Mictlantecuhtli (meaning Lord of Mictlan) is the chief death god in the Aztec pantheon and is king of Micltan, the lowest and northernmost section of the Underworld where he lives with his wife Mictecacihuatl. He is depicted as a humanoid figure with either a skull in place of a head or wearing a skull mask. It's worth mentioning that many of the Aztecan deities are depicted as either having skulls for heads or wearing clothing incorporating the skeleton or bones. Because of the close nature between life and death, this was considered a sign of fertility, health, and abundance.
Aztecan belief, much like Viking mythology, separates souls into three different categories. Those who die of natural causes such as old age and disease belong in one category. The second category contains those who die honorable or heroic deaths; this includes men who die in combat, people who are sacrificed, and (I was pleasantly surprised to learn) women who die in childbirth. Category three is comprised of those who die of non-heroic deaths. I haven't found any information on what entails dying a non-heroic death.
As the mythology goes, Quetzalcoatl made an arrangement with Mictlantecuhtli to retrieve the bones of their divine ancestors from the Underworld. The lord of Mictlan changed his mind, however, and Quetzalcoatl and his twin, Xolotl, were forced to steal them. Some of the bones were dropped during their escape and shattered. The various races of mortals were created from these bones, and our imperfections are caused by the broken pieces.
Mictlantecuhtli was often paid homage to by ritual cannibalism.
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