Huitzilopochtli, whose name means “hummingbird of the south” or “hummingbird of the left,” was the supreme god of the Mexica state and the patron of war and the sun. Huitzilopochtli was conceived as a young warrior, eternally fighting the forces of darkness and disorder, and he was associated with the young sun, with the south, with the color blue, and with the hummingbird. He was the principal object of the Mexica practice of human sacrifice, and his cult required the constant feeding of his divine appetite with human hearts and blood. Huitzilopochtli was the central deity of the Mexica state, and his cult was the religious basis of the Mexica imperial project.
The Tribal God of the Mexica
Huitzilopochtli was the tribal god of the Mexica, and he was believed to have led them from Aztlan to the Valley of Mexico, guiding their migration and promising them a destiny of imperial rule. The Mexica believed that Huitzilopochtli had been with them throughout their long journey, and that he had given them instructions for the conduct of the migration. The Mexica also believed that Huitzilopochtli had chosen the site of Tenochtitlan for them, and that the eagle on the cactus was a sign of his divine presence.
The cult of Huitzilopochtli was central to the Mexica sense of identity, and it distinguished the Mexica from the other Nahua peoples. While other gods, such as Tlaloc and Quetzalcoatl, were worshipped throughout Mesoamerica, the cult of Huitzilopochtli was unique to the Mexica. The cult was an innovation of the Mexica, and it was the central religious fact of their state.
The Attributes of Huitzilopochtli
Huitzilopochtli had a wide range of attributes, and he was associated with many different aspects of Mexica life. He was the god of war, and he was the patron of the Mexica warriors. He was the god of the sun, and he was associated with the young sun that daily defeats the moon and the stars. He was the god of the south, and he was associated with the warmth and the light of the southern lands. He was the god of the hummingbird, and he was believed to be present in the form of a hummingbird.
Huitzilopochtli was also associated with the color blue, and his statues and images were often painted in bright blue. He was associated with the number four, and he was one of the four Tezcatlipocas, the high gods of the Mexica state. He was associated with the day sign Ce Tecuhtli, “one lord,” and he was believed to be especially powerful on the days associated with this sign.
The Myth of Huitzilopochtli
The most important myth of Huitzilopochtli is the story of his birth. According to the myth, the earth goddess Coatlicue, the mother of the gods, was sweeping the temple of Coatepec when a ball of feathers fell from the sky. She tucked the feathers into her belt, and she became pregnant. Her daughter, Coyolxauhki, the moon goddess, and her four hundred brothers, the stars, became angry and decided to kill her. Yet when they were about to attack, Huitzilopochtli was born from his mother’s womb, fully armed and ready for battle. He defeated Coyolxauhki and the four hundred brothers, and he threw his sister down the hill of Coatepec, dismembering her body.
The myth of the birth of Huitzilopochtli was central to Mexica religion, and it was reenacted in the major festivals of the religious year. The myth was also represented in the great stone sculpture of the Templo Mayor, the Coyolxauhqui Stone, which depicts the dismembered body of the moon goddess. The myth explained the daily defeat of the moon by the sun, and it provided the religious justification for the Mexica practice of human sacrifice.
The Cult of Huitzilopochtli
The cult of Huitzilopochtli was the central cult of the Mexica state, and it was centered on the great Templo Mayor in the sacred precinct of Tenochtitlan. The Templo Mayor was dedicated jointly to Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc, and the two shrines on top of the temple were dedicated to these two gods. The cult of Huitzilopochtli required the constant feeding of the god with human blood and human hearts, and the Mexica conducted a series of flower wars with their neighbors for the purpose of capturing prisoners for sacrifice.
The high priests of Huitzilopochtli were among the most powerful figures in Mexica society, and they shaped the religious and political life of the state. The high priests were appointed by the Tlatoani, and they were responsible for the maintenance of the Templo Mayor, the performance of the major rituals, and the supervision of the other priests.
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