The Aztec Four Ages
1. The first age, known as "4 Jaguar," the day name of its predestined end, was a brutish period of giants living on acorns, during which the sun-carrier was the god Tezcatlipoca of the night sky, whose name means "Smoking Mirror," and whose animal, the jaguar, is symbolic of the element earth. The period lasted 13 time 52 or 676 years and ended when Tezcatlipoca, its sun-carrier, was struck down by Quetzalcoatl and turned into a jaguar that devoured all the giants. The world quarter associated with the first world age is the North, and its colors are black and red

2. The second period, "4 Wind," began when Quetzalcoatl became sun-carrier and it lasted, like the first, 13 times 52 or 676 years, closing when Quetzalcoatl, defeated by Tezcatlipoca, became a hurricane and carried away many people. All those remaining became monkeys. The world quarter associated with this second world age is the East, its element is air, and its color the yellow of dawn. In the glyph on the Aztec Calendar Stone, the head of its deity is shown with an open mouth, signifying wind.

3. In "4 Rain," the next age, the sun-carrier was Tlaloc the rain god, "He-who-makes-things-sprout," appointed by Tezcatlipoca. His world period lasted only 7 times 52 or 364 years, concluding when he was overcome by Quetzalcoatl; whereupon he sent down a rain of fire that transformed his people into turkeys. Thus the element here is fire (as in lightning), the designated world quarter the South, and the color the white of day. The glyph on the Calendar Stone shows Tlaloc's head composed of serpent forms and rain.

4. "4 Water," last of the prehistoric ages, had as sun-carrier Tlaloc's wife, the goddess of flowing waters, known as Chalchiuhtlicue, "She-of-the-robe-of-green-jewels," whom Quetzalcoatl appointed to the post. Her season, which endured but 6 times 52 or 312 years, concluded with a deluge lasting 52 years more, when it rained so hard and so long that the heavens fell and the people became fish. Water was the element of this terminal age, its world quarter the West, and its color blue or blue-green.

Campbell 1974:154