In Mexica tradition, Quetzalcoatl, the “God” of creation, descended into the underworld after the destruction of the Fourth Sun in order to recover the bones of the dead and create humanity once again.
Mictlantecuhtli, the lord of the dead, attempted to deceive Him by giving Him a trumpet made from a conch shell with no holes.
So Quetzalcoatl summoned the worms and the wasps, who entered the shell and gave it voice.
This detail comes from a new codex page I am currently painting. My books on the sacred stories of creation can be found through my Etsy shop. Link in bio.
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