32,000 Voldemort-like looking people, without a nose and only a hole in the middle of the face thanks to a “jest” by a Nahuatl-King. Such was the sheer result of the Aztecs’ fight for their survival during their migration years. An episode that displayed their ruthlessness, resilience, and martial prowess which later turned them from nomads to overlords.
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| Xochimilco Prisoners in Aubin Codex |
Early Aztecs
The Aztecs, or Mexica as they called themselves, traced their origins in a mystical island called Aztlan. From there, their war-god Huitzilopochtli gave them his blessing and promised them a new homeland. The journey ran for centuries until they reached Lake Texcoco.
Several generations passed from the Aztecs' way from Aztlan going south. Along the way they left scores of people, established towns, and endured Huitzilopotchli's drama with his sister and nephew. Eventually, they settled in Chapultepec.
Their stay in Chapultepec, however, did not sit well with their neighbors. They soon faced hostilities from them, being besieged by a coalition of tribes. Ultimately, they lost the defense and left wandering again.
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| Image of Chapultepec in Aubin Codex |
The Mexica decided to seek refuge in the city-state of Culhuaca and its ruler Coxcoxtli. They plead their case to the ruler, stating:
O Lord and ruler, we ask you: Where, in truth, are we to go? For truly we have known that it is your altepetl (city-state). Help us with a little of your land on which we may remain.
Coxcoxtli did not like the Aztecs and in fact Culhuacans took part in the coalition that defeated the Aztecs in Chapultepec. He thought of them as “evil” and “wicked.”
Coxcoxtli’s Joke
Coxcoxtli toyed with the Mexica. He subjected them to horrible situations with unexpected results. He witnessed how their god Huitzilopotchli blessed his people.
First, he tried to get rid of the Aztecs with clean hands. He sent them to settle in a land called Tizapan, an area notoriously infested by snakes and other reptiles. He said:
“They are evil; they are wicked. Perhaps they will come to an end, eaten by snakes; for it is a great snake country.”
Coxcoxtli expected the Mexica to be eradicated by snakes, but the opposite happened. The Aztecs enjoyed the place and exterminated the snakes by feasting on it. This scared Coxcoxtli, but he found another way to get rid of the Aztecs.
According to the Codex Aubin, Coxcoxtli decided to use the Mexica for his war against the agriculturally rich region of Xochimilco. He hoped the war to annihilate the Aztecs by demanding them to get 8,000 Xochimilco prisoners with proof of capture. Worst of all, he did not armed them.
The Mexica fret, but having the blessing of Huitzilopotchli, they accepted. They then armed themselves with whatever weapons they have in hand and decided first to cut off the ears of their captured. But they feared being suspected of cheating the count by just cutting off 2 ears from a single prisoner. They decided to settle by cutting off their noses.
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| Huitzilopotchli |
The Aztecs then marched to battle. In the end of the melee, they captured not just 8,000, but ended up with 32,000. They then sent all those noses to Coxcoxtli who had mixed reactions. The Culhuacan leader said:
The Mexica are not human. How did they do this to the Xochimilca? When I gave them this task, it was all in jest. The deaths they’re responsible for are a bad omen.
Aftermath
The Aztecs remained for decades in Culhuacan. Bonds formed, but Huitzilopochtli disagreed with the situation. Eventually, God made his move.
The Mexica formed a close relationship with Culhuacans. They traded and intermarried so much so, Aztecs felt at home already. But Huitzilopochtli wanted to remind the Mexica of their quest.
Through his demand for a Toci or a grandmother for the Aztecs, they skinned a Culhuacan Princess. This ended the union and the Mexica wandered of again for decades until finally they found their homeland which they called Tenochtitlan.
Summing Up
Coxcoxtli’s joke led to thousands of noseless Xochimilco and proven the Mexica people’s resilience, the Mexicas overcoming of this joke allowed for a people to people ties that affected Aztec history in a long run. A grandson of Coxcoxtli later on became the first Tlatoani of the Mexica, a man called Acamapichtli.
See also:
Bibliography:
Chimalpahin Quauhtlehuanitzin, Domingo de San Anton Muñon. Translated by Arthur J.O. Anderson and Susan Schroeder. Codex Chimalpahin (v. 1). Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 1997.
"Codex Aubin." In From the Page. Accessed on September 8, 2024. URL: https://fromthepage.com/fordham/codex-aubin/codex-aubin/display/25000056
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