Tezcatlipoca was the supreme deity of the Aztecs, the patron of the royal house and of the warriors. Unknown in classic period Teotihuacan, his cult was probably introduced to Nahua-speakers by the Maya in the Terminal Classic. His Maya counterpart, the god K'awil, played a very similar role in the Classic cities. K'awil is far more ancient, his origins lying in the Pacific coastal plain during the Late Pre-Classic. Professor Coe showed the essential unity of these snake-footed deities.