Huitzilopochtli

Nationality/Culture

Aztec

Pronunciation

wee-tsee-loh-POCH-tlee

Alternate Names

None

Appears In

Aztec oral mythology

Lineage

Son of Coatlicue

Character Overview

Huitzilopochdi, the Aztec god of war, was associated with the sun. In some myths, the warlike Huitzilopochtli appears in contrast to his brother, the god Quetzalcoatl (pronounced keht-sahl-koh-AHT-1), who represented life and the gifts of civilization. Huitzilopochtli was also recognized as the founder of Tenochtidan (pronounced teh-nowch-TEE-tlan), the capital of the Aztec empire.

Major Myths

According to legend, Huitzilopochtli's mother was the goddess Coat-licue (pronounced koh-aht-LEE-kway). One day she found a bunch of hummingbird feathers and stuffed them into her breast. She immediately became pregnant with Huitzilopochtli. However, some of her other children—a daughter named Coyolxauhqui (pronounced koh-yohl-SHAW-kee) and 400 sons—were jealous of the unborn child. They plotted to kill Coatlicue, but when they attacked her, Huitzilopochtli emerged from his mother's womb fully grown. He cut off the head of his sister and killed most of his brothers as well.

Another tale about Huitzilopochtli tells how he led the Aztecs to settle on the island where they built the great city of Tenochtitlan. Originally from the north of Mexico, the Aztecs followed Huitzilopochtli on a long journey south in search of a new home. The god told them to settle at a place where they saw an eagle perched on a cactus growing out of a rock. As predicted, they saw the sign described by the god and ended their journey. This story echoes some events in Aztec history. In 1345 the Aztecs were driven onto an island in the middle of a lake by a tribe called the Culhua. There they founded Tenochtitlan, which would later become the capital of the Aztec empire.

Huitzilopochtli in Context

The name Huitzilopochdi, which means “hummingbird of the south,” came from the Aztec belief that the spirits of warriors killed in battle followed the sun through the sky for four years. After that, they were transformed into hummingbirds. In Aztec mythology , the south represented both the sun and paradise. Therefore, Huitzilopochtli was considered to be a warrior reborn from the paradise of the sun.

The Aztecs believed that to nourish Huitzilopochtli and keep the world in motion, they needed to feed the god human blood every day. For this reason, Aztec priests conducted human sacrifices at the Great Temple in their capital city of Tenochtitlan. During these rituals, victims were led up the steps of a pyramid, and while they were still alive, their hearts were cut out of their chests. The victims' bodies were then thrown down the steps of the pyramid onto a stone that featured a carved image of Coyolxauhqui. In this way, the sacrifices reenacted the story about the young god killing his sister.

Key Themes and Symbols

In Aztec mythology, Huitzilopochdi represented the power of the sun. An important theme in the myth of Huitzilopochtli is the struggle against darkness; the sun god was always fighting to prevent the fall of eternal darkness, which would mark the end of the world according to the Aztecs. Another related theme was sacrifice , since the Aztecs believed that Huitzilopochtli could be strengthened if he was given human blood as a sacrifice, and could therefore hold off the darkness.

Huitzilopochtli in Art, Literature, and Everyday Life

Huitzilopochdi appears in works of art created during the height of the Aztec empire, as well as the many books created just after the conquest of the Aztecs by Spanish colonists. He is usually depicted as wearing hummingbird feathers and holding a mirror. Like many Aztec gods, in modern times he is primarily found in decorative art rather than as a mythological character in literature or film.

Read, Write, Think, Discuss

In modern times, the idea of human sacrifice is horrifying, yet the ancient Aztecs believed it was necessary to maintain order in their world. Do you think this type of human sacrifice is fundamentally different than the use of the death penalty, which is a tool used by modern American society to maintain order? Why or why not?

SEE ALSO Animals in Mythology; Aztec Mythology; Coatlicue; Quetzalcoatl; Serpents and Snakes