AZTEC SUN

By Shayn Smith

Who were the Aztec people?

The Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language. Often the term "Aztec" refers exclusively to the Mexican people of Tenochtitlan (now the location of Mexico City).

Most of what we know about the Aztec people comes from excavations done by archeologists in Mexico City.

One of the most famous things discovered by archeologists was the Aztec calendar stone.

The center of the stone is thought to be the Mexican god of the sun, Tonatiuh.

Whats soo special about the sun?

According to an Aztec legend, the moon and the stars were jealous of the sun, or Huitzilopochtli. Therefore Huitzilopochtli used the serpent of fire during his birth to defeat them. From that point forward, the stars and the moon continued to battle the sun. Therefore, the Aztecs considered each sunrise to be a celebration of the victory of the sun over the moon and the stars. The human sacrifices made to the Aztec gods were meant in part to help Huitzilopochtli gain strength for this regular battle. Historians believe over 20,000 victims were sacrificed in his honor during the four day period when Tenochtitlan first opened.

The radiating circles surrounding the Sun have the Aztec language and symbols.

Because it is such an interesting find, lots of artists have done their own variation of the Aztec sun.

Today, we will be creating our own variation of an Aztec Sun