Nahuatl word used by the Aztecs to name the Sun God.  He  was also known as the 5th God as each sun had its own cosmic era.

Tonatiuh was a bloody god who demanded human sacrifices as a tribute.  The Aztecs feared that the Sun would hide if they did not comply.

It is believed that they sacrificed about 20,000 people a year to Tonatiuh and other gods, though it is possible that the Spanish conquerors exaggerated this number to create dislike for the Aztecs.

The fascination that the Aztecs had for the Sun made them elaborate the Solar Calendar which was very precise only exceeded by the Mayan Calendar.

In the Aztec Calendar,  Tonatiuh is  represented with a knife for a tongue, face and body red and the solar disc on his back.

Now that we are in March, month that marks the beginning of Spring, the importance of  Tonatiuh, the Sun God, grows in the Aztec rites for Spring Equinox at the Teotihuacan, Mexico Pyramids where the highest and most important one is the Sun Pyramid.