History Literature / Aztec

* EatTheDog: A literal example. The Mexica brought chihuahuas on their war campaigns, as a self-transporting food source that also kept snakes and pests away from the camp site.

* ArcherArchetype: Arrow Knights are noted to be given the rank of Knight in the Mexica army not for the number of kills and captures they have made, but by how well they can use the bow and arrow.

* ForTheEvulz: Everything Jadestone Doll does, pretty much. Also Pedro de Alvarado. Both of these examples were TruthInTelevision.

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Two instances during the "childhood arc" stand out for later significance:
** Tzitzi's aforementioned punishment for being caught masturbating and Mixtli's wondering about the metaphorical significance of what was done to her, considering how her life turned out.
** During the boys' circle-jerk games, Mixtli notices that [[spoiler:Chimali and Tlatli]] often do it to each other rather than themselves; the readers catch the significance of this long before Mixtli does, given his age at the time. The other boys also poke fun at Mixtli for his poor performance during these games, not knowing that it's due to his and Tzitzi's relationship.

* WeCanRuleTogether: Cortez makes this offer to the Tlaxcala. [[YouShouldKnowThisAlready He's lying.]]

''Aztec'' is a 1980 historical fiction novel written by Creator/GaryJennings. It is the highly lengthy life story of a noble Aztec (more properly Mexica) man named Mixtli, or "Dark Cloud." After the Spanish Conquest, Mixtli is asked by the Bishop of New Spain to tell his life story to a group of friars who are recording his story for the King of Spain. The novel is notable for being one of the first ever depictions in media of the Aztecs as heroes, rather than villains, though certainly there are plenty of both among the Mexica pre-Conquest. It is also notable for not shying away from graphic depictions of both sex and violence (and sometimes both at once), as might be expected from a society like that of the Mexica.

** Malintzin, in the last arc. The character is based upon a real-life person who was blamed, in part, for selling out the Mexica and others to Cortez' conquistadors. Mixtli himself muses that in hindsight, if he'd been able to kill her at any point, things might have turned out different.

** It goes UpToEleven as Mixtli recalls her spanking Tzitzi with ''nettles'' when she was a child for dreamily murmuring "I hear drums and music playing. I wonder where they're dancing tonight." To their mother, that apparently counted as immodesty.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: For starters, we have: Mixtli, Tzitzitlini, Chimali, Tlatli, Head Nodder, Blood Glutton, Cacao-bean man, Cozcatl, Jadestone Doll, Nezahualpili, Ahuitzotl, Red Heron, Lord Joy, Huexotl, Black Flower, Xococ, Something Delicate, Armed Scorpion...and that's only the first two arcs.

** TruthInTelevision: Historians of Aztec history have noted that Tlacopan was indeed somewhat of a puppet state, keeping balance between the two more powerful cities.
* IAteWhat : Mixtli's description of some of the "delicacies" found among his wanderings. Some examples include excreted [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitaya pitaya seeds]], the intoxicating urine of one of the tribal chiefs, and a stew made from dried (human) baby meat.
** Averted with [[ImAHumanitarian human meat]], as Mixtli explains the ritual of warriors eating their captives to gain their strength in battle. It's no surprise to him, but it horrifies the Catholic bishop and scribes.

* GoldSilverCopperStandard : An unusual case. The standard trading currency is ''cacao beans'' rather than coins, but a certain number of cacao beans equals an amount of gold dust, which is kept in the shafts of quills.

** While the Mexica themselves hold homosexuals in contempt (considering them "unmanly," the fact that [[spoiler:Chimali and Tlatli]] are gay ends up having significant impacts on the plot.

* PowerTrio: During the "travel arc," we have the three travelers: Blood Glutton (Id), Mixtli (Ego), and Cozcatl (Superego).

* DullSurprise: Mixtli sees most of the sacrifice rituals this way. Then again, he was raised in the culture, so it's probably [[JustifiedTrope Justified.]]

* FaceHeelTurn: [[spoiler: Chimali]], Malintzin, and Montecuzoma (sorta). Mention is also made of the Texcalteca, who were never conquered by the Triple Alliance and had grown up resentful of its powers. They aided the Spaniards in their conquest.

* HeavenSeeker : Mixtli explains that the best insurance for a great afterlife is to die an heroic death, on the battlefield or as a sacrifice (or in childbirth for women). [[spoiler: Cozcatl, when he finds out he has leprosy, chooses to join the military and walks straight onto an enemy spear.]]

* KickTheDog: Happens repeatedly to Mixtli, especially regarding his ultimate fate. See Break The Haughty above. Also, arguably done to the Mexica as a whole by the Spaniards.

* TakeThat: At medieval Catholicism, European imperialism, the supposed superiority of Western culture, and sterotypes of Native Americans, among others.
* TheHeroDies: Goes hand-in-hand with the ForegoneConclusion.
* TheHerosJourney: The third "arc" focuses on this.

* AcquiredPoisonImmunity: During a journey, Mixtli's group all take a snakebite prevention medicine, which involves being injected with venom from a tooth of each kind of poisonous snake. The doctor who performs the procedure advises Mixtli that his bite will now be venomous; when he finds out it's not, he assumes he is not immune to snakebite.

[[caption-width-right:250:“Of all that I have possessed in my life, my memories are the only things remaining to me. Indeed, I believe that memories are the only real treasure any human can hope to hold always.”]]

->'''Mixtli:''' ...And I concluded with the words I had heard in various languages everywhere:\\
"The Azteca were here, but they brought nothing with them, and they left nothing where they went."

** Tepetzalan. [[spoiler:After Tzitzi is found not to be a virgin and taken away, he throws himself into the quarry where he works.]]

* GoLookAtTheDistraction: As a child, Mixtli's friends often did this to him to tease him for being nearsighted.

* BadassGay: Nochéztli.