Huitzilopochtli, also spelled Uitzilopochtli, also called Xiuhpilli (“Turquoise Prince”) and Totec (“Our Lord”), Aztec sun and war god, one of the two Aztec Mythology deities of Aztec religion, often represented in art as either a hummingbird or an eagle.
Huitzilopochtli is a Nahuatl word that combines the Nahuatl terms huitzilin, which means “hummingbird,” and opochtli, which means “left.” His name meant “resuscitated warrior of the south” because Aztecs thought that deceased soldiers were reincarnated as hummingbirds and considered the south to be on the left side of the earth. Xiuhpilli (“Turquoise Prince”) and Totec (“Our Lord”) were some of his other names. The eagle was his nagual, or animal disguise.
Coatlicue, Huitzilopochtli’s mother, is a facet of the Aztecs’ multidimensional earth goddess; she conceived him when a ball of hummingbird feathers (i.e., the soul of a warrior) dropped from the sky and landed in her bosom. Huitzilopochtli is said to have been born on Coatepec Mountain, near Tula, according to legend.
Huitzilopochtli’s brothers, the stars of the southern sky (Centzon Huitznáua, “Four Hundred Southerners”), and his sister, the moon goddess Coyolxauhqui, conspired to assassinate him. With his weapon, the xiuh cóatl (“turquoise snake”), he ruined their plot and exterminated them.
Huitzilopochtli is shown as the god who led the Aztecs on their arduous journey from Aztlan, their ancestral homeland, to the Valley of Mexico. His picture, in the form of a hummingbird, was carried on the shoulders of priests throughout the voyage, and his voice could be heard giving commands at night. Tenochtitlán, the Aztec capital, was founded in 1325 CE on a small, rocky island in the Valley of Mexico’s lake, according to Huitzilopochtli’s instruction.
The god’s initial shrine was established on the site where priests discovered an eagle poised atop a rock devouring a snake, an image so significant in Mexican culture that it is depicted on the country’s flag. The shrine was expanded by successive Aztec emperors until Emperor Ahuitzotl constructed a spectacular structure in the year Eight Reed (1487).
The Aztecs thought that Huitzilopochtli, the sun god, required daily nutrition (tlaxcaltiliztli) in the form of human blood and hearts, and that they, as “people of the sun,” were responsible for providing it. The sacrificial hearts were burned in the quauhxicalli (“the eagle’s vase”) and offered to the sun quauhtlehuanitl (“eagle who rises”). Quauhteca (“the eagle’s people”) were warriors who died in battle or as sacrifices to Huitzilopochtli. It was said that the soldiers became members of the sun’s bright retinue once they died. Then, after four years, they went to live in the bodies of hummingbirds for the rest of their lives.
The Quetzalcóatl Totec Tlamacazqui (“Feathered Serpent, Priest of Our Lord”), Huitzilopochtli’s high priest, was one of the two heads of the Aztec clergy, along with the god Tlaloc’s high priest. Huitzilopochtli and his lieutenant Paynal (“He Who Hastens,” so named because the priest who impersonated him sprinted while conducting a procession through the city) were honored in the 15th month of the ceremonial year Panquetzaliztli (“Feast of the Flags of Precious Feathers”). Warriors and auianime (courtesans) danced night after night on the plaza in front of the god’s temple during the month. At Huitzilopochco (modern Churubusco, near Mexico City), war prisoners or slaves were bathed in a sacred spring before being sacrificed during or after Paynal’s parade. A large bark-paper serpent, signifying the god’s principal weapon, was also torched by the priests. Finally, a ground maize (corn) picture of Huitzilopochtli was ceremonially murdered with an arrow and split among the priests and novices; those who ate “Huitzilopochtli’s body” were obligated to serve him for a year.
Huitzilopochtli is generally depicted as a hummingbird or as a warrior with hummingbird-feather armour and a hummingbird-feather helmet. His legs, arms, and lower half of his face were painted one color (blue) while the upper half of his face was painted another color (red) in a pattern similar to that seen in many hummingbirds (black). He wore an ornate feathered headdress and wielded a turquoise snake and a circular shield.
The Aztec inspired hoodie shown below can be customized for special occasions. These characteristics not only make your style more Aztec, but they also represent our pride in ourselves and our heritage.
Aztec Huitzilin Maya Aztec Calendar
As an Aztec, you know that it is important to have your own Huitzilin. This unique and powerful creature is designed specifically for you, and can help you achieve great things. Here are some of the top reasons why every Aztec should have a Huitzilin!
Aztec Huitzilin Maya Aztec Calendar
Nhận xét
Đăng nhận xét