Huītzilōpōchtli

Huitzilopochtli
Patron God of the Mexica, God of Sun and War, Ruler of the South[1]
Member of the Tezcatlipocas
Huitzilopochtli as depicted in the Codex Borbonicus
Other namesBlue Tezcatlipoca, Omiteotl, Mextli, Mexi, Huitzitlon, Huitzilton, Tzintzuni, Huitzi
Abode
  • Ilhuicatl-Teteocan[1] (Twelfth Heaven)
  • Ilhuicatl-Xoxoauhco[1] (Seventh Heaven)
  • the South[1]
SymbolHummingbird[1]
GenderMale
RegionMesoamerica
Ethnic groupAztec, (Mexica)
FestivalsPanquetzaliztli
Genealogy
Parents
  • Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl (Codex Zumarraga)[1]
  • Mixcoatl and Coatlicue (Codex Florentine)[1]
Siblings
  • Quetzalcoatl, Xipe-Totec, Tezcatlipoca (Codex Zumarraga)[1]
  • Coyolxauhqui, Centzon Huitznahuac (Codex Florentine)[1]
  • Centzon Mimixcoa (Codex Ramirez)[2]
  • Malinalxochitl (Codex Azcatitlan)[1]
ChildrenNone

Huitzilopochtli (Classical Nahuatl: Huītzilōpōchtli, IPA: [wiːt͡siloːˈpoːt͡ʃt͡ɬi] ) is the solar and war deity of sacrifice in Aztec religion.[3] He was also the patron god of the Aztecs and their capital city, Tenochtitlan. He wielded Xiuhcoatl, the fire serpent, as a weapon, thus also associating Huitzilopochtli with fire.

The Spaniards recorded the deity's name as Huichilobos. During their discovery and conquest of the Aztec Empire, they wrote that human sacrifice was common in worship ceremonies. These took place frequently throughout the region. When performed, typically multiple victims were sacrificed per day at any one of the numerous temples.[4]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Cecilio A. Robelo (1985). Diccionario de Mitología Nahoa (in Spanish). Editorial Porrúa. pp. 193, 194, 1985, 196, 197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 202. ISBN 970-07-3149-9.
  2. ^ Guilhem Olivier (2015). Cacería, Sacrificio y Poder en Mesoamérica: Tras las Huellas de Mixcóatl, 'Serpiente de Nube' (in Spanish). Fondo de Cultura Económica. ISBN 978-607-16-3216-6.
  3. ^ "The Teteo". Teochan. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  4. ^ Bernal Diaz del Castillo (2012). The True History of The Conquest of New Spain. Hackett Publishing Company, Incorporated. ISBN 978-1-60384-817-6.