Final answer:
The Aztec goddess known for wearing a skirt made of snakes is Coatlicue, symbolizing the earth-mother goddess and associated with fertility and rebirth. Her figure, portrayed in a significant Aztec sculpture, is adorned with dismembered body parts and serpents, reflecting the Aztecs' religious beliefs and artistic practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Aztec goddess who wore a skirt made of snakes is known as Coatlicue, which translates to "She of the Serpent Skirt". This deity is represented in a monumental sculpture, which is a prime example of Aztec art, and stands nearly three meters tall. The statue shows the goddess with a necklace of dismembered body parts, clawed hands and feet, her skirt made of intertwining serpents, and two snakeheads that emerge from her severed neck to form a new face, representing blood as per Aztec conventions.
Coatlicue is a significant figure in Aztec mythology, revered as the earth-mother goddess, and associated with fertility and rebirth. Her narrative is a complex and gruesome tale, involving her miraculous pregnancy with Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec god of war, and the subsequent attempt by her offspring to murder her, only for Huitzilopochtli to emerge from her womb fully armed to defend her, leading to the dismemberment of his sister Coyolxauhqui.
The Aztec emphasis on the depiction of their gods with accompanying symbols, like serpents and dismembered parts, reflected their religious and cosmological beliefs. Unfortunately, much of their artwork and sculptures were destroyed during the Spanish conquest, but the surviving pieces, including the sculpture of Coatlicue, provide insight into the complex Aztec pantheon and their artistry.