The Aztecs were a people that settled in Tenochtitlan, Mexico (now part of Mexico City, Mexico). Their last emperor was Moctezuma II who was captured and killed in 1520, by being stoned to death by his own people, during the time of arrival of Spanish Conquistador, Hernes Cortes. During Moctezuma's reign, the Aztec empire reached its zenith through warfare and expansion. The Aztecs, including Moctezuma II, believed Cortes was a god and was in fact the return of Quetzalcoatl. According to wikipedia:
In his Historia, Bernal Díaz del Castillo states that on July 1, 1520, the Spanish forced Moctezuma to appear on the balcony of his palace, appealing to his countrymen to retreat. The people were appalled by their emperor's complicity and pelted him with rocks and darts. He died a short time after that. Bernal Díaz gives this account:
"Barely was [the emperor's speech to his subjects] finished when a sudden shower of stones and darts descended. Our men who had been shielding Montezuma had momentarily neglected their duty when they saw the attack cease while he spoke to his chiefs. Montezuma was hit by three stones, one on the head, one on the arm, and one on the leg; and though they begged him to have his wounds dressed and eat some food and spoke very kindly to him, he refused. Then quite unexpectedly we were told that he was dead."
Cortés similarly reported that Moctezuma was stabbed by his countrymen. On the other hand, the indigenous accounts claim that he was killed by the Spanish prior to their leaving the city. Some modern scholars, prefer the indigenous accounts over the Spanish ones. They surmise that the Spanish killed Moctezuma once his inability to pacify the Aztec people had made him useless
Many of the children and relatives of Moctezuma II either died of smallpox or were killed. However, many lived and married Spanish partners and were given land as their estate by the Spanish.
Before the Spanish came, the Aztecs had a rich mythology of over 100 gods and goddesses, as well as some mythological creatures. Unfortunately, they also believed in human sacrifice to these gods. Here are some of their main gods listed in wikipedia:
There were Serpent gods of old:
There were younger gods who ruled the elements of nature and life:
- Chicomecoatl
- Cihuacoatl
- Coatlicue
- Mixcoatl
- Xiuhcoatl
The Aztecs had legendary creatures and heroes just like all of the other mythologies and legends around the world. They had older gods and then younger gods as well. They also had stories of previous ages of the Earth that ended in catastrophies such as floods or fires or wars. Today, we are living in the 5th age. Before the Aztecs settled in Tenochtitlan, there was a civilation called the Toltecs that were there before them and had passed on some of their mythology to the Aztecs.
- Acolnahuacatl, or Acolmiztli - a god of the underworld, Mictlan
- Acuecucyoicihuati (see Chalchiuhtlicue)
- Amimitl - god of lakes and fishers
- Atlacamani - goddess of oceanic storms such as hurricanes
- Atlacoya - goddess of drought
- Atlatonan (also Atlatonin) - goddess of the coast
- Atlaua - water god
- Ayauhteotl - goddess of mist, fog, vanity and fame
- Camaxtli - god of hunting, war, fate and fire
- Centeotl (see Cinteotl)
- Chalchiuhtlatonal - god of water
- Chalchiuhtecolotl - a night owl god
- Chalchiuhtlicue (also Chalciuhtlicue, or Chalchihuitlicue) (She of the Jade Skirt). (Sometimes Acuecucyoticihuati) - the goddess of lakes and streams, and also of birth; consort of Tlaloc.
- Chalchiuhtotolin (Precious Night Turkey) - god of pestilence and mystery
- Chalmecatecuchtlz - a god of the underworld, Mictlan and sacrifices
- Chalmecatl the underworld, Mictlan and the north
- Chantico - the goddess of hearth fires, personal treasure, and volcanoes
- Chicomecoatl (also Chalchiuhcihuatl, Chiccomeccatl, or Xilonen) - goddess of new maize and produce, wife of Cinteotl.
- Chicomexochtli - a patron of artists
- Chiconahui - a domestic fertility goddess
- Chiconahuiehecatl - associated with creation
- Cihuacoatl (also Chihucoatl or Ciucoatl) (Woman Serpent) - an aspect of Ilamatecuhtli and consort of Quetzalcoatl
- Cinteotl (also Centeotl or Centeocihuatl) - the principal maize god, son of Tlazolteotl
- Cipactonal- god of astrology and the calendar
- Citlalatonac (see Ometeotl)
- Citlalicue - a creator of the stars
- Coatlicue (She of the Serpent Skirt) - legendary mother of Coyolxauhqui, the Centzon Huitzahua, and Huitzilopochtli
- Cochimetl (also Coccochimetl) - god of commerce, bartering, and merchants
- Coyolxauhqui- legendary sister of Huitzilopochtli, associated with the moon, possibly patroness of the Milky Way
- Cuaxolotl - a goddess of the hearth
- Ehecatl (also Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl) - the god of the Wind and creator of the earth, heavens, and the present race of humanity. As god of the west, one of the skybearers
- Huehuecoyotl (also Ueuecoyotl) - a trickster god of indulgence and pranks. A shapeshifter, associated with drums and the coyote
- Huehueteotl (also Ueueteotl, Xiuhtecuhtli, Xiutechuhtli) - an ancient god of the hearth, the fire of life. Associated with the pole star and the north, and serves as a skybearer
- Huixtocihuatl (also Uixtochihuatl) - a goddess of salt and saltwater
- Ilamatecuhtli (also Cihuacoatl or Quilaztli) - aged goddess of the earth, death, and the Milky Way. Her roar signalled war
- Itztlacoliuhqui - god of stone, obsidian, coldness hardness, and castigation. Aspect of Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli. Also known as Ixquimilli.
- Itzli - god of sacrifice and stone knives.
- Itzpapalotl - Queen of Tomoanchan and one of the Cihuateteo (night demons) and tzitzimime (star demons)
- Ixtlilton - the god of healing, dancing, festivals and games. Brother of Xochipilli.
- Macuilcozcacuauhtli (five vulture) - one of the Ahuiateteo (gods of excess)
- Macuilcuetzpalin (five lizard) - one of the Ahuiateteo (gods of excess)
- Macuilmalinalli (five grass) - one of the Ahuiateteo (gods of excess)
- Macuiltochtli (five rabbit) - one of the Ahuiateteo (gods of excess)
- Macuilxochitl (five flower) - the god of games and gambling, and chief of the Ahuiateteo (gods of excess)
- Malinalxochitl - sorceress and goddess of snakes, scorpions and insects of the desert
- Matlalcueitl (also Matlalcueje) - goddess of rainfall and singing. Identified with Chalchiuhtlicue.
- Mayahuel (also Mayahual, or Mayouel) - the goddess of maguey, and by extension, alcohol
- Metztli (also Metztli, Tecuciztecatl, Tecciztecatl)- lowly god of worms who failed to sacrifice himself to become the sun, and became the moon instead, his face darkened by a rabbit.
- Mextli - a god of war and storms
- Mictecacihuatl(also Mictlancihuatl) - goddess of death and Lady of Mictlan, the underworld
- Mictlantecuhtli (also Mictlantecuhtzi, or Tzontemoc) - the god of death and Lord of Mictlan, also as god of the south, one of the skybearers
- Mixcoatl (cloud serpent) - god of hunting, war, and the Milky Way. An aspect of Tezcatlpoca and father of Quetzalcoatl
- Nanahuatzin (also Nana, Nanautzin, or Nanauatzin) - lowly god who sacrificed himself to become sun god Tonatiuh
- Omacatl (see Tezcatlipoca)
- Omecihuatl (see Ometeotl)
- Ometecuhtli (see Ometeotl)
- Ometeotl (also Citlatonac or Ometecuhtli (male) and Omecihuatl (female)) - the god(s) of duality, pregenator(s) of souls and lord/lady of heaven
- Ometotchtli (two rabbit) - drunken rabbit god, leader of the Centzon Totochtin
- Opochtli - left-handed god of trapping, hunting and fishing
- Oxomoco - goddess of astrology and the calendar
- Patecatl - the god of medicine, husband of Mayahuel
- Paynal - the messenger to Huitzilopochtli
- Quetzalcoatl (also Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli) (quetzal-feathered serpent) - creator god and patron of rulership, priests and merchants. Associated with Ehecatl as the divine wind
- Quilaztli (see Ilamatecuhtli)
- Tecciztecatl (see Mextli)
- Temazcalteci (also Temaxcaltechi) - goddess of bathing and sweatbaths
- Teoyaomicqui (also Teoyaomiqui)- the god of dead warriors
- Tepeyollotl - (The jaguar form of Tezcatlipoca) god of the heart of the mountain, associated with jaguars, echoes, and earthquakes
- Tepoztecatl (also Tezcatzontecatl) - god of pulque and rabbits
- Teteoinnan - mother of the gods
- Tezcatlipoca (also Omacatl, Titlacauan) - omnipotent god of rulers, sorcerers and warriors; night, death, discord, conflict, temptation and change. A sinister rival to Quetzalcoatl. Can appear as a jaguar.
- Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli- destructive god of the morning star (Venus), dawn, and of the east. One of the skybearers
- Tlaloc (also Nuhualpilli) - the great and ancient provider and god of rain, fertility and lightning
- Tlaltecuhtli - goddess of earth, associated with difficult births
- Tlazolteotl(also Tlaelquani, Tlazolteotli)- the goddess of purification from filth, disease or excess
- Tloquenahuaque - a creator god or ruler
- Toci (also Temazcalteci) - grandmother goddess, heart of the earth and mother of the gods. Associated with midwives and war
- Tonacatecuhtli - the aged creator and provider of food and patron of conceptions
- Tonacacihuatl - consort of Tonacatecuhtli
- Tonantzin- a mother goddess
- Tonatiuh - a sun god and heavenly warrior, associated with eagles and with the Maya
- Tzitzmitl- aged grandmother goddess
- Xilonen - the goddess of young maize
- Xipe Totec - the god of the seasons, seed germination and renewal, considered the patron of goldworkers
- Xiuhcoatl (fire serpent or turquoise serpent) - embodiment of the sun's rays and emblem of Xiuhtecuhtli Xiuhtecuhtli -(also called Huehueteotl)
- Xochipilli - the young god of feasting, painting, dancing, games, and writing. Associated with Macuilxochitl and Cinteotl
- Xochiquetzal- goddess of love, beauty, female sexuality, prostitutes, flowers, pleasure, craft, weaving, and young mothers
- Xocotl - star god associated with fire
- Xolotl - canine companion of Quetzalcoatl and god of twins, sickness and deformity. Accompanies the dead to Mictlan
- Yacatecuhtli (also Yactecuhtli) - the god of merchants and travellers
By Rita Jean Moran (www.thelibrarykids.com)
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moctezuma_II
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec_mythology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenochtitlan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Mexico_City
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican-American_War
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quetzalcoatl
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Quetzalcoatl.jpg
It is bad idea to use wikipedia for your site.
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