The Aztec Empire
Huitzilopochtli
God of the Sun and War
- sun
- war
- sacrifice
About Huitzilopochtli
The fierce sun-and-war god who led the Aztecs to their homeland and demanded devotion to keep the sun alive.
A famous story
According to legend, Huitzilopochtli told the wandering Aztecs to settle where they saw an eagle on a cactus eating a snake — the spot where they founded Tenochtitlan, an image now on the Mexican flag. The Aztecs believed his daily fight to raise the sun needed human offerings to succeed.
Temple
Templo Mayor
Tenochtitlan (Mexico City), Mexico
The great twin-shrined pyramid at the heart of the Aztec capital, shared with Tlaloc.