Huitzilopochtli,

patron of the Mexica

"And Huitzilopochtli said to them,

'Take what is among the cacti. They will be the first tribute! And at once there, he changed the name of the Aztecs. He said to them, 'From now on, your name is no longer Aztec, you are now Mexica!

There he painted their ears black; in this way the Mexica took their name.

And there they were given the arrow and the bow and the little net.

Whatever flew overhead, the Mexica shot them well with bows and arrows.

Photo: Codex Borbonicus

South American and Mesoamerican civilizations have fascinated me since childhood, when I would watch The Mysterious Cities of Gold. This early 1980s Japanese-French anime series featured a solar-powered galleon ship, a golden, mechanical condor, three kids exploring the New World at the beginning of the Spanish Conquest, and a mini documentary at the end of each episode. Who could ask for more? (There was even a sequel in 2012!)

But, despite this enchantment, Quetzalcoatl and Tlaloc were the only gods I could identify, while I could name dozens of Greek, Egyptian or Norse Gods. Only ten years ago, I learned about Aztec codices and a whole world of deities, each taking care of some aspects of human life.