The Legend of the Foundation of Tenochtitlan

One of the most beautiful Mexican legends recounts that the people of Aztlan, north of what is
today Mexico, had to leave their homes by orders of their gods in search of the promised
land.
It is believed that the Aztecs, whose name means the people of Aztlan, began to emigrate
in the 6th century.
The future Aztecs or Mexicas, formed by the Nahua peoples, on orders of their god
Huitzilopochtli, the Sun and War god, had to abandon the place where they lived and start a
pilgrimage to find a place where an eagle perched on a prickly pear cactus, devouring a
snake would be.
Huitzilopochtli told the Aztecs that when they found the eagle it would be the signal that
they had reached land where they would build the most powerful empire in Mesoamerica,
Middle America.
Following their gods orders they began a centuries pilgrimage and traveling from place to
place, learning and being inspired by the different peoples they encountered.
After years of traveling from place to place they finally arrived at the Lake of Texcoco,
where they saw in the distance, on a small island in the middle of the lake, an eagle on a
cactus devouring a snake. It was here that their arduous pilgrimage would finally end.
It is believed that this moment of divine revelation took place in the year 1323. By 1325
they had founded the great city of Tenochtitlan.
The characteristics of this area were essential for their survival. Because of its natural
isolation it offered military and economic advantages.

The water and the chinampas they built were very fertile. Chinampa comes from the
Nahuatl chinmitl /tinamit/ and is a method by which small rectangular areas of fertile land
grow on the shallow lakebeds of the Valley of Mexico.
Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztecs became one of the most important and influential
cities of their time. They became the most powerful empire that dominated most of
Mesoamerica.
The city grew so much that it came to have more than 2 000 inhabitants per square
kilometre, and covered an estimated 8 to 13.5 km2 (3.1 to 5.2 sq mi).
More than 70 temples and buildings were constructed on the city over the lake of what is
now the Zocalo of Mexico City.
They created long roads, avenues and canals connecting the entire city and it surrounding
areas. They had impressive temples and marketplaces, schools, parks and homes.
The main marketplace was in Tlatelolco, Tenochtitlans sister city. Corts the conqueror
estimated it was twice the size of the city of Seville with about 60,000 people trading daily.
Bernal Diaz del Castillo, who was a foot soldier in the army of Hernn Corts that
conquered the Aztec empire in 1519-1522, described the moment when the Spaniards first
saw the great city of Tenonchtitlan.
And when we saw all those cities and villages built in the water, and other great towns on
dry land, and that straight and level causeway leading to Mexico [i.e. Tenochtitln], we were
astounded. These great towns and cues [i.e., temples] and buildings rising from the water, all
made of stone, seemed like an enchanted vision from the tale of Amadis. Indeed, some of our
soldiers asked whether it was not all a dream.
It is so that the eagle perched on a prickly pear tree-nopal devouring a snake came to be
one of Mexicos most important symbols. It is the fundamental element of the coat of arms or
national shield as well as an essential part of the flag of Mexico.

El Callejon del Beso: A Love Story in Guanajuato

When two lovers pass through the Callejon del Beso, the Alley of the Kiss, they must kiss on
the third step in order for their love to last forever.
Thats why hundreds of people who pass through this narrow place dont hesitate to do so
and hope that the story turns out to be true.
Callejon del Beso is a beautiful place, located about 360 km from Mexico DF, in the city of
Guanajuato.
Legend has it that the beautiful young Doa Carmen was the only daughter of a greedy
and uncompromising father.
Like many parents of that time, he looked for a rich and powerful suitor to give the hand of
his daughter in holy matrimony.
Therefore, he jealously watched her every move to prevent her from meeting the common
and ordinary men in the poor mining town.
Just thinking that his beautiful daughter could fall in love with a poor villager filled him with
anxiety.
But as it very often happens, love breaks down all barriers, however strong they may be.
Doa Carmen met Don Luis, a poor miner whom she would meet at a church near her
home, unbeknownst to her father.
One fatefull day she was discovered when the young miner was courting the beautiful
maiden by offering her holy water from his hands.

Furious her father locked her away at home and threatened to marry her to a rich old
Spanish nobleman. This way he would hit two birds with the same stickhe would marry his
daughter and increase his depleted fortune at the same time.
The beautiful and submissive girl sadly lived her confinement next to her beloved lady in
waiting, Doa Brigida.
Every day from the balcony of her bedroom, both lamented over her distress and Doa
Brigida did nothing but promise never to allow her to be taken to Spain against her will.
At first, the young lover didnt know what to do since he was not allowed to talk to his
beloved, but passing near her house, he noticed that her bedroom window faced exactly
toward the window of the house next door and that they were scarcely a few inches apart.
This gave him the possibility of staying in touch with his beloved if he bought the house next
door.
He offered a good price to buy the house from the owner, but received constant negatives.
Finally exasperated by the young man the owner set an extremely high price hoping to
disuade him.
Nothing would deter the young man and in order to purchase the house he had to dispose
of all his lifes savings in exchange.
However high the price, it was well worth it, for when he looked out the window he
discovered that by extending his hand he could touch his beloveds bedroom window with his
knuckles.
Doa Carmens surprise was also great when, leaning over her balcony; she found the
man of her dreams at such a short distance.
They swore eternal love and saw each other nightly from the adjacent balconies.

One evening while the lovers wrapped in a passionate kiss were distracted, violent
words were heard from outside the bedroom.
It was Doa Carmens father scolding Brigida, who was risking her life trying to prevent
her master from entering her mistress room.
The father pushed Doa Brigida away. When he saw his daughter kissing the miserable
miner, he took a dagger and in a single stroke, drove it into his daughters chest full of anger
and rage.
Don Luis was in shock and with horror he felt Doa Carmens hand, still in his, getting cold
and motionless.
Knowing that his love was dead, Don Luis gave her one last, tender kiss on the smooth,
pale, and now lifeless hand
The young man could not bear to live without his beloved Carmen and in desperation
committed suicide by jumping from the wall of the main shaft of La Mina de la Valenciana, The
Valentian Mine.
Callejon del Beso still exists in the beautiful city of Guanajuato; its located in the historic
area in the foothills of Cerro del Gallo, a town that has existed since the 18th Century and is
without a doubt one of the most famous streets of the city.
This alley has the peculiarity of measuring only 27 inches wide and its balconies are almost
joined to each other, at a fateful distance of just a kiss.

Popocatepetl and Iztacchuatl

The view that adorns the worlds largest city Mexico City is enhanced by the majesty of
two of the highest volcanoes in the hemisphere: Popocatepetl and Iztacchuatl.
The presence of these enormous millennial volcanoes has been of great significance for
the different societies that have admired and revered them, being a source of inspiration for
the many legends about their origin and creation. Among these, the best known are two that
we will relate below.
Thousands of years ago, when the Aztec Empire was in its heyday and dominated the
Valley of Mexico, it was common practice to subject neighboring towns, and to require a
mandatory tax. It was then that the chief of the Tlaxcaltecas, bitter enemies of the Aztecs,
weary of this terrible oppression, decided to fight for his peoples freedom.
The chief had a daughter named Iztaccihuatl: the most beautiful of all the princesses, who
had professed her love for young Popocatepetl, one of her fathers people and the most
handsome warrior.
Both professed a deep love for each other, so before leaving for war, Popocatepetl asked
the chief for the hand of Princess Iztaccihuatl.
The father gladly agreed and promised to welcome him back with a big celebration to give
him his daughters hand if he returned victorious from the battle.
The brave warrior accepted, prepared everything and departed keeping in his heart the
promise that the princess would be waiting for him to consummate their love.
Soon afterward, a love rival of Popocatepetl, jealous of the love they professed to each
other, told Princess Iztaccihuatl that her beloved had died in combat.
Crushed by such tragedy and overwhelmed by sadness the princess died, without even
imagining it could be a lie.
Popocatepetl returned victorious to his people, hoping to find his beloved princess. Upon
arrival, he received the terrible news of the death of Iztaccihuatl.

Devastated by the news, he wandered about the streets for several days and nights, until
he decided he had to do something to honor her love and to assure that the princess would
not ever be forgotten.
He ordered a great tomb built under the sun, piling up ten hills together to form a huge
mountain.
He carried the dead Princess in his arms, took her to the summit and laid her on the great
mountain. The young warrior lovingly kissed her cold lips, took a smoking torch and knelt in
front of his beloved to watch over her eternal sleep.
From then on, they continue together, facing each other. Eventually the snow covered their
bodies, forming two majestic volcanoes that would remain joined till the end of time.
The legend goes on to say that when the warrior Popocatepetl remembers his beloved, his
heart that preserves the fire of eternal passion shakes and his torch smokes.
Thats why, even today; the Popocatepetl volcano continues spewing fumaroles.
As for the coward, Tlaxcala, who lied to Iztaccihuatl, overcome with repentance for the
tragedy that ensued, he went off to die very near his land. He also became a mountain, Pico
de Orizaba, another of the regions volcanoes and now, from afar, watches the eternal dream
of the two lovers, never again to be separated.
This legend has been passed on from generation to generation since the time of the Aztec
Empire, in the XIV century, and the importance given to them is clear, for the names that they
have today were given to them since that time.

Quetzalcoatl legend

Quetzalcoatl, one of the main deities of pre-Hispanic civilizations, is present in most of 15thcentury Mesoamerica. From the beginning, he has been attributed countless mysteries: he is
considered a man, a deity, a priest, a myth or a legend.
The origin of his name comes from the Nahuatl and means Quetzal: a birdof beautiful
plumage and Coatl, which means snake, resulting in what is commonly known as
thePlumed Serpent. This deity was one of the most popular in Hispanic tradition and refers
to the union of terrestrial and rain waters, which, among agricultural peoples, was essential
for their survival, thus signifying the origin of life itself.
Legend has it that when the creation of the world was finished, the gods and humans lived
in harmony, everyone was happy, except for the god Quetzalcoatl, who observed in anger as
humans were subjugated by the other gods. So he decided to adopt the human condition to
share the knowledge and art that the deities possessed.
Upon his arrival in the world of the humans, he wandered through many lands until he
came uponTollan, a place that is said to be located today within the State of Hidalgo, in
Mexico.
When he arrived, they were offering a sacrifice in honor of his brother, Tezcatlipoca, and,
angered by this barbarity, Quetzalcoatl halted the execution. The priest who performed the
sacrificeshouted angrily and the sky turned gray with clouds that heralded a major storm with
lightning and thunder.
Quetzalcoatl calmed them and assured them that while he was in the city, Tollan would
flourish like no other. He then raised his hands to the sky and the winds began to blow,
clearing away the clouds. From that moment on, men wanted to worship him as a deity, but
he rejected any kind of luxury and invited to them live with humility and to learn with purity of
soul.
From then on, Tollan grew and prospered. The god in human form taught them to cultivate
corn seeds, to work with jade, gold and obsidian, how to dye cotton, the art of astronomy, he

enriched theirwriting, promoted the worship of the gods and forbade human sacrifices,
teaching them self-sacrifice by pricking themselves with maguey thorns instead.
He created an order of maidens dedicated to the cleaning and maintenance of the temples.
In short, the city became a grand, beautiful and sacred city.
But Quetzalcoatls brother, the god Tezcatlipoca, was not happy with his relatives
performance, so he devised an evil plan to destroy his image. One day, Tezcatlipoca
disguised himself as an old man and brought a gift to Quetzalcoatl, who received it with great
joy and humility, realizing that it was a maguey that brought forth a delicious liquid.
However, what Quetzalcoatl didnt know was that the delicious liquid was octli or pulque,
anintoxicating drink which had yet to be discovered.
Quetzalcoatl drank it with pleasure; he drank and sang like never before. He was so
ecstatic that, being filled with carnal desires, he took as his woman Quetzalpetatl, a priestess
belonging to his cult, thus breaking his celibacy.
The next morning he felt utterly unclean and made the hardest decision of his life, for he
was no longer worthy to lead Tollan. He headed for the sea, built a boat out of snakes and
sailed toward the setting sun, promising the Toltecs to return to Tollan in the year Ce Acatl to
avenge forthe betrayal. Coincidentally, that same pre-Hispanic year was the year 1519 AD,
the year when the first Spaniards arrived on the very coast by which Quetzalcoatl
disappeared.
On the other hand, according to some historians, the representations of Quetzalcoatl depict
him as a tall and bearded white male. Thats why it is assured that this notable personage
may have been, in fact, genuine: a Viking who reached the shores of the Gulf of Mexico to
later become the god of theToltecs, because of all the new knowledge that he instilled.
The most remarkable thing about this story is that it was precisely because of these
physical characteristics and the golden glow of his armor and clothing, that the Spanish
conquistador, Hernan Cortes, was mistaken for this god.

The dates coincided, as well as the omens promised by the magicians and Aztec priests,
so that an entire civilization, believing in these prophecies, immediately thought of the return
of Quetzalcoatl. Unfortunately, they realized too late that this god was nothing more than a
man who came in search of gold and who was willing to end entirely with a great civilization.
The great Quetzalcoatl is remembered, therefore, as an exemplary governor and politician,
a civilizing hero; as the inventor of the calendar, the discoverer of corn, a master farmer, the
inventor of the art of smelting metals, a precious stone carver, judge and jurist and as the
unifying god of the world.
His importance was such that many Hispanic cultures worshiped him, whether as
Quetzalcoatl orKukulcan. His teachings reached different civilizations, including the Olmec,
Maya, Mixtec andToltec, and the Aztecs.
Even more puzzling is the fact that all cultures described him similarly, with only minor
variations.
Quetzalcoatl is the main protagonist of many of the major Mesoamerican myths and
legends that continue to intrigue us.

Popol Vuh
The Popol Vuh or Council Book gathers part of the wisdom and traditions of the Mayan
culture established primarily in the Quiche region of Guatemala. It is a conjunction of religion,
mythology, history, astrology, customs and legends that describes the origin of the world,
civilization and the various phenomena that occur in nature.

To the Quiche, the Popol Vuh is like the Bible for Christians in that its teachings marked
their behavior and customs. The meaning of the terms that make up the name are: Popol,
the Mayan word for reunion; community; common house ormeeting, and the word Vuh,
meaning book; paper, or the tree from whose bark they made paper. Thus, this book can be
understood to mean the Book of the Community.
Still much is unknown about the Maya and, contrary to what was believed for some time,
this culture reached an amazing level of development.
The Mayas social and political organization was established and ordered by laws and
codes; they were impressively knowledgeable in the areas of astronomy, mathematics,
medicine, herbal medicine and agriculture.
They had an extremely accurate calendar divided into three accounts: the sacred or
Tzolkin, the civil or Haab, and the long count.
They also had a huge collection of literary and artistic works, all documented in codices,
monuments and paintings. Unfortunately, most of these documents were destroyed by the
Spanish during the conquest, mainly by Christian missionaries determined to get the Indians
to rejected their beliefs, and so impose the Catholic religion upon them.
As happened with the library of Alexandria, the Spanish, in one single flash, put an end to
invaluable ancient knowledge as well as an entire culture that would today be on par with the
Egyptian, Roman or Greek. Ironically, years later missionaries gave themselves to the task of
rescuing some of the indigenous traditions and documents about the literature and art of
those cultures, as was the case with the Popol Vuh.