History Myth / AztecMythology

** The Aztec view of good and evil was considered strange ''even by neighboring groups with similar cultures and religious systems''. Most of their neighbors though they'd gone off the deep end when it came to human sacrifices, for instance. While blood sacrifices were ubiquitous in the region (and sometimes consisted of just blood drawn through specially inflicted wounds), the Aztecs were known to wage wars for the purpose of acquiring sacrificial victims, and on some particularly important occasions would sacrifice thousands of people ''in a day''.

Mesoamerican culture, as a whole, is [[{{Mayincatec}} often poorly understood among the general populace]]. Part of it is the fact that the names of the gods are [[TheUnpronounceable long and hard to pronounce]].[[note]]But see the notes for some quick-and-dirty help. Really, the names aren't so bad, once you get the hang of them. Take it one syllable at a time, use Spanish phonemes, and remember that (as in Spanish) the accent usually falls on the penultimate syllable unless there's an accent mark, in which case the accent falls there instead. Unlike Spanish, "tl" is pronounced as one sound, somewhat like a mix between English "ch/tch" and Welsh "ll", [tɬ] in IPA. Also, "x" is pronounced like English "sh" [ʃ], and "h" is pronounced like the stop [ʔ] in "uh-oh".[[/note]] Part of it is that it's a very complex and, [[BlueAndOrangeMorality to European sensibilities]], insane belief system. Indeed, the whole notion that deities are both good and bad and that all that is created is created as a duality is a very important aspect of pre-Columbian ideology, and something the conquistadors had a hard time wrapping their heads around (as do, to this day, [[{{Mayincatec}} several movie directors]]). Most importantly, however, is the sacrifices. Their rich culture and mythological tradition is usually boiled down to "[[HumanSacrifice They'd sacrifice folks]]." And yes, they did practice human sacrifice to a scale and creativity possibly unique in human history. But this wasn't the only defining feature of their religion, and indeed they believed there was [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt a damn good reason for it]].

Then, a bunch of Spaniards came. A lot has been writen about the idea that the Aztecs might have confused them for gods, or, more specifically, that they assumed conquistador Hernán Cortés to be the reincarnation of Quetzalcoatl. However, the history is rather spotty and it's plagued with ambiguous sources, bias from the conquistadors themselves, and straight up myths that have popped up through the centuries, dating as far back as the conquest. The best account most modern historians can agree on is that some mesoamerican peoples probably assumed that the Spaniards were either supernatural beings or aided by supernatural forces (the Nahuatl word they used, ''teotl'', could indicate a god, a spirit, or simply something or someone extraordinary, similarly to a Greek hero). And some of those same people may have believed Cortés was Quetzalcoatl, but it's entirely possible they only did so ''after'' the Aztec Empire had fallen, as a retroactive way of framing and mythologizing the conquest[[note]] [[https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1rgsfl/is_there_any_truth_to_the_commonly_cited_fact/ Here]]'s a brief breakdown of the general consensus on the matter[[/note]]. Whatever the case, Cortés and other conquistadors alied themselves with the Aztecs' enemies and conquered Tenochtitlán, beginning the conquest and colonization of Central America and later of most of the Americas.

Mesoamerican culture, as a whole, is [[{{Mayincatec}} often poorly understood among the general populace]]. Part of it is the fact that the names of the gods are [[TheUnpronounceable long and hard to pronounce]].[[note]]But see the notes for some quick-and-dirty help. Really, the names aren't so bad, once you get the hang of them. Take it one syllable at a time, use Spanish phonemes, and remember that (as in Spanish) the accent usually falls on the penultimate syllable unless there's an accent mark, in which case the accent falls there instead. Unlike Spanish, "tl" is pronounced as one sound, somewhat like a mix between English "ch/tch" and Welsh "ll", [tɬ] in IPA. Also, "x" is pronounced like English "sh" [ʃ], and "h" is pronounced like the stop [ʔ] in "uh-oh".[[/note]] Part of it is that it's a very complex and, [[BlueAndOrangeMorality to European sensibilities]], insane belief system. Indeed, the whole notion that deities are both good and bad and that all that is created is created as a duality is a very important aspect of pre-Colombian ideology, and something the conquistadors had a hard time wrapping their heads around (as do, to this day, [[{{Mayincatec}} several movie directors]]). Most importantly, however, is the sacrifices. Their rich culture and mythological tradition is usually boiled down to "[[HumanSacrifice They'd sacrifice folks]]." And yes, they did practice human sacrifice to a scale and creativity possibly unique in human history. But this wasn't the only defining feature of their religion, and indeed they believed there was [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt a damn good reason for it]].

* HumanSacrifice: The Aztecs are infamous for this. Ripping out hearts of war prisoners on a massive scale was the standard fare. Ceremonies to bring rain required the deaths of crying children (and yes, they HAD to be crying). Harvest festivals involved sacrifice victims being flayed alive and their skins being worn by priests. The "Festival of New Fire" involved a couple being married, then thrown onto a giant bonfire. However, while rituals definitely took a toll on the population (to the point that warfare was primarily based on acquiring victims), the overwhelming majority of sacrifices were simply bloodletting, to the point that some gods never had casualties in their name. Granted, when bloodletting includes piercing your ''[[GroinAttack genitalia,]]'' you might start to wonder if it's better than death...

Mesoamerican culture, as a whole, is [[{{Mayincatec}} often poorly understood among the general populace]]. Part of it is the fact that the names of the gods are [[TheUnpronounceable long and hard to pronounce]].[[note]]But see the notes for some quick-and-dirty help. Really, the names aren't so bad, once you get the hang of them. Take it one syllable at a time, use Spanish phonemes, and remember that (as in Spanish) the accent usually falls on the penultimate syllable unless there's an accent mark, in which case the accent falls there instead. Unlike Spanish, "tl" is pronounced as one sound, somewhat like a mix between English "ch/tch" and Welsh "ll", [tɬ] in IPA. Also, "x" is pronounced like English "sh" [ʃ], and "h" is pronounced like the stop [ʔ] in "uh-oh".[[/note]] Part of it is that it's a very complex and, [[BlueAndOrangeMorality to European sensibilities]], insane belief system. Indeed, the whole notion that deities are both good and bad and that all that is created is created as a duality is a very important aspect of pre-Colombian ideology, and something the conquistadors had a hard time wrapping their heads around (as do, to this day, [[{{Mayincatec}} several movie directors]]). Most importantly, however, is the sacrifices. Their rich culture and mythological tradition is usually boiled down to "[[HumanSacrifice They'd sacrifice folks]]." And yes, they did practice human sacrifice to a scale and creativity possibly unique in human history. But this wasn't the only defining feature of the folklore, and indeed, they believed there was [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt a damn good reason for it]].

Mesoamerican culture, as a whole, is [[{{Mayincatec}} often poorly understood among the general populace]]. Part of it is the fact that the names of the gods are [[TheUnpronounceable long and hard to pronounce]].[[note]]But see the notes for some quick-and-dirty help. Really, the names aren't so bad, once you get the hang of them. Take it one syllable at a time, use Spanish phonemes, and remember that (as in Spanish) the accent usually falls on the penultimate syllable unless there's an accent mark, in which case the accent falls there instead. Unlike Spanish, "tl" is pronounced as one sound, somewhat like a mix between English "ch/tch" and Welsh "ll", [tɬ] in IPA. Also, "x" is pronounced like English "sh" [ʃ], and "h" is pronounced like the stop [ʔ] in "uh-oh".[[/note]] Part of it is that it's a very complex and, [[BlueAndOrangeMorality to European sensibilities]], insane belief system. Indeed, the whole notion that deities are both good and bad and that all that is created is created as a duality is a very important aspect of pre-Colombian ideology, and something the conquistadors had a hard time wrapping their heads around (as do, to this day, [[{{Mayincatec}} several movie directors]]). Most importantly, however, it's the sacrifices. Their rich culture and mythological tradition is usually boiled down to "[[HumanSacrifice They'd sacrifice folks]]." And yes, they did practice human sacrifice to a scale and creativity possibly unique in human history. But this wasn't the only defining feature of the folklore, and indeed, they believed there was [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt a damn good reason for it]].

* HumanSacrifice: The Aztecs are infamous for this. Ripping out hearts of war prisoners on a massive scale was the standard fare. Ceremonies to bring rain required the deaths of crying children (and yes, they HAD to be crying). Harvest festivals involved sacrifice victims being flayed alive and their skins being worn by priests. The "Festival of New Fire" involved a couple being married, then thrown onto a giant bonfire. However, while rituals definitely took a toll on the population (to the point that warfare was primarily based on acquiring victims), the overwhelming majority of sacrifices were simply bloodletting, to the point that some gods never had casualties in their name. Granted, when bloodletting includes piercing your ''genitalia'', you might start to wonder if it's better than death...

Mesoamerican culture, as a whole, is [[{{Mayincatec}} often poorly understood among the general populace]]. Part of it is the fact that the names of the gods are [[TheUnpronounceable long and hard to pronounce]].[[note]]But see the notes for some quick-and-dirty help. Really, the names aren't so bad, once you get the hang of them. Take it one syllable at a time, use Spanish phonemes, and remember that (as in Spanish) the accent usually falls on the penultimate syllable unless there's an accent mark, in which case the accent falls there instead. Unlike Spanish, "tl" is pronounced as one sound, somewhat like a mix between English "ch/tch" and Welsh "ll", [tɬ] in IPA. Also, "x" is pronounced like English "sh" [ʃ], and "h" is pronounced like the stop [ʔ] in "uh-oh".[[/note]] Part of it is that it's a very complex and, [[BlueAndOrangeMorality to European sensibilities]], insane belief system. Indeed, the whole notion that deities are both good and bad and that all that is created is created as a duality is a very important aspect of pre-Colombian ideology, and something the conquistadors had a hard time wrapping their heads around (as do, to this day, [[{{Mayincatec}} several movie directors]]). Most importantly, however, it's the sacrifices. Their rich culture and mythological tradition is usually boiled down to "[[HumanSacrifice They'd sacrifice folks]]." And yes, they did practice human sacrifice to a scale and creativity almost unique in human history. But this wasn't the only defining feature of the folklore, and indeed, they believed there was [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt a damn good reason for it]].

Mesoamerican culture, as a whole, is [[{{Mayincatec}} often poorly understood among the general populace]]. Part of it is the fact that the names of the gods are [[TheUnpronounceable long and hard to pronounce]].[[note]]But see the notes for some quick-and-dirty help. Really, the names aren't so bad, once you get the hang of them. Take it one syllable at a time, use Spanish phonemes, and remember that (as in Spanish) the accent usually falls on the penultimate syllable unless there's an accent mark, in which case the accent falls there instead. Unlike Spanish, "tl" is pronounced as one sound, somewhat like a mix between English "ch/tch" and Welsh "ll", [tɬ] in IPA. Also, "x" is pronounced like English "sh" [ʃ], and "h" is pronounced like the stop [ʔ] in "uh-oh".[[/note]] Part of it is that it's a very complex and, [[BlueAndOrangeMorality to European sensibilities]], insane belief system. Indeed, the whole notion that deities are both good and bad and that all that is created is created as a duality is a very important aspect of pre-Colombian ideology, and something the conquistadors had a hard time wrapping their heads around (as do, to this day, [[{{Mayincatec}} several movie directors]]). Most importantly, however, it's the sacrifices. Their rich culture and mythological tradition is usually boiled down to "[[HumanSacrifice They'd sacrifice folks]]." Yes, they did practice human sacrifice to a scale and creativity almost unique in human history. But this wasn't the only defining feature of the folklore, and indeed, they believed there was [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt a damn good reason for it]].

Mesoamerican culture, as a whole, is [[{{Mayincatec}} often poorly understood among the general populace]]. Part of it is the fact that the names of the gods are [[TheUnpronounceable long and hard to pronounce]][[note]]But see the notes for some quick-and-dirty help. Really, the names aren't so bad, once you get the hang of them--take it one syllable at a time, use Spanish phonemes, and remember that (as in Spanish) the accent usually falls on the penultimate syllable unless there's an accent mark, in which case the accent falls there instead. Unlike Spanish, "tl" is pronounced as one sound, somewhat like a mix between English "ch/tch" and Welsh "ll", [tɬ] in IPA. Also, "x" is pronounced like English "sh" [ʃ], and "h" is pronounced like the stop [ʔ] in "uh-oh"[[/note]]. Part of it is that it's a very complex and, [[BlueAndOrangeMorality to European sensibilities]], insane belief system. Indeed, the whole notion that deities are both good and bad and that all that is created is created as a duality is a very important aspect of pre-Colombian ideology, and something the conquistadors had a hard time wrapping their heads around (as do, to this day, [[{{Mayincatec}} several movie directors]]). Most importantly, however, it's the sacrifices. Their rich culture and mythological tradition is usually boiled down to "[[HumanSacrifice They'd sacrifice folks]]." And yes, they did practice human sacrifice to a scale and creativity almost unique in human history. But this wasn't the only defining feature of the folklore, and, indeed, there was [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt a damn good reason for it]].

First of all, let it be known that the Aztecs were never called "Aztecs" in their time. They were known as the [[OlderThanTheyThink Mexica]]. The various ethnic groups of Central Mexico were generally known as the Nahua[[note]] (say):"NA-hwa"[[/note]], and their language is called Nahuatl[[note]] (say):"na-HWA-tle"[[/note]] meaning "Clear Speech". The Mexica [[note]] (say):"meh-SHEE-ka"[[/note]] (Mēxihcah in Nahuatl) that dominated the valley of Central Mexico at the time of European contact only migrated there sometime in the mid 1200s, from an unknown northern area that they referred to as Aztlán. Much of their culture was adopted from the surrounding civilizations, or descended from older ones like the Toltecs.

The most important two gods for the Aztec myths are '''Quetzalcoatl'''[[note]] (say):"kett-sal-COH-awe-tull"[[/note]], the Plumed Serpent, and '''Tezcatlipoca'''[[note]] (say):"tess-kawt-lee-POKE-ah"[[/note]], the Smoking Mirror. These [[CainAndAbel brothers]] were two [[ArchEnemy archenemies]] and most of the Aztec myth revolves around the two of them fighting each other. Quetzalcoatl was the god of wind, dawn, the morning star (aka Venus), knowledge, arts, and crafts, and one of the oldest gods, dating back to the Olmec. Tezcatlipoca was the [[TricksterArchetype trickster god]] of night, magic, slaves, earth, war, discord, rulership, and a host of others. On different versions they are either the two first brother gods, the elder of the first four brother gods or even the same being in antonym aspects battling with himself, indeed "Black Quetzalcoatl" is a name sometimes given to Tezcatlipoca, and "White Tezcatlipoca" is another name for Quetzalcoatl. Once the Spanish arrived, they marked the two as "[[BlackAndWhiteMorality good and evil]]" respectively, but to the Aztec sensibilities, [[BlueAndOrangeMorality neither of them was necessarily "better" than the other, they were just different and on opposite sides.]] Most famously, Quetzalcoatl [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything became a human]] and [[VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory ruled as a king of Tula]], the home of the Toltec people. He was a wise and peaceful ruler who ushered in a golden age... and as a result, none of the other gods were being given tribute. Outraged, Tezcatlipoca came to earth, wormed his way into Quetzalcoatl's council by [[ManipulativeBastard smooth-talking the right people]], [[SpringtimeForHitler winning unwinnable battles]], and [[RefugeInAudacity seducing noblewomen]]. He managed to get Quetzalcoatl rip-roaring drunk, and as a result, he ended up [[BrotherSisterIncest sleeping with his sister]], '''Quetzalpetlatl'''[[note]] (say):"ket-sal-pet-LOT-ull"[[/note]]. Ashamed, Quetzalcoatl went into self-imposed exile, then killed himself on a funeral pyre, came back to life, and finally sailed east on a raft of snakes, [[KingInTheMountain promising to return someday]].

* BewareTheSillyOnes: Without doubt, Huehuecoyotl[[note]](say):weh-weh-koh-YOT-ull[[/note]]. Sure, he was an [[TheTrickster incorrigible prankster]] whose tricks [[HoistbyHisOwnPetard backfired more often than not]] and caused more damage to him than his victims, and actively [[PalsWithJesus treated his worshipers as close friends]]. However, do not mistake his bad luck and laid-backness for harmlessness -- he was shapeshifter capable of changing the fate of man (regardless to the other gods' will), and he was famous for starting wars among mortals [[ItAmusedMe for fun]].

* TricksterArchetype: Tezcatlipoca (again), and Huehuecoyotl, which is fitting as he's an old coyote-man that loves to party.

Mesoamerican culture, as a whole, is [[{{Mayincatec}} often poorly understood among the general populace]]. Part of it is the fact that the names of the gods are [[TheUnpronounceable long and hard to pronounce]][[note]]But see the notes for some quick-and-dirty help. Really, the names aren't so bad, once you get the hang of them--take it one syllable at a time, use Spanish phonemes, and remember that (as in Spanish) the accent usually falls on the penultimate syllable unless there's an accent mark, in which case the accent falls there instead. Unlike Spanish, "tl" is pronounced as one sound, somewhat like a mix between English "ch/tch" and Welsh "ll", [tɬ] in IPA. Also, "x" is pronounced like English "sh" [ʃ], and "h" is pronounced like the stop [ʔ] in "uh-oh".[[/note]]. Part of it is that it's a very complex and, [[BlueAndOrangeMorality to European sensibilities]], insane belief system. Indeed, the whole notion that deities are both good and bad and that all that is created is created as a duality is a very important aspect of pre-Colombian ideology, and something the conquistadors had a hard time wrapping their heads around (as do, to this day, [[{{Mayincatec}} several movie directors]]). Most importantly, however, it's the sacrifices. Their rich culture and mythological tradition is usually boiled down to "[[HumanSacrifice They'd sacrifice folks]]." And yes, they did practice human sacrifice to a scale and creativity almost unique in human history. But this wasn't the only defining feature of the folklore, and, indeed, there was [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt a damn good reason for it]].

First of all, let it be known that the Aztecs were never called "Aztecs" in their time. They were known as the [[OlderThanTheyThink Mexica]]. The various ethnic groups of Central Mexico were generally known as the Nahua[[note]] (say):[ˈnaː.wa][[/note]], and their language is called Nahuatl[[note]] (say):[ˈnaː.watɬ][[/note]] meaning "Clear Speech". The Mexica (Mēxihcah[[note]] (say):[meː.ˈʃiʔ.kaʔ][[/note]] in Nahuatl) that dominated the valley of Central Mexico at the time of European contact only migrated there sometime in the mid 1200s, from an unknown northern area that they referred to as Aztlán. Much of their culture was adopted from the surrounding civilizations, or descended from older ones like the Toltecs.

When they first arrived in the Central Valley[[note]]also referred to as the Valley of Mexico[[/note]], a number of city-states had been established, and the Mexica wandered around, staying in each city-state earning their keep as mercenaries until they inevitably offended their hosts in some way. In one notable legend, the Mexica asked the ruler of the city-state of Culhuacan (Cōlhuácān[[note]] (say):[koːl.ˈwaʔ.kaːn][[/note]] in Nahuatl), who they were vassals of at the time, for one of his daughters. The king granted it thinking it was a political marriage he was accepting, but when he got invited to a festivity, which he thought was said marriage, he was met with the high priest of the Mexica wearing the flayed skin of his daughter; they had actually asked for her to be a sacrifice. Following this [[EpicFail incredible faux pas]], the Mexica were banished to a swampy area of Lake Texcoco (Tetzcohco [[note]](say):[tets.ˈkoʔ.ko][[/note]], [[ReassignmentBackfire with the belief that they'd starve there]]. According to Mexica myth, their patron god told them to [[StartMyOwn build a new city]] on a spot where they'll find [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything an eagle eating a serpent while perched on a prickly pear cactus]]. They saw this happen on top of a small island way out in the middle of the lake. Undaunted, they began to build the city of Cuauhmixtitlán[[note]] (say):"coo-wow-meesh-tee-TLAN"[[/note]], Place of the Eagle Between the Clouds, later renamed Tenochtitlán[[note]] (say):"ten-oach-tee-TLAN"[[/note]], the Place of the Prickly Pear Cactus (in honor to their first high priest Tenoch[[note]] (say):"ten-OACH"[[/note]]), and its twin city Tlatelolco[[note]] (say):"tlah-teh-LOL-co"[[/note]], Place of the Mound of Sand, home of the largest market in the Americas. And thus began the rise of the Mexica, forming later the Triple Alliance with neighboring city-states of Texcoco and Tlacopan, beginning what is now known as the Aztec Empire. Mexico City is there today.

First of all, let it be known that the Aztecs were never called "Aztecs" in their time. They were known as the [[OlderThanTheyThink Mexica]]. The various ethnic groups of Central Mexico were generally known as the Nahua[[note]] (say):[ˈnaː.wa][[/note]], and their language is called Nahuatl[[note]] (say):[ˈnaː.watɬ][[/note]] meaning "Clear Speech". The Mexica (Mēxihcah[[note]] (say):[meː.ˈʃiʔ.kaʔ][[/note]] in Nahuatl) that dominated the valley of Central Mexico at the time of European contact only migrated there sometime in the mid 1200s, from an unknown northern area that they referred to as Aztlán[[note]] (say):[as.ˈtɬaːn][[/note]]. Much of their culture was adopted from the surrounding civilizations, or descended from older ones like the Toltecs.

Mesoamerican culture, as a whole, is [[{{Mayincatec}} often poorly understood among the general populace]]. Part of it is the fact that the names of the gods are [[TheUnpronounceable long and hard to pronounce]][[note]]But see the notes for some quick-and-dirty help. Really, the names aren't so bad, once you get the hang of them--take it one syllable at a time, use Spanish phonemes, and remember that (as in Spanish) the accent usually falls on the penultimate syllable unless there's an accent mark, in which case the accent falls there instead. Unlike Spanish, "tl" is pronounced as one sound, somewhat like a mix between English "ch/tch" and Welsh "ll", [tɬ] in IPA. Also, "x" is pronounced like English "sh" [ʃ], and "h" is pronounced like the stop [ʔ] in "uh-oh".[[/note]]. Part of it is that it's a very complex and, [[BlueAndOrangeMorality to European sensibilities]], insane belief system. Indeed, the whole notion that deities are both good and bad and that all that is created is created as a duality is a very important aspect of pre-Colombian ideology, and something the conquistadors had a hard time wrapping their heads around (as do, to this day, [[{{Mayincatec}} several movie directors]]). Most importantly, however, it's the sacrifices. Their rich culture and mythological tradition is usually boiled down to "[[HumanSacrifice They'd sacrifice folks]]." And yes, they did practice human sacrifice to a scale and creativity previously unseen by humanity. But this wasn't the only defining feature of the folklore, and, indeed, there was [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt a damn good reason for it]].

Then, a bunch of Spaniards came, following a couple of bad omens (such as a comet, Moctezuma's dream of white people mounted on deer, and the Temple of Huitzilopochtli catching fire). [[PropheticFallacy By extreme coincidence, this was around the time that Quetzalcoatl said he would return. Being that they arrived from the east, where Quetzalcoatl went in exile, and that Quetzalcoatl was often envisioned with a beard]], [[MistakenForGods Moctezuma was incredibly spooked]], and sent the Spaniards gold in hopes they would be satisfied and leave, rather than sending troops to outright kill him. This ambivalence, combined with the fact that the Mexica had a bad reputation among their conquered foes, allowed Cortez to amass an army of natives and enter Tenochtitlan as guests. Things went downhill for the Aztecs from there.

Mesoamerican culture, as a whole, is [[{{Mayincatec}} often poorly understood among the general populace]]. Part of it is the fact that the names of the gods are [[TheUnpronounceable long and hard to pronounce]][[note]]But see the notes for some quick-and-dirty help. Really, the names aren't so bad, once you get the hang of them--take it one syllable at a time, use Spanish phonemes, and remember that (as in Spanish) the accent usually falls on the penultimate syllable unless there's an accent mark, in which case the accent falls there instead. Unlike Spanish, "tl" is pronounced as one sound, somewhat like a mix between English "ch/tch" and Welsh "ll", [tɬ] in IPA. Also, "x" is pronounced like English "sh" [ʃ], and "h" is pronounced like the stop [ʔ] in "uh-oh".[[/note]]. Part of it is that it's a very complex and, [[BlueAndOrangeMorality to European sensibilities]], insane belief system. Indeed, the whole notion that deities are both good and bad and that all that is created is created as a duality is a very important aspect of pre-Colombian ideology, and something the conquistadors had a hard time wrapping their heads around (as do, to this day, [[{{Mayincatec}} several movie directors]]). Most importantly, however, it's the sacrifices. Their rich culture and mythological tradition is usually boiled down to "[[HumanSacrifice They'd sacrifice folks]]." And, yes, they did practice human sacrifice to a scale and creativity previously unseen by humanity. But this wasn't the only defining feature of the folklore, and, indeed, there was [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt a damn good reason for it]].

Mesoamerican culture, as a whole, is [[{{Mayincatec}} often poorly understood among the general populace]]. Part of it is the fact that the names of the gods are [[TheUnpronounceable long and hard to pronounce]][[note]]But see the notes for some quick-and-dirty help. Really, the names aren't so bad, once you get the hang of them--take it one syllable at a time, use Spanish phonemes, and remember that (as in Spanish) the accent usually falls on the penultimate syllable unless there's an accent mark, in which case the accent falls there instead. Unlike Spanish, "tl" is pronounced as one sound, somewhat like a mix between English "ch/tch" and Welsh "ll". Also, "x" is pronounced like English "sh", and "h" is pronounced like the stop in "uh-oh".[[/note]]. Part of it is that it's a very complex and, [[BlueAndOrangeMorality to European sensibilities]], insane belief system. Indeed, the whole notion that deities are both good and bad and that all that is created is created as a duality is a very important aspect of pre-Colombian ideology, and something the conquistadors had a hard time wrapping their heads around (as do, to this day, [[{{Mayincatec}} several movie directors]]). Most importantly, however, it's the sacrifices. Their rich culture and mythological tradition is usually boiled down to "[[HumanSacrifice They'd sacrifice folks]]." And, yes, they did practice human sacrifice to a scale and creativity previously unseen by humanity. But this wasn't the only defining feature of the folklore, and, indeed, there was [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt a damn good reason for it]].

First of all, let it be known that the Aztecs were never called "Aztecs" in their time. They were known as the [[OlderThanTheyThink Mexica]]. The various ethnic groups of Central Mexico were generally known as the Nahua[[note]] (say):"NAH-wah"[[/note]], and their language is called Nahuatl[[note]] (say):"nah-WAH-tull"[[/note]] meaning "Clear Speech". The Mexica[[note]] (say):"meh-SHEE-kah"[[/note]] that dominated the valley of Central Mexico at the time of European contact only migrated there sometime in the mid 1200s, from an unknown northern area that they referred to as Aztlán[[note]] (say):"aaahs-TLAN"[[/note]]. Much of their culture was adopted from the surrounding civilizations, or descended from older ones like the Toltecs.

When they first arrived in the Central Valley[[note]]also referred to as the Valley of Mexico[[/note]], a number of city-states had been established, and the Mexica wandered around, staying in each city-state earning their keep as mercenaries until they inevitably offended their hosts in some way. In one notable legend, the Mexica asked the ruler of the city-state of Culhuacan[[note]] (say):"cool-hwah-kan"[[/note]], who they were vassals of at the time, for one of his daughters. The king granted it thinking it was a political marriage he was accepting, but when he got invited to a festivity, which he thought was said marriage, he was met with the high priest of the Mexica wearing the flayed skin of his daughter; they had actually asked for her to be a sacrifice. Following this [[EpicFail incredible faux pas]], the Mexica were banished to a swampy area of Lake Texcoco[[note]](say):"tets-CO-co"[[/note]], [[ReassignmentBackfire with the belief that they'd starve there]]. According to Mexica myth, their patron god told them to [[StartMyOwn build a new city]] on a spot where they'll find [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything an eagle eating a serpent while perched on a prickly pear cactus]]. They saw this happen on top of a small island way out in the middle of the lake. Undaunted, they began to build the city of Cuauhmixtitlán[[note]] (say):"coo-wow-meesh-tee-TLAN"[[/note]], Place of the Eagle Between the Clouds, later renamed Tenochtitlán[[note]] (say):"ten-oach-tee-TLAN"[[/note]], the Place of the Prickly Pear Cactus (in honor to their first high priest Tenoch[[note]] (say):"ten-OACH"[[/note]]), and its twin city Tlatelolco[[note]] (say):"tlah-teh-LOL-co"[[/note]], Place of the Mound of Sand, home of the largest market in the Americas. And thus began the rise of the Mexica, forming later the Triple Alliance with neighboring city-states of Texcoco and Tlacopan, beginning what is now known as the Aztec Empire. Mexico City is there today.

After the fourth sun was destroyed, the world was completely covered in water. As such, Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca [[EnemyMine decided to put aside their grudge to make a new world]]. However, all the land was on the back of '''Cipactli'''[[note]] (say):"see-PACT-lee"[[/note]], a [[EldritchAbomination giant caiman-fish monster]], who was chillaxing at the bottom of the ocean. So, to lure it up, Tezcatlipoca lowered his foot to lure it to the surface. [[DeliberateInjuryGambit After getting it bit clean off]], the two gods turned into snakes and strangled Cipactli, thus forming the North American continent.

* StopWorshippingMe: Huehuecoyotl stands out for frequently being depicted being friendly (in some cases, a tad [[ReallyGetsAround '''too''' friendly]]) with humans, rather than being venerated by them.

* StopWorshippingMe: Huehuecoyotl stands out for frequently being depicted being friendly (in some cases, a tad [[ReallyGetsAround ''too'' friendly]]) with humans, rather than being venerated by them.