The Aztecs A Birdseye View Told by Raetzal

The Aztecs… A Birdseye View Told by Raetzal

Hello. I am Raetzal, a close aquaintance of Huitzilopochtli, god of the sun and war. You might say he and I had a bird’s eye view of the Aztec civilization from beginning to end. Together we watched their story unfold, and I am going to share some of it with you right now! A small group of Aztecs started in North-West Mexico. Huitzilopochtli (I call him “The Boss”) told them to move south and make a permanent home. He said they had to look for a “sign”, that would be an eagle, sitting on a cactus, eating a snake. Wow, that seems… Normal… Anyway, when The Boss speaks, people listen. They looked for the sign for 100 years, and finally a priest found it in the middle of a lake! There was only one problem… the other tribes who already lived there, did not want to share the land. The Aztecs were left with the swampy areas of central Mexico. But as you will see, they were people who could make an asset out of mere “bird seed”! The Boss’ sign for the Aztecs, later became the coat of arms for Mexico

Now, The Boss is the kind of guy who is impressed with peoples growth and achievement, and the Aztecs were very concerned about The Boss’ happiness. Boy, I saw those sacrifices and they were a little too bloody for my liking! I mean ripping hearts out of living people? ! What kind of fright-house civilization is this? Sacrifices by the thousands. And the bloodletting…. Did I tell you about the bloodletting? That really ruffled my feathers, but it seemed to make The Boss pleased. Let’s get to a more productive place. My favorite achievement of the Aztecs was their Chinampas. What do you do when you have swampy, unfarmable areas? You build a floating, moveable garden with fertile soil, of course! Just like ancient civilizations before them, thriving crops meant more time for artisans to expand their craft. I don’t mind telling you that I was held high in the Aztec’s mind, (you didn’t think I was that important? ) and greatly loved by artisans for my colorful “assets”. Chinampas in central Mexico

Anyway, with The Boss in mind they developed an expert military. Everyone feared them, and they wanted to defeat everyone around! Every battle they won allowed them to grow stronger. They did make sure to form alliances along they way. Kind of like an ancient episode of “Survivor”. They took wood and other items for building up their cities from the tribes they defeated, and took more and more land along the way. Captured slaves were used as soldiers to fight other tribes, and also used for…gulp… more sacrifices! For a sunny guy, The Boss is awfully dark! Personally, I know how they became so successful. Education was a huge part of their lives. I watched the boys walk to school every day until they were 17 years old. The girls went too, but I never understood why they didn’t have as many choices as the boys. Advanced math and use of the wheel gave them the ability to make calendars: one for their farming needs and the other for their Gods. They were always trying to please the Big Guys. They even developed a system of tax collecting called tribute. These taxes kept the leaders wealthy and the civilization strong. The “Place of the Prickly Pear Cactus”, their capital, was fierce and successful! I saw that The Boss was very pleased. Aztec boys in school

So with all of this success, strength and wealth, you would think the Aztec civilization would go on for ever, and…. Nope. As I recall, Montezuma was the man in charge at the time. One would have thought , that when The Boss sent some “signs”: flood, earthquake, and even a comet, Montezuma might have paid closer attention… Nope. Shortly after, a Spanish explorer named Cortes, came from Spain and got the Aztec’s neighbor’s (they were not big fans) to fight with him to overthrow the Aztec Nation! But HOW ? ? !! We were all shocked and saddened. The Boss was angered by the loss. I was squaking about it for decades! Cortes and Montezuma at War

The Boss and I had already seen Europeans and the destruction that came along with them. Just like the Maya, The Aztecs suffered similar defeat from Spanish disease. Almost three quarters of the population died from Smallpox. And then, the Spanish used the Aztecs wheel against them. They packed up weapons and supplies and traveled great distances using beasts of burden (which the Aztecs never had) to make war and wipe out much of the Aztec civilization! The once fierce and feared warriors had fallen. I’ll never tell The Boss what I think the moral of the Aztec’s story is. “ Be a friendly, cooperative neighbor, so that your neighbors never turn on you!” Well, I’ve got to fly! By the way… did you figure it out yet? I’m a Quetzal bird. The Boss’ pet Quetzal , Raetzal…to be exact, and this was the story of the Aztecs from my perch! The Beautiful and Sacred Quetzal…AKA… Me!