TONATIUH,CREATION OF THE FIFTH SUN

This is a telling of the Aztec myth of the creation of the Sun God Tonatiuh.

It was the basis of Aztec cosmology and is often used to explain much of their religious practices and culture.But it probably doesn't.The Aztecs were not adverse to changing their cosmology and religion to suit the empire.So it is probably less a cause of Aztec actions and more a piece of propaganda trying to justify a modification to an age old practice.

With the death of the fourth sun the world fell into darkness………….. The gods assembled before the great fire of creation and held council to choose who among them would make the sacrifice to bring about a new dawn. A vain god named Tecuziztecatl brashly stepped forward but no other would join him so Nanahuatzinth a sickly god who was considered small loss was ordered to accompany him.

The two deities did penance on two great mounds at Teotihuacan. The mound that Tecuziztecatl sat would become the Pyramid of the Moon and Nanahuatzin’s mound the Pyramid of the Sun. The next day the two gods stood before the sacrificial pyre, Tecuziztecatl richly adorned in quetzal plumes and gold, Nanahuatzin simply wore a vest of paper. The gods ordered Tecuziztecatl to jump into the flames, but fearing the fire four times, he refused. Seeing his fear Nanahuatzin stepped forward and without hesitation cast himself upon the flames. He was suddenly followed in by an eagle and a jaguar, the eagle had the tips of it's wings blackened and the jaguar scorched parts of it's fur. Tecuziztecatl shamed by the sickly gods bravery then threw himself onto the pyre, forever destined to follow Nanahuatzin.

After a short time a dazzling red light appeared on the eastern horizon as Nanahuatzin rose reborn as Tonatiuh the magnificent sun god, a while after Tecuziztecatl rose too. The gods averted their eyes as the light blinded them until one god threw a rabbit in the face of Tecuziztecatl wounding him to dim his light, the imprint of the rabbit‘s face still visible when the moon is full. The gods called upon Ehecatl the wind to blow to make Tonatiuh move. While they were waiting Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli the Morning Star grew angry at Tonatiuh‘s sloth, he drew out his atl atl and hurled a dart at Tonatiuh but Tonatiuh caught the dart and threw it back at Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli piercing him through the heart and turning the Morning Star to stone, thus the dawn will forever be cold.

Angered by Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli insolence Tonatiuh refused to move anymore without the fealty of the gods. After painful council the gods finally agreed they must sacrifice themselves to appease Tonatiuh. Queztlacoatl the plumed serpent was charged with cutting the heart out of each god and only when the last god lay lifeless beneath the alter Tonatiuh began his motion across the sky and light once again fell upon both man and beast. So it became that forever more Tonatiuh would ask blood and sacrifice to ensure he kept his path.

Paul(c)Copyright