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Sarah Jones

Professor Warren

HONORS 230C

7 December 2019

Aztec Understanding of Power Dynamics in Their World

What is known about the Mexica and other people in the Valley of Mexico has been

obtained through few primary sources, most of which were written by Spaniards. One source,

The Codex Chimalpopoca, is believed to be of indigenous origin and is made up of two separate

parts, the “Annals of Cuauhtitlan” and the “Legend of the Suns.” Together they create a “history

and mythology of the Aztecs.” These parts can be synthesized in a way that provides an answer

for how the Mexica and the people in the Valley of Mexico understood their place in the world in

relation to the nature around them and the divine. They perceived the earth they lived on to be

ephemeral, consisting of only disposable entities– those entities being plants, animals, humans,

and the land itself. This transient plane was also capable of being destroyed and reconstructed by

the divine at any point. Within those who lived in this world, there was a hierarchy of power with

the Mexica being at the top, closely followed by other humans and then plants and animals at the

bottom. Only those not on this shared plane were of higher power than the Mexica: the gods. The

gods had ultimate control over all aspects of life and existence, and people, being ‘holy,’ could

only obtain any control through appeasement of these gods. Overall, the Aztecs believed their

place in the world to be one of high power and value, taking reign over other earthly beings, yet

still inferior to the divine.

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The “Annals of Cuauhtitlan” follows the history of the Aztec people from when time

counting began to the arrival of the Spanish. The “Legend of the Suns” also focuses on the

history, but it largely follows the cosmology of these people. While both translated by John

Bierhorst, the original author or authors of these accounts of Aztec history and myth are

unknown, despite the fact that they were written after Spanish conquest. Considering this lack of

knowledge about the authors, the authority of the sources could be called into question.

However, both the “Annals” and the “Legend” are most likely written by indigenous people,

making them integral to understanding the people of the Valley of Mexico due to their first hand

knowledge and the lack of other sources with similar authorship. The content of this codex

cannot be read as innately factual due to it being a ‘mythistory’ that does not distinguish any

difference between religious beliefs and historical events when recounting the past. What it does

instead is reflect what the Mexica and people in Mexico actually believed and valued, which is

the ‘truth’ in this situation.

The author of the "Annals" frequently admits that they do not have all of the information

about certain subjects, which builds the argument for its validity as a historical document and a

primary source. For example, in one part when describing a crown brought as a gift by

immigrants, the author states that “it was like a turquoise crown. It isn’t known what was on it,

perhaps jade, or else turquoise” (Bierhorst 75). While this admittance to a lack of knowledge

seems like it would take away some validity, it does the opposite. By outwardly stating that they

are missing or unsure of information, it is apparent that the author is not writing with a political

agenda similar to ones in other primary sources like those of Bernal Diaz and Hernan Cortes.

Presence of distortion is assumably an indirect consequence of lack of knowledge rather than

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being deliberate or due to the influence of the Spanish throughout the writing process. It is most

likely the author would have adopted ways of thinking pushed on them by the Spaniards, which

could be integrated into the text. This can be seen with Christian parallels or references in the

text; the word “devil” is used on numerous occasions, and many of the descriptions of

Quetzalcoatl are similar to the story of Jesus Christ. However, these possible sources of

distortion do not prohibit the formulation of an analysis regarding the Aztec people and their

perception of themselves.

The “Legend of the Suns” too provides vast detail for the understanding of Aztec people

and was also likely written by an indigenous person– a Mexica person specifically. The Mexica

identity of the author is understood through the perspective used to write. Often when discussing

the Mexica people, words like “we” and “us” are used. The author explicitly identifies as Mexica

when they say, “And so we today who are Mexica are not really Mexica but Mecitin” (Bierhorst

150). There is also an absence of clear Spanish-caused distortion in this text. It lacks the parallels

and phrases related to the Spanish that were present in the “Annals.” By utilizing both of these

texts as primary indigenous sources, much can be learned about the people in the Valley of

Mexico, or the Aztecs. For the purpose of this essay, the content of the Codex Chimalpopoca as a

whole is deemed valid.

In order to interpret the manner by which the Aztecs viewed their power, the way in

which they viewed nature must be analyzed first. They viewed the earth and nature around them,

which included plants, animals, and humans themselves, as transient and unstable, which

contrasted with their understanding of the divine as everlasting (Clendinnen 238-240). It was

also understood that animals and plants were valuable and connected to both humans and the
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divine. The importance of other living things is apparent in the fact that they were ingrained into

the telling of time. The years were named as “Rabbit, Reed, Flint, House” in that order and

repeated in a cycle (Bierhorst). Various other units of time and even foods were given names like

“jaguar” and “eagle” as well (Bierhorst). These names of living things drove the way in which

history is organized and told, revealing their prominence. They were essential in a literal and

physical sense as well. Animals and plants were known to be of great worth to humans in daily

use where plants like maize were consumed, and animal skins were used in rituals and

adornment of warriors (Clendinnen 229-230). Lastly, animals and plants were connected to the

divine. The myth in which Quetzalcoatl seeks food for humans involves him looking for food in

the form of plants from Food Mountain as well as the transformation of himself into an ant, an

animal, in order to obtain it (Bierhorst 146). The maize was then how the people “grew strong”

(Bierhorst 147). From this story, it is seen that corn, a plant, is a direct gift from the gods to

humans as well as a staple to maintaining life. Quetzalcoatl turning into an animal in order to

achieve his goal conveys the worth of animals as well as the power they had considering their

connection the divine when would become them for periods of time. However, animals did not

rank near the gods in power, and they were still inferior to humans in the eyes of the Aztecs.

While gods metamorphosed into animals, so did the people of previous suns. During the

destruction of the worlds, the people were turned into monkeys, turkeys, and fish (Bierhorst

142-143). It was not until the fifth sun that humans, the holy ones, were not turned to animals

(Bierhorst 246). This implies that animals are imperfect life forms, especially when compared to

the humans that existed in the fifth sun, making them inferior in nature. While plants and animals

were imperative to humans and gods alike in achieving what they needed and desired, and were
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thus valued in society, they were still at the bottom of the power structure that the Aztecs had in

mind for the world.

All humans in the Valley of Mexico, or the Aztecs, perceived themselves to be of

immense power, holding high status over other living things like plants and animals. The Mexica

people specifically believed themselves to be even greater, holding status over all these things as

well as other human societies. However, it was clear to the Aztecs, including the Mexica, that the

gods were the greatest of them all. In terms of why they placed such value over humanity in

comparison to other facets of the earth lies in their origin story. According to the myth, the god

Quetzalcoatl created humans from the bones of previous worlds’ people. When the gods

discussed the humans that he had made, “they said, ‘Holy ones, humans, have been born.’ It’s

because they did penance for us” (Bierhorst 146). It is explicitly stated in this text that the

humans were holy in nature, holding sacred value and power. They were also thought to be

directly and purposefully created by the divine. Lastly, the inclusion of the discussion of penance

reveals that the humans understood themselves to still be at the mercy of the gods and owing

their existence to them, further knowing that a form of giving to the gods is the reason they live.

All of this combined explains that the people in the Valley perceived themselves as existing

towards the top of a natural hierarchy, only being trumped by the gods.

Besides the fact that they were created by gods, the way in which the Aztecs describe

themselves mirrors the descriptions of the gods. An important concept in the relationship

between humans and the gods is that of penance and sacrifice. Both are present in the myth

stories of the gods as well as in the history of the Aztec people. As stated before, the gods say

that the humans did penance for them. This penance and sacrifice took place among the gods as
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well. In order for the sun and moon to be created, they self-sacrificed. The sun, Nanahuatl, falls

into the fire; the moon falls into the ashes. The other gods also sacrificed in order for the sun and

moon to be placed into the sky. It is said “they all died a sacrificial death. So then the sun went

into the sky. And then goes the moon…” (Bierhorst 147-149). From this myth and others it is

evident that penance took place among gods, among humans, and between the gods and humans.

This conveys that human action mirrors that of the gods, making them more sacred in nature than

other beings, as well as the fact that humans and the divine shared a connection. Actions of one

affected the actions of another.

As discussed previously, all of the Aztec people considered themselves to be of

considerable power and esteem, but the Mexica people went one step further. Their history tells

of the downfall of the Toltecs to create a Mexica dynasty that reigned over the entire region. The

higher status can be seen in the “Annals of Cuauhtitlan” where the author describes “an influx of

Cuitlahuaca who wished to be counted as Mexica” (103). This statement explains a desire of

other people to be Mexica and hold the status that came with it, supporting the idea that the

Mexica were of higher status than other peoples, and they were quite aware of their power.

The Mexica, drunk on power and status, were still conscious of the fact that the gods and

time had ultimate control over the world, including themselves. This understanding applies to the

neighbors of the Mexica too. They knew that they were subject to fate and the decisions of the

divine, which tended to follow a cyclic pattern of time. The Aztecs accepted an end to their

empire. Both the “Annals of Cuauhtitlan” and “Legend of the Suns” end with the arrival of the

Spaniards. The last paragraphs of the “Annals” only discuss the first interactions the Mexica had

with the Spanish when gifts were exchanged (Bierhorst 138). The abrupt end to the historical
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accounts is perhaps not only due to the fact that they were written shortly after Spanish arrival

but also the belief that the Mexica rule had come to its end– this arrival was an end to their

history. Once again, it can be seen that the lives they lived were temporary, and so was their

power.

Besides an end to their history in the form of rule, they also understood that their

existence could come to an end. Outlined in the “Legend of the Suns” is the destruction of four

previous worlds, or suns, to create the fifth one that these authors believed themselves to have

lived in. The author states, “we who live today have this one, it’s our sun…” (Bierhorst 147).

With a clear understanding that their existence as humans only came during the fifth creation,

they were aware that they were not the ultimate power of the earth and that their existence could

easily end with an end of another cycle of time. That title of the ultimate power of the earth

belonged to those who keep creating and destroying it. This fleeting existence contrasted with

the stable existence of the gods, putting a limitation on the power of humans that did not apply to

the divine, supporting the hierarchy that put the gods at the top.

This lack of control that humans had came in the form of the transience of life and the

world as they knew it. Events created by the divine directly brought about the destruction of one

world and creation of another as well as creation of humanity and nature as the Aztecs knew it.

Considering this lack of control over nature and even themselves, the Aztecs turned to the divine

for an indirect sense of control, usually obtained through sacrifice and other appeals to the gods.

This shaped how the Aztecs perceived their place in the world. The instability of life combined

with the belief in the gods as having ultimate control led to an integration of religion in the form

of belief and ceremony into Aztec society. They knew the gods had power that needed to be
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called upon– which could be done due to the power they had as holy people. The way in which

the Aztecs understood how the world worked created a power structure with the gods at the top,

humans beneath them– with the Mexica slightly higher than other humans, then other living

things at the bottom. Even with this hierarchy, all facets of life as well as the divine were of

importance, and all components were connected and integral to one another’s existence and place

in the world.
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Works Cited

Bierhorst, John. The Codex Chimalpopoca. The University of Arizona Press, 1992.

Clendinnen, Inga. The Aztecs. Cambridge University, 1991.