Huitzilopochtli, the Founding Deity of the Aztecs

Huitzilopochtli (pronounced Weetz-ee-loh-POSHT-lee and meaning Hummingbird on the Left) was one of the most important of the Aztec gods, the god of the sun, warfare, military conquest and sacrifice, who according to tradition, led the Mexica people from Aztlan, their mythical homeland, into Central Mexico. According to some scholars, Huitzilopochtli could have been a historical figure, probably a priest, who was transformed into a god after his death. Huitzilopochtli is known as the portentous one, the god who indicated to the Aztecs/Mexica where they should build their great capital city, Tenochtitlan. He appeared in dreams to the priests and told them to settle on an island, in the middle of Lake Texcoco, where they would see an eagle perching on a cactus. This was the divine sign. Birth of Huitzilopochtli According to a Mexica legend, Huitzilopochtli was born on Coatepec  or Snake Hill. His mother was the goddess Coatlicue, whose name means â€Å"She of the Serpent Skirt,† and she was the goddess of Venus, the morning star. Coatlicue was attending the temple on Coatepec and sweeping its floors when a ball of feathers fell on the floor and impregnated her. According to the origin myth, when Coatlicues daughter Coyolxauhqui (goddess of the moon) and Coyolxauhquis four hundred brothers (Centzon Huitznahua, the gods of the stars) discovered she was pregnant, they plotted to kill their mother. As the 400 stars reached Coatlicue, decapitating her, Huitzilopochtli (god of the sun) suddenly emerged fully armed from his mother’s womb and, attended by a fire serpent (xiuhcoatl), killed Coyolxauhqui by dismembering her. Then, he threw her body down the hill and proceeded to kill his 400 siblings. Thus, the history of the Mexica is replayed every dawn, when the sun rises victoriously over the horizon after conquering the moon and stars. Huitzilopochtli’s Temple While Huitzilopochtlis first appearance in Mexica legend was as a minor hunting god, he became elevated to a major deity after the Mexica settled in Tenochtitlà ¡n and formed the Triple Alliance. The Great Temple of Tenochtitlan (or Templo Mayor) is the most important shrine dedicated to Huitzilopochtli, and its shape symbolized a replica of Coatepec. At the foot of the temple, on the Huitzilopochtli side, lay a massive sculpture portraying the dismembered body of Coyolxauhqui, found during excavations for electric utility works in 1978. The Great Temple was actually a twin shrine dedicated to Huitzilopochtli and the rain god Tlaloc, and it was among the first structures to be built after the founding of the capital. Dedicated to both gods, the temple symbolized the economic basis of the empire: both war/tribute and agriculture. It was also the center of the crossing of the four main causeways that connected the Tenochtitlà ¡n to the mainland. Images of Huitzilopochtli Huitzilopochtli is typically portrayed with a dark face, fully armed, and holding a snake-shaped scepter and a smoking mirror, a disc from which emerges one or more wisps of smoke. His face and body are painted in yellow and blue stripes, with a black, star-bordered eye mask and a turquoise nose rod. Hummingbird feathers covered the body of his statue at the great temple, along with cloth and jewels. In painted images, Huitzilopochtli wears the head of a hummingbird attached to the back of his head or as a helmet; and he carries a shield of turquoise mosaic or clusters of white eagle feathers. As a representative symbol of Huitzilopochtli (and others of the Aztec pantheon), feathers were an important symbol in Mexica culture. Wearing them was the prerogative of the nobility who adorned themselves with brilliant plumes, and went into battle wearing feathered cloaks. Feathered cloaks and feathers were wagered in games of chance and skill and were traded among allied nobles. Aztec rulers kept aviaries and tribute stores for feather-workers, specifically employed to produce ornate objects. Huitzilopochtlis Festivities December was the month dedicated to Huitzilopochtli celebrations. During these festivities, called Panquetzalitzli, the Aztec people decorated their homes held ceremonies with dances, processions, and sacrifices. A huge statue of the god was made out of amaranth and a priest impersonated the god for the duration of the ceremonies. Three other ceremonies during the year were dedicated at least in part to Huitzilopochtli. Between July 23 and August 11, for example, was Tlaxochimaco, the Offering of Flowers, a festival dedicated to war and sacrifice, celestial creativity and divine paternalism, when singing, dancing and human sacrifices honored the dead and Huitzilopochtli. Updated by K. Kris Hirst Sources Berdan, Frances F.  Aztec Archaeology and Ethnohistory. Cambridge University Press, 2014, New York.Boone, Elizabeth H. Incarnations of the Aztec Supernatural: The Image of Huitzilopochtli in Mexico and Europe. Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, vol. 79, no. 2, 1989, pp. i-107.Taube, Karl. Aztec and Maya Myths. Fourth Edition. University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas.Van Turenhout, DR.  The Aztecs: New Perspectives. Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO, 2005.

Music Therapy Use For Autism Spectrum Disorder - 3381 Words

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The Themes of Robert Frosts Poetry Free Essays

The main themes of Robert frosts poetry are: Nature and mans interaction with it. Also real people and real struggle; the deeper meanings of everyday life. For this essay I will discuss ‘mending wall’, ‘the road not taken’, ‘out, out-‘ and ‘provide, provide’. We will write a custom essay sample on The Themes of Robert Frosts Poetry or any similar topic only for you Order Now Mending wall is about a stone wall separating the speaker’s property from his neighbour’s. In spring, the two meet to walk the wall and make any necessary repairs. The speaker sees no reason for the wall to be kept as there are no livestock to contain. This wall building act seems to have ancient roots. It involves spells to stop the elves or whoever from breaking the wall. The neighbor appears a stone-age savage while hoisting and re-building the wall. This poem deals with nature and peoples interactions with it. By keeping the wall in good condition they are keeping their land and also their relationship healthy. The road not taken, in this the speaker stands in the woods, considering a fork in the road. Both ways are equally worn and overlaid with untrodden leaves. The speaker chooses one telling himself he’ll choose the other another day . et he knows it is unlikely that he will have the opportuninty. This fork in the road which shows two paths symbolises free will and fate; we are free to choose, but we do not really know what we are choosing between. This is a real decision real people make in everyday life. In outout frosts decpicts the abrupt death of a young boy whose hand was cut off during an accident with a buzz saw. The boys begs his sister not to allow the docto r to amputate his hand but inwardly realises he has lost too much blood. The boy dies under anesthesia and everyone goes abck to work. Frost seems to be sayong there was no real need for the boys death and the adults are to bkame in thos situation. Hpwever frost knows death is a part of life. This poem nderlines the inevitability of death and the futitily of life. Provide provide is a reminder that life can be harsh and unforgiving. Frost wrote this poem in hos early sixties and was probably feeling like life was catching up on him. He was beginning to feel his age. Frosts talks about the facts of getting oler, for example beauty fades and we should enjoy our fifteen minutes of fame because they won’t last . he also offers some advice; make sure you die early so people remember you as young, but if you aren’t lucky enough to die young make a lot of money so you can live and die in comfort. When the time comes to die make sure you surround your self with friends you either made or bought, don’t die alone. The last two lines are also the title reminding us to provide for our old age because no one else will. This poem features heavily on regret. Frost regrets that he spent too much time living in the present and didn’t put anything aside for hos later years, he seems quite bitter about this. This poem is also about mortality and the face that old, and subsequently death, happens to everyone. Robert frost deals with life issues in his poetry. He writes openly about his opinions on life and death. These topics affect us all and therefore we can relate to them. How to cite The Themes of Robert Frosts Poetry, Papers