What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to clarify how the Nahua perceived and structured their otherworlds, particularly regarding the afterlife.

April 18, 2026Ancient MesoamericaOpen Access

Beyond Mictlan: The otherworlds of the pre-contact Nahua

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This article analyzes Nahua supernatural domains to clarify their nature and structure, indicating new interpretations of the afterlife.

The aim is to clarify how the Nahua perceived and structured their otherworlds, particularly regarding the afterlife.
Analyzed Mesoamerican alphabetic and graphic accounts of journeys to the afterlife
Identified classifications of Nahua supernatural dimensions into realms based on the numbers eight and nine
Examined concepts such as Mictlan, Tlalocan, and Tonatiuh Ichan as conceptual domains
Focused on four domains related to Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl's metamorphoses
Defined 'eight' as a realm for communication with gods and 'nine' as a realm of destruction and transformation
Proposed that traditional supernatural regions are conceptual domains linked to specific gods and actions
Revealed new insights into the life cycle of Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl and his destination, Tlillan Tlapallan

Madajczak et al. (2026) studied this question.

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