Aztec Codex: The Long Migration

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Day 1:

Digging out the foundation of the soon to be built sky-scraper, we have uncovered an ancient Aztec codex!  An Aztec codex is a book, mainly consisting of pictures, that were drawn by the pre-Columbian Aztec people to document their history. This codex seems to be telling the story of the Aztec Long Migration, which I will cover in detail below.

The Aztec originally referred to themselves as the Mexica, and were one of several Nahuatl speaking groups that included the Culhua-Mexica and the Tenocha who left the desert-like region of Northern Mexico and migrated southward. Aztec origin stories tell of the Aztec migration from their native land of Aztlan, an island city in the middle of a lake, northwest of modern-day Mexico City. For 200 years, they led a semi-nomadic life, looking for sign that would tell them where to settle. They eventually ended up in the Valley of Mexico.

Throughout their migration, they followed the orders of their patron god, Huitzilopochtli, who spoke to their priests and told them where to go. The priests would force their followers to keep moving, and the Aztec would continue their difficult journey southward into the desert. Their devotion to Huitzilopochtli often created many hardships. When he told them to move, they did, even if there was no time to harvest their crops.

Sometime during the 12th or 13th century, the Aztec arrived in the Valley of Mexico, led by their chieftain, Tenoch.  The region was already occupied by a large number of city-states.  When the Aztec arrived, the best lands were already taken, and the people already living there considered the Aztec barbarous and uncultured people, and did not welcome them.  As a result, they were driven around and not allowed to settle in any one place.

However, by the 14th century, many of these city-states established alliances and formed into confederations. Among the confederations were the independent societies of the Tepanecs, Cholulas, and Tlaxcalans, who would later have conflicts with them.  They finally managed to settle, in the middle of Lake Texcoco.  There, they built the city of Tenochtitlan, honoring their god Huitzilopochtli.