popped up is from a bundle of articles ("contemporary legends: a reader") named "The ******l Serpent and Other Themes from Mexican-American Women's Lore", by R.A. Jordan.
It doesn't seem to deal with pre-Columbian lore, but it's still pre-modern folklore about axolotls... well, impregnating young girls. Read at your own discretion.

"The Cage Of Melancholy: Identity and Metamorphosis in the Mexican Culture" by Bartra is completely about modern culture, and the parts about axolotls are all symbolic and metaphorical for modern Mexico. Still, there might be some interesting nuggets in there. Not sure.

Concerning semi-modern folklore, the BBC had a short documentary about a monastery where a group of nuns keep axolotls to make skin cream.

I think your best bet would be finding a modern translation of the Florentine Codex, which was written shortly after the Spanish conquest in cooperation with native Nahua, concerning all things culture and mythology of the Aztecs.
There is bound to be something about axolotls in there, but the entire thing is a huge tome, so it'd take some work to find. Book 11 ("Earthly Things") deals with food and plants, so there should be some axolotls there.

There are quite a lot of other codices, often written not long after the conquest, that deal with daily Aztec life and culture. The Crónica Mexicayotl, Codex Azcatitlan and Codex Boturini all mention axolotls, according to google, but it seems like "mention" is all they do, in passing, in maybe one or two sentences. Doesn't seem to be more.


That's all I could find for now. Finding sources about pre-Columbian culture can often be a frustrating affair. If you find anything solid, let us know!

Thank you so much Murk! Very interesting findings Actually it was this documentary about the axolotl saving nuns that inspired me to search for more. I'll definitely share the information if I find anything.

I emailed Mexicolore-website and asked about this. The result of that inquiry is here:


https://www.mexicolore.co.uk/aztecs/flora-and-fauna/axolotl


Now we got at least some more information about this! Let's keep asking questions

That was very interesting, thank you!

Nice! I especially love the old illustrations included in that last link