No, this isn't a member of the Blue Man Group. This is Huitzilopochtli, a powerful god in the religion of the Aztecs, a native tribe that rules southern Mexico for about 200 years, until the 16th century. He was a violent god, leading his people to war and demanding brutal sacrifices in his honor. Stories say that Huitzilopochtli was born with weapons already in hand, and used them to defend his mother.
Bird Brained: Huitzilopochtli was the Aztec God of the sun. This deity wore an eagle's beak on his head because the Aztecs thought he could come to Earth in the form of an eagle to keep an eye on them.
To Glory: Huitzilopochtli was also the God of War for the Aztecs. According to ancient legends, he encouraged the warriors to fight without mercy; those who survived were led to a "promised land" where they built a huge empire.
Here Comes the Son[]
Aztec temples were the site of human sacrifices.
Huitzilopochtli's mother, the Goddess of Earth, became pregnant with him when she stuffed herself with a ball of hummingbird feathers. Her daughter, the Moon Goddess, and 400 of her sons thought this brought dishonor to their godly family, so they tried to kill her. Magically, Huitzilopochtli was born during this attack-in full armor and carrying a spear-and killed his sister and several hundreds of his brothers to stop them from hurting his mother. In Aztec legend, this story represents the sun's power to "chase away" the moon and stars.
Sacrifice: Stories say this god killed his own nephew and threw his still-beating heart into lake Texcoco. The Aztecs built a huge temple on the lake and opened it by sacrificing 20,000 people in four days, then killed thousands more in yearly rituals.
Just Call Him Lefty: "Blue hummingbird on the left" is an odd name for a god, but it has meaning to the Aztecs. They thought fallen warriors came back as hummingbirds, and that they came from the south, which the Aztecs referred to as "the left." This name can also be said to mean "resurrected warrior of the south."
Take Heart![]
- An Aztec priest raises a dagger as he prepares to sacrifice a prisoner of war to Huitzilopochtli, trying to honor the Sun God so he'll grant the tribe good harvests and victory in battle. Two of the priests' servants hold the victim down.
- The priest lowers his dagger directly into the victim's chest. With his bare hand, the priest reaches into the dying man's body and grabs his heart. He rips it free, finally killing the man, and holds it high to meet the Sun God's approval.
Trading Card[]
Trivia[]
- The main heading on the back of the card, "Here Comes the Son", is a pun on the name of the 1969 Beatles song, "Here Comes the Sun".
- His name is spelled as "Huitilopochtli" on his trading card.