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Huitzilopochtli
"Left
Handed Hummingbird"
God of War-Lord of the South-The Young Warrior-Lord of the Day- The Blue
Tezcatliopoca of the South-Patron God of the Mexica. Known metaphorically
as "The Blue Heron Bird", "The Lucid Macaw", and "The
Eagle".
The derivation of his name may have come from the ancient Chichimeca "Tetzauhteotl",
possibly meaning "Omen-God"
He is considered an incarnation of the sun and struggles with the forces
of night to keep mankind alive. Only to have found a place of major worship
among the Aztec peoples. Huitzilopochtli is credited with inducing the
Aztecs to migrate from their homeland in "Aztlan" and begin the long wanderings
which brought their tribe to the Mexico Valley.
According to Aztec legend, Coatlicue, goddess of the earth had given birth
to the moon and stars. The moon, Coyolxauhqui, and the stars called, Centzonhuitznahuac,
became jealous of Coatlicue's pregnancy with Huitzilopochtli(*38). During
his birth, Huitzilopochtli used the "serpent of fire" and the sun's
rays to defeat the moon and stars. Every day the battle continues between
day and night. The Mexica saw the sunrise as a daily victory for this
deity over the forces of darkness.
Huitzilopochtli can only be fed by Chalchihuatl, or the blood of sacrifice,
to sustain him in his daily battle. He resides in the seventh heaven of
Aztec mythology. The seventh heaven is represented as blue. His temple
on the great Pyramid in Tenochtitlan was called Lihuicatl Xoxouqui, or
"Blue Heaven". Over 20,000 victims are thought to have been ritually killed
at the opening of his great temple in Tenochtitlan during a four day period(*39).
Duran relates that the great temple contained a wooden statue carved to
look like a man sitting on a blue wood bench. A serpent pole extended
from each corner to give the appearance of the bench as a litter. On his
head was placed a headdress in the shape of a bird's beak. A curtain was
always hung in front of the image to indicate reverence.
Tlacaelel(*40), the Aztec power broker, is thought to have propelled this
god into the place of importance that Huitzilopochtli held, some suggest
even re-writing Mexica(*41) history.
Huitzilopochtli's creation may have come from the ancient Mexica god "Opochtli",
the Left Handed One, and a leading old Chichimec god of weapons and water.
He was called "He Who Divides the Waters", and was principal in worship
in the Huitzilopochco area and it's famous waters. Opochtli is thought
to have been worshipped in ancient Aztlan(*42).
Huitzilopochtli is said to be a representation of Tezcatlipoca in midsummer
as the high sun in the southern sky. His name may have derived with his
association with the color blue as when staring at the sun, spots of blue
are seen by the eyes after looking away.
His association with "on the left", was because when facing in
the direction of the sun's path, east to west, the sun passed on the left.
Huitzilopochtli was certainly the most celebrated of the Mexica deities
and came to embody the aspirations and accomplishments of the Aztec. His
cult could have been considered the "state cult" and was a focus of the
powerful economic and political system. Also known as "The Portentous
One", as he directed the Mexica on their nomadic trek into the Valley
of Mexico through a series of signs and omens. It was Huitzilopochtli
who sent the eagle(*43) to perch on the nopal cactus to indicate the site
of the Mexica's final resting place. His elevation to the rank of a major
deity coincided with the formation of the triple alliance between Tenochtitlan,
Texcoco, and Tlacopan. At this formation of the alliance his recognition
as the god of war was complete and total.
As the power of Tenochtitlan grew his image was incorporated into the
new lands and regions coming under Mexica control and he assumed new prominence
and attributes even to the point of usurping the more traditional sun
god, Tonatiuh. His main temple in the great temple of Tenochtitlan, (the
Temple Mayor), was set alongside Tlaloc, god of rain, the symbolism of
these two deities elevated above all others was a reflection of the economic
status of the Mexica empire, (agriculture and war-tribute).
Of interest many pictures and statues have survived of Tlaloc and other
major deities but relatively few of Huitzilopochtli(*44).
Images of Huitzilopochtli may be found in the Codex Borbonicus in which
he is depicted standing in front of a small temple in his honor, in the
Codex Telleriano-Remensis, in his capacity as symbol of the month of Panquetzaliztli,
and in a dual painting with Paynal, (messenger god), in Sahagun's Primeros
Memoriales. His image further adorns the Codex Boturini in his guidance
of the Mexica on their wanderings. In the Codex Azcatitlan he is represented
as a combination hummingbird and serpent tail being carried in what might
be thought of as a backpack. In the Codex Florentine his birth is recorded
as well as his famous battle with the stars. In all painted images his
adornments are different, some with a shield of turquoise mosaic, others
with a shield of white eagle feathers. The central image in all drawings
is that of a warrior and a leader. He is often depicted as a seed dough(*45)
image or "teixiptla" which was often made and prized during feasts.
Although Huitzilopochtli was worshipped greatly during the entire Mexica
year he was of particular importance during the feast of Toxcatl, Dry
Thing, Tlaxochimaco, Giving of Flowers, Teotleco, Arrival of Gods, and
Panquetzaliztli, Raising of Banners. The feast honoring the raising of
banners is generally thought to be his major yearly feast.
Nowhere was Huitzilopochtli more honored than in his main temple atop
the great pyramid in Tenochtitlan in the Temple Mayor. His main cult statue
stood in the southernmost corner of the twin shrines to him and Tlaloc.
The shrine to this deity is described in detail by Duran as well as accounts
by several of the soldiers with Cortes, namely Andres de Tapia and Bernal
Diaz as well as Cortes himself. Duran claims to describe the statue based
on reports from native informants and from direct interviews with surviving
conquistadors. He describes the image as a wooden statue carved to look
like a man seated on a blue wooden bench in the form of a liter. The liter
poles contained images of serpents long enough to be carried on the shoulder
of men. The bench was in the traditional Huitzilopochtli "sky blue"
color. The image itself had a blue forehead with a blue band reaching
from ear to ear also blue.
The image had a headdress shaped like a hummingbird beak made of gold.
The feathers adorning the headdress were a beautiful green. In his left
hand he held a shield, white, with five bunches of white feathers in the
form of a cross. Four arrows extended from the handle of the shield. In
his right hand he held a staff in the image of a serpent which was also
blue. Gold bracelets were on his wrists and he wore blue foot sandals.
This image was covered from view with a type of curtain adorned with jewels
and gold. Bernal Diaz also relates an account and it is certainly worth
reading.
Huitzilopochtli shared the top of the great temple with Tlaloc in Texcoco
as well as in Tenochtitlan and is described in detail in Pomar's book.
Pomar's Huitzilopochtli was an image of a standing young man, made from
wood adorned with a cloak of rich feathers and wearing an ornate necklace
of jade and turquoise surrounded by golden bells. His body paint was blue
with a blue striped face. His hair was of eagle feathers and had a headdress
of quetzal(*46) feathers.
Oh his shoulder was a form of a hummingbird's head. His legs were adorned
and decorated with gold bells. In his hand was held a large spear, a spearthrower,
and a feathered shield covered with a lattice work of gold stripes.
There was no greater worshipped image to the Mexica and the stone idol
that was atop the pyramid in Tenochtitlan that was removed under the eyes
of Cortes. The idol was entrusted to a man called Tlatolatl. Tlatolatl
successfully was able to hide this image of Huitzilopochtli as was uncovered
during an investigation by the Bishop Zummaraga during the 1530's. The
statue has never been found and is probably resting and waiting today
in a cave somewhere in northern Mexico.
Listed in the Codex Boturini, the sacred bundle of Huitzilopochtli carried
during the wandering years was born by four "bearers", named Tezacoatl,
(Mirror Serpent), Chimalma, (Shield Hand), Apanecatl, (Water Headdress),
and Cuauhcoatl, (Eagle Serpent). The Codex Azcatitlan shows only two god
bearers. Duran agrees that there were four bearers but does not name them.
Juan de Torquemada(*47) in his "Monarquia indiana also confers the four
god bearers. Hernando Alvarado Tezozomoc(*48) keeps the bearer Cuauhcoatl
but replaces the other three with Quauhtlonquetzque, Axoloa, and Ococaltzin.
To further confuse this issue the Cronica Mexicayotl(*49) replaces Cuauhcoatl,
(Eagle Serpent), with Iztamixcoatzin, (White Cloud Serpent)(*50).
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37 The editors of Alarcon's book, notes p. 228, give a strong argument
that his name, Huitzilopochtli, did not mean Hummingbird on the Left,
but contained the phrases "small bell", and "thorn".
38 A parthenogenetic birth of Huitzilopochtli occurred with the mother's
conceiving this deity. This birth was a common practice in Mesoamerican
mythology.
39 There is some debate as to the accuracy of the 20,000 victim legend.
Some say priests exaggerated the figure, others say the figure may be
even higher.
40 For further information on this colorful character in Mexica history
refer to the AZTEC RULERS section elsewhere on this web site.
41 The name "Mexica" derives from the word Mecitin, to Mexitin
and then to Mexica. This change occurred during the wandering years. The
name derives from an ancient Mexica deity called "Mecitli", who
insisted that the people be named in his honor. Mecitli is credited with
the famous "Broken Tree" incident during the wandering years when the
Mexica broke away from the other wandering tribes on the direction of
Mecitli. Some sources claim that Mecitli is nothing but another name for
Huitzilopochtli, or it could mean "Maguay Grandmother", indicating a female
goddess.
42 Brundage, p.144.
43 In 1950 a young Mestizo boy, Bulmaro Gomez Lopez, who was hunting with
his father in the forests of Chiapas, wounded an Eagle. They carted the
wounded Eagle forty miles to the small zoo on the outskirts of the regional
capital. The residents were amazed as no one had seen a harpy eagle in
years. The large black and white bird with a gray hood had a six-foot
wingspan and legs the size of a man's arm. The harpy was fond of nesting
in the giant ceiba, (silk-cotton), tree. This tree was also refereed to
as the "tree of life" in many Mesoamerican cultures.
The eagle needs approximately 25,000 to 720,000 acres to forage for the
monkeys and other prey it needs. Harpies may still be alive in two rainforests
in southern Mexico, the Chimalapas and the Lancandona. There have been
reports of sightings in recent years. The Peregrine Fund, at the World
Center for Birds of Prey, is trying to create a stable breeding herd from
captive harpies. The outlook is bleak.
This lack of surviving records may be due to the sheer hatred of Huitzilopochtli
by the conquering Spaniards. Boone's book p. 3- 4, gives accounts of how
difficult it was for post conquest historians to accurately re-construct
a painted image of Huitzilopochtli and many of the drawings we see today
were drawn to represent his functions as the artist saw fit, and not from
actual historical models.
44 According to Boone p. 10, there is but one surviving statue of Huitzilopochtli
and is a small jade figure in the possession of the Musee de LHomme in
Paris. There is some debate that the statue is actually a statue of Tezcatlipoca,
however the picture in Boone's book leads me to conclude it is of Huitzilopochtli.
This book contains many pottery images as well as other pictures of Huitzilopochtli
that are worth the effort to see. The Bishop Zarramunga partly traced
the main temple idol of Huitzilopochtli and the image is believed to be
hidden in a cave somewhere in Northern Mexico today. Bernal Diaz related
the account of the removal of the image in his book.
45 These seed dough images were prevalent even after the conquest to the
point that the Spanish were forbidding the cultivation of amaranth, the
main grain crop used in the construction of these eatable idol images.
Reports in 1570 by the Spanish administration recorded the grinding of
amaranth into dough images. Reports in 1900 revealed a transition into
animal formation of the dough as well as a transition into modern Christian
rituals as the dough was being made into Catholic rosaries.
Today on the streets of Mexico City "alegria", which is a small
cake mixed with homey can be purchased, some in the image of more modern
Mexican heroes such as Hildago or Benito Juarez, I suspect it would not
be too hard to find one in the image of a deity.
46 The Quetzal bird, (Pharomachrus mocinno, The Resplendent Quetzal),
belongs to the Trogon family with green or blue plumage of iridescent
color that appears to change color due to the changes of light. The male
displays the brilliant colors and prized tail feathers while the female
is drab. The bird lives in subtropical and humid regions of southern Mexico
through western Panama in elevations from 4000 to 10000 feet. From February
through April the Quetzal searches for an old tree trunk to nest. The
hen will lay one or two eggs for an 18 day incubation period. Both the
male and female tend the nest. Worms, forest fruit, and wild avocados,
(aguacatillo), are the preferred food for the bird. If a Quetzal is captured
and confined in a cage, it dies, smashing itself against the cage. For
this reason it is looked upon as a symbol of freedom.
The feathers were considered as a form of monitary exchange and the bird
was revered for it's beauty. There are reports of the feathers of this
bird being used as far north as New Mexico by the Zuni Indians, and as
far south as tribes of the Inca empire. Today the bird is almost extinct
and expected to be gone by the year 2000. In Guatemala the Quetzal had
originally been living in over 30,000 square kilometers, by 1981 the area
had been reduced to less that 2,500 square kilometers.
47 Monarquia indiana (1975-79), vol 1, p. 114.
48 Cronica mexicana (1975), p. 225.
49 1949 #26.
50 This discrepancy of what should be a simple historical matter to document,
is typical of the study of the Mexica. It is also the reason why I tend
to be more concerned with general themes and not as interested in specific
spellings or attributes. In a general sense I tend to believe these contradictions
are due to two main influences. 1) The Mexica had a tendency to re-write
their history to suit a particular purpose. For sixty eight years the
power broker Talaellel was a master of this craft. 2)
English Translation
There are told the gods whom the people here worshiped> The first chapter
speaks of the very greatest of the gods whom they worshipped and to whom
they made offerings. Uitzilopochtli was only a commoner, only a man --
a wizard, a terror, inhuman, a deluder. He was creator of war, a commander
of warriors, a proclaimer of war. Of him it was said: he casts hunger
and plague, that is to say, war, sacred blood, fire. And when his feast
day was observed, captives were killed, ceremonially bathed ones were
killed. The merchants sacrificed them. And he was thus ornamented: he
was possessor of a lovely cotinga feather ear pendant, of the fire serpent
disguise, of the blue net sash, of the maniple, of bells, of shells.
-- 16th century --
"Uitzilopochtli"
Inic ce amuxtli: vncan moteneoa, in teteuh in qujnmoteutiaia in nican
tlaca. Jnic ce capitulo, yntechpa tlatoa, yn oc cenca tlapanauja teteuh:
yn quinmoteutiaia, yoan yn qujntlamanajliaia, yn ie vecauh. Vitzilobuchtli:
can maceoalli, can tlacatl catca: naoalli, tetzaujtl, atlacacemelle, teixcuepanj:
qujiocoianj in iaoiutl, iaotencanj, iaotlatoanj: ce itechpa mjtoaia, tepan
qujtlaca yn xiuhcoatl, in mamalhoaztli, q.n. iaoiutl, teutl, tlachinolli.
Auh yn iquac ilhujqujxtiloia, malmjcoaia, tlaatilmjcoaia: tealtiaia, yn
pochteca> Auh ynjc muchicchioaia: xiuhtotonacoche catca, xiuhcoanaoale,
xiuhtlalpile, matacaxe, tzitzile, oiuoalle. (Florentine Codex, Book 1,
Chap. 1)
in modern writing:
Huitzilopochtli
Inci ce amoxtli: oncan moteneua, in teteo in quinmoteotiaya in nincan
tlaca. Inic ce capitulo*, itechpa tlatoa in oc cenca tlapanauia teteo:
in quinmoteotiaya, yuan in quintlamaniliaya, in ye uecuah> Huitzilopochtli:
can maceualli, can tlaca catca: naualli, tetzauitla,atlacacemelle, teixcuepani:
quiyocoyani in yaoyotl, yaotecani, yaotlatoani: ca itechpa mitoaya, tepan
quitlaca in xiuhcoatl, in mamalhuaztli quitoznequi yaoyotl teoatl tlachinolli.
Auh in iquac ilhuiquixtiloya, malmicoaya, tlaltilmicoaya: tealtiaya, in
pochteca. Auh inic mochichiuaya: xiuhtotonacoche catca, xiuhcoanauale,
xiuhtlalpile, matacaxe, tzitzile, oyouale. (Florentine Codex, Book 1,
Chap.I) * capitulo, spanish
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