The Aztec civilization flourished in central Mexico between c. 1345 and 1521 CE. The Aztecs worshipped an extensive pantheon of gods and goddesses, reflecting the importance of religion and myth in Aztec society. One of the most important Aztec gods associated with a hummingbird is Huitzilopochtli.
Huitzilopochtli was the supreme god of the Mexica tribe, who would later found the Aztec empire. He was associated with warfare, sacrifice, and the sun. Huitzilopochtli’s name contains the Nahuatl word “huitzilin,” meaning hummingbird. Images of Huitzilopochtli frequently depict him as a hummingbird or with hummingbird feathers.
Why was Huitzilopochtli associated with hummingbirds?
There are a few key reasons why Huitzilopochtli was linked to hummingbirds in Aztec mythology and iconography:
– Hummingbirds can hover in place and dart rapidly in different directions, representing Huitzilopochtli’s agility and speed as the patron of warriors.
– Aztecs believed hummingbirds communicated with and carried messages from the spirit world. As a god, Huitzilopochtli was seen as a messenger and intermediary between the mortal world and the divine.
– Hummingbirds have voracious appetites and drink nectar through long beaks, similar to how Huitzilopochtli was seen as needing “nourishment” from frequent human sacrifice.
– Hummingbirds have bright, iridescent plumage that flashes brightly in the sun. This correlates with Huitzilopochtli as a solar deity. The brilliant feathers also mirror Huitzilopochtli’s connections to royalty and martial strength.
What were Huitzilopochtli’s key attributes and mythic stories?
As the Aztec patron god of war and the sun, Huitzilopochtli possessed key attributes and myths:
– He wielded the weapon Xiuhcoatl, the turquoise serpent. This weapon was said to fire darts of the sun’s rays to defeat darkness and the Aztecs’ enemies.
– According to legend, Huitzilopochtli guided the Aztecs to found their city Tenochtitlan at the site where an eagle was devouring a snake on a cactus. This image is depicted on the Mexican flag today.
– He was said to battle his jealous sister Coyolxauhqui, dismembering her. The Templo Mayor in Tenochtitlan was built on the site of her defeat.
– Each day, Huitzilopochtli defeated the forces of darkness and emerged victoriously as the sun at midday. Aztec human sacrifices were intended to strengthen Huitzilopochtli so this cosmic victory could occur.
– The Templo Mayor, Aztec temples, and statues depicting Huitzilopochtli were often decorated with iridescent hummingbird feathers to honor him.
The Significance of Huitzilopochtli for the Aztecs
For the Aztecs, Huitzilopochtli was of paramount importance in both cosmic and earthly matters:
In Mythology
– He was the southern sun god who ruled over the Aztecs’ legendary homeland of Aztlán. In defeating his sister Coyolxauhqui, he embodied the power of the Mexica tribe over the older powers linked to Aztlán.
– Each day, he fought the forces of darkness to allow the sun to reach its peak at midday. He was seen as enabling the sun’s generative power to nourish crops and humans.
In Political and Military Matters
– As the Mexica patron, Huitzilopochtli legitimized their military expansion and right to rule over other Nahua city-states.
– He directed the Mexica’s founding of Tenochtitlan and prophesied their rise to dominance. Therefore, he was both the symbolic and divine embodiment of Aztec power.
– Huitzilopochtli’s support was conditional on providing sufficient human hearts and blood as sacrifice. Thus, the Aztec need to provide offerings to him drove their warfare and flower wars intended to capture enemy soldiers for sacrifice.
In Everyday Life
– Huitzilopochtli was one of the key deities honored in the monthly festival calendar, particularly during the spring month of Panquetzaliztli.
– He was one of the patron gods of the merchants and pochteca trader class. As a solar deity, he oversaw matters of commerce and material prosperity.
– The Mexica king was considered the living embodiment of Huitzilopochtli. Therefore, ensuring this god’s blessings through sacrifice and worship was directly linked to protecting the Aztec state.
Other Aztec Gods Associated with Hummingbirds
While Huitzilopochtli was the most prominent Aztec hummingbird deity, he was not the only one. Other Aztec gods linked to hummingbirds included:
Xochipilli
The Aztec god of art, games, beauty, dance, and song. He was depicted with hummingbird feathers on his head. Like hummingbirds, Xochipilli was associated with the entheogenic plants used by Aztec _temixcalti_ ritual specialists to induce trances.
Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli
The Aztec god of the dawn and the morning star. He was represented as a hummingbird perched on a flower drinking nectar. This imagery symbolized the renewal of each new day being “nourished” by the rising morning star.
Cinteotl
An Aztec deity associated with maize and fertility. Cinteotl was depicted with a headdress of hummingbird feathers and Bazaar Fly Orchids, representing vigor and vitality. As maize relied on nectar-feeding hummingbirds for pollination, Cinteotl had this avian association.
Chalchiuhtlicue
The Aztec goddess of rivers, lakes, and oceans. Chalchiuhtlicue’s name meant “she of the jade skirts.” Green hummingbird feathers were among the jewels decorating her aquatic blue-green attire, linking her to fast-moving waters.
Importance of Hummingbirds in Aztec Culture
Beyond specific gods, hummingbirds held broader symbolic importance in Aztec culture:
Vibrancy and Renewal
Hummingbirds’ vitality and consumption of nectar represented vibrancy and renewal to the Aztecs. Warriors and nobles wore hummingbird feathers to tap into this essence.
Royalty
The iridescent, shimmering feathers of hummingbirds were prized by Aztec royalty and elites. They were seen as messengers from the gods and embellished royal garb and headdresses.
Messengers Between Worlds
Aztecs saw hummingbirds as nimble creatures able to traverse between the terrestrial and spiritual worlds. They were portrayed as bringing messages from deities and ancestors.
Connections to Nature
Hummingbirds linked the Aztecs to the natural world, especially flowers, the sun, and springtime. Their importance in pollination connected them to the growth of plants and renewal of life.
Resplendence of Huitzilopochtli
As Huitzilopochtli’s avian incarnation, hummingbirds embodied the radiance of this solar deity and his energy as the Mexica patron god.
Conclusion
For the Aztecs, hummingbirds were multi-faceted symbols of vigor, royalty, and spiritual communication through their association with Huitzilopochtli and other deities. More broadly, they represented the vitality of the natural world, renewal, and the dual realms of the mundane and divine which the Aztecs sought to maintain in cosmic balance. Their iridescent feathers and nectar-drinking habits made them the perfect avian manifestation of the life-giving sun and its radiant patron god. Hummingbirds remain an iconic part of Mexico’s indigenous heritage and history to this day.
References
Key Sources
Author | Year | Title |
Townsend, Richard F. | 1992 | The Aztecs. |
Phillips, Charles | 2017 | Aztec Mythology. |
Matos Moctezuma, Eduardo | 2017 | Aztec Stone Sculpture. |
Additional References
– Anawalt, Patricia Rieff (1992). “The Emperors’ Cloak: Aztec Pomp, Toltec Circumstances”, American Antiquity, 57(2): 291-307.
– Carrasco, David (1999). City of Sacrifice: The Aztec Empire and the Role of Violence in Civilization. Boston: Beacon Press.
– Leon-Portilla, Miguel (1992). Fifteen Poets of the Aztec World. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.
– Matos Moctezuma, Eduardo (1988). The Great Temple of the Aztecs. London: Thames & Hudson.
– Mundy, Barbara (2015). The Death of Aztec Tenochtitlan, the Life of Mexico City. Austin: University of Texas Press.
– Smith, Michael (1996). The Aztecs. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers.