Huitzilopochtli
In Aztec mythology, Huitzilopochtlius, also spelled Uitzilopochtlius,[1] was a god of war, a sun god, and the patron of the city of Tenochtitlan. He was given human hearts and blood of their enemies and slaves as a sacrifice.
Legend
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The legend of Huitzilopochtli is recorded in the Mexicayotl Chronicle. His sister, Coyolxauhqui, tried to kill their mother. Her offspring, Huitzilopochtli, learned of this plan while still in the womb, and before it was put into action, sprang from his mother's womb fully grown and fully armed and killed his sister Coyolxauhqui, together with many of his 400 brothers and sisters. He then tossed his sister's head into the sky, where it became the moon, so that his mother would be comforted in seeing her daughter in the sky every night. He also threw his other brothers and sisters into the sky, where they became the stars.[2]
Related pages
[change | change source]Notes
[change | change source]- ↑ IPA: [witsiloˈpotʃtɬi] ("Hummingbird of the South", "He of the South", "Hummingbird on the Left (South)", or "Left-Handed Humming Bird") – huitzilin is the Nahuatl word for hummingbird
- ↑ Huitzilopochtli
References
[change | change source]- Carrasco, David (1982). Quetzalcoatl and the Irony of Empire: Myths and Prophecies in the Aztec Tradition. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-09487-1. OCLC 0226094871.