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Foundation myth of Tenochtitlan
According to the myth of the foundation of Tenochtitlan,
the god Huitzilopochtli told his people to settle at the spot where they
found an eagle holding a serpent in its beak and perched on a stone. This
image, taken from a 16th century Hispanic codex (Codex Durán) ,
shows this event, although probable historical data indicate that when
the Mexicas arrived at Lake Texcoco, there were
already settled cultures here. One of them was the Tepanecs of the domain
of Azcapotzalco. As foreigners, the Mexicas were forced to live on an islet
where they would come to found their city, and they were forced to pay
tribute to this empire, until they won their independence around the year
1428 A.D. under the leadership of Itzcoatl. After this event, the Mexicas
joined with the cities of Tlacopan and Texcoco to form the "Triple
Alliance," with which the territorial expansion of the Mexicas gained
force.
Last
Modified: January 14, 1998.
Museo del Templo Mayor, Instituto Nacional de Antropología e História,
México.
Seminario #8, Centro Histórico. Cuauhtémoc,
México, D.F. 06060
©Copyright
1997
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