The Aztec civilization flourished in central Mexico between the 14th and 16th centuries CE. The Aztecs had a rich mythology and religious beliefs that included various deities, supernatural creatures, and connections between the natural world and the realm of the gods. Hummingbirds held particular significance for the Aztecs and were featured prominently in their legends, artwork, and spiritual practices.
The Hummingbird God
The most important Aztec hummingbird deity was Huitzilopochtli, the god of war, sun, and human sacrifice. According to Aztec mythology, Huitzilopochtli’s mother Coatlicue became miraculously pregnant after keeping in her bosom a ball of hummingbird feathers that fell from the sky. Huitzilopochtli was born fully grown and armed for battle to defeat his sister Coyolxauhqui and her brothers the Centzon Huitznahuas, who intended to kill Coatlicue for her pregnancy.
Huitzilopochtli triumphed, dismembering his sister and casting her body into the sky to become the moon. As the patron of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec empire, Huitzilopochtli was one of the most revered Aztec gods. The Templo Mayor, the great dual pyramid temple in the heart of Tenochtitlan, was dedicated to him and the agricultural god Tlaloc.
The Resplandor Flower Legend
According to Aztec legend, the hummingbird got its bright, shiny feathers from the resplandor flower. When the world was first created, all living things – birds, animals, and plants – were dull and colorless. The old gods wished to brighten up the world, so they chose one bird to go on a perilous quest to Mictlan, the underworld, to retrieve the coveted resplandor flower whose petals gave off a magical iridescence.
All the birds were afraid to volunteer except for the smallest and most valiant – the hummingbird. Through its courage and speed, the tiny hummingbird managed to reach Mictlan, seize the resplandor flower in its beak, and make it safely back to the realm of the living. But during its arduous journey, some of the vibrant petals rubbed off the hummingbird’s feathers, giving the bird its distinctive colorful, shimmering appearance.
To reward the hummingbird for its heroic deed, the gods decreed that it could live happily enjoying the nectar of flowers. The Aztecs believed this myth explained why hummingbirds had brilliant, metallic feathers and why they were constantly flitting from flower to flower feeding on nectar.
The Spiritual Meaning of Hummingbirds
For the Aztecs, hummingbirds symbolized vigor, energy, and vitality. Aztec warriors and nobles wore stylized hummingbird motifs on their costumes and carried hummingbird images on banners into battle. Due to their association with the sun god Huitzilopochtli, hummingbirds represented the virile warrior ethos, aggressiveness, and the fearsome power of the Aztec military. Killing a hummingbird was considered an extremely grave offense.
Hummingbirds also symbolized joy and celebration. Their iridescent feathers and acrobatic flying abilities embodied the dazzling exuberance of song, dance, and poetry. Hummingbirds were linked to the soul’s journey after death – the long arduous path to reach the flower-filled paradise of the afterlife. Their tireless fluttering from blossom to blossom reminded the Aztecs of the soul’s difficult passage to eternal rest.
The Goddess of Weaving and Childbirth
A more benevolent hummingbird deity was Xochiquetzal, goddess of weaving, childbirth, and fertility. She was sometimes portrayed accompanied by hummingbirds, who were seen as symbols of new life and procreation. Xochiquetzal was associated with flowers, plants, and young mothers, so the presence of hummingbirds reinforced connections to blooming, fruitfulness, and the cycle of birth. Hummingbirds dyst around Xochiquetzal in Aztec art may represent souls of infants or miscarried children from Mictlan ascending to new life.
Calendar Significance
The Aztecs divided their ritual calendar into 20 day signs, similar to the Western zodiac. The tenth day sign Ozomatli was represented by the image of a hummingbird. Individuals born on this day were believed to have energetic, mercurial personalities and be talkative, intelligent, and creative. However, they could also be prone to gossiping, lying, and henpecking. The hummingbird gave these Ozomatli born people a complex combination of positive and negative traits.
Hummingbirds in Aztec Poetry
Hummingbirds frequently appeared in Aztec poetry as metaphors for warriors and the concept of divine inspiration. Just as hummingbirds were nimble and aggressive despite their small size, so too were Aztec soldiers meant to demonstrate courage and fierceness on the battlefield. And the seemingly frenetic and madcap darting of hummingbirds from flower to flower was compared to poetic creativity and lyrical improvisation by Aztec poet-artists.
Jewelry and Ornamentation
The elite of Aztec society adorned themselves with luxurious jewelry and ornaments featuring hummingbird motifs. Nobles wore gold and jade necklaces, earrings, and pendants shaped like hummingbirds. Aztec kings were buried with magnificent hummingbird jewelry symbolizing their royal power and divinity. This jewelry was made with gold, exotic hummingbird feathers, gemstones, and pieces of bone shaped like hummingbirds.
Warriors from the elite Jaguar and Eagle knightly orders, as well as royal guardsmen, wore partial hummingbird suits made with actual hummingbird feathers. These ensembles displayed the fearsome predatory nature of hummingbirds and their associations with war and the sun.
Conclusion
For the Aztecs, hummingbirds were powerful symbols of vigor, war, rulership, and the fleeting nature of life. Their prevalent appearance in Aztec religion, mythology, art, and poetry shows how these tiny, enigmatic birds captured the Aztec imagination. With their supernatural speed, iridescent plumage, and seemingly boundless energy, hummingbirds perfectly embodied key aspects of the Aztec understanding of the world and the spiritual realms beyond it.
