Editing Aztec mythology (section)

== Creation myth ==
[[File:Codex Borgia page 50.jpg|thumb|[[Huitzilopochtli]] is raising up the skies of the [[South]], one of the four directions of the world, surrounded by their respective trees, temples, patterns, and divination symbols.]]
According to legend, when the Mexica arrived in the Anahuac valley around [[Lake Texcoco]], they were considered by the other groups as the least civilized of all, but the Mexica decided to learn... and they took in all that they could from the other people, especially from the ancient [[Toltec]] (whom they seem to have partially confused with the more ancient civilization of [[Teotihuacan]]). To the Aztec, the Toltec were the originators of all culture; "[[Toltecayotl]]" was a synonym for culture. Aztec legends identify the Toltecs and the cult of [[Quetzalcoatl]] with the legendary city of [[Tollan]], which they also identified with the more ancient Teotihuacan.

Because the Aztecs adopted and combined several traditions with their own earlier traditions, they had several [[creation myth]]s. One of these, the [[Five Suns]], describes four great ages preceding the present world, each of which ended in a catastrophe, and "were named in function of the force or divine element that violently put an end to each one of them".<ref>{{cite book|last=Portilla|first=Miguel León|title=Native Mesoamerican Spirituality: Ancient Myths, Discourses, Stories, Hymns, Poems, from the Aztec, Yucatec, Quiche-Maya, and other sacred traditions|year=1980|publisher=Paulist Press|location=New Jersey|isbn=0-8091-2231-6|page=40|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hTH1jEM2uokC}}</ref> [[Coatlicue]] was the mother of [[Centzon Huitznahua]] ("Four Hundred Southerners"), her sons, and [[Coyolxauhqui]], her daughter. At some point, she found a ball of feathers and placed it in her waistband, thus becoming pregnant with [[Huitzilopochtli]]. Her other children became suspicious as to the identity of the father, and vowed to kill their mother. She gave birth on Mount Coatepec, pursued by her children, but the newborn Huitzilopochtli (born fully armed and prepared to fight) defeated most of his brothers, who then became the stars. He also killed his half-sister, [[Coyolxauhqui]], by tearing out her heart using [[Xiuhcoatl]] (a blue snake) and throwing her body down the mountain. This was said to inspire the Aztecs to rip the hearts out of their human sacrifices and throw their bodies down the sides of the temple dedicated to Huitzilopochtli, who represents the sun,  chasing away the stars at dawn.

Our age (''[[Nahui Ollin|Nahui-Ollin]]''), the [[Fifth World (Native American mythology)|fifth age]], or fifth creation, began in the ancient city of Teotihuacan{{citation needed|date=May 2014}}. According to the myth, all the gods had gathered to sacrifice themselves and create a new age. Although the world and the sun had already been created, it would only be through their sacrifice that the sun would be set into motion, and time and history could begin. The strongest and most handsome of the gods, [[Tecuciztecatl]], was supposed to sacrifice himself but when it came time to self-immolate, he could not jump into the fire. Instead, [[Nanauatzin|Nanahuatl]] the smallest and humblest of the gods, who was also covered in boils, sacrificed himself first, and jumped into the flames. The sun was set into motion with his sacrifice, and time began. Humiliated by Nanahuatl's sacrifice, Tecuciztecatl, too, leaped into the fire and became the moon.<ref>Smith, Michael E. "The Aztecs". Blackwell Publishers, 2002.</ref>