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Huitzilopochtli
HUITZILOPOCHTLI, (the war/sun god and special guardian of Tenochtitlan)
the deified ancestral warrior-hero, was the Mexica-Aztec patron
par excellence.
His temple (next to that of Tlaloc) on the Main Pyramid was the
focus of fearsome sacrifices of prisoners captured by Aztec warriors.
Victims' heads were strung as trophies on a great rack, the Tzompantli,
erected in the precinct below.
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. 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.
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, 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 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.
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
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.
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 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 in his "Monarquia
indiana also confers the four god bearers. Hernando Alvarado Tezozomoc
keeps the bearer Cuauhcoatl but replaces the other three with Quauhtlonquetzque,
Axoloa, and Ococaltzin. To further confuse this issue the Cronica
Mexicayotl replaces Cuauhcoatl, (Eagle Serpent), with Iztamixcoatzin,
(White Cloud Serpent).
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MESOAMERICA
