#tenochca

¿Aztecas o mexicas?

The terminology for referring to the people commonly known as “Aztecs” or “Mexicans” can be complex and varied, depending on the historical and cultural context. They called themselves **nahua**, referring to their language, the Nahuatl. However, within their historical and cultural narratives, they used various names:

1. **Mexico**: This is the primary name they used to refer to themselves as a people. It's the most appropriate term when talking about your collective identity.

2. **Aztec**: It means “Men of Aztlan,” a mythical place from which they are said to have emigrated. This term refers to its origin and its association with the ancient Toltec Empire.

3. **Tenochca**: This name is used to identify those who followed the Tenoch caudillo, highlighting a specific strain within Mexicans.

4. **Chichimeca**: In their stories, they also describe themselves as chichimecas in reference to a period in their history when they were hunting and emigrant villages.

Therefore, when naming this group it is important to consider the specific historical and cultural context, but the term **Mexico** is the most appropriate and respectful to refer to them as a unified collective.

In the heart of ancient Mexico, from the 14th to the 16th century, a vibrant and powerful civilization thrived. The Aztecs, which are also known as Mexica or Tenochca, were most likely originated as a nomadic tribe of hunters and gatherers in northern Mexico. While searching for a permanent home which, according to their believes, would be determined by the appearance of an eagle perched on a nopal cactus with a serpent in its beak, in 1325 C.E. they arrived on a marshy land located around Lake Texcoco.