Teocalli de la guerra sagrada

Teocalli is Nahuatl for temple or sacred house. This stone model represents a staircase plinth with side rafters finished with dices, an element typical in the Mexica architecture. The monument is decorated with strong symbolic images. The front side has a solar disc with the sign of Nahui Olin (Four Movement) at the center, a symbol associated with the Fifth Sun. At the sides there are two figures, the one on the left side has a bird helmet, a hummingbird with one leg turned into a snake head. This is, perhaps, a Huitzilopochtli representation, patron god of the Mexica people with solar and war associations. To the right there is the image of Motecuhzoma Xocoyotzin, one of the greatest Mexica rulers who had contact with the Spanish explorers. At the sides of the plinth there are two deities holding self-sacrifice daggers. The back is decorated with the image of an eagle on a cactus, but instead of a snake, it is holding —like every other character represented in the monument has at the mouth— the sign of atlachinolli “water-fire” symbol of war. The cactus does not come from a rock like in the national coat of arms but from the image of Tlaltecuhtli god/goddess of Earth. Lastly, there are calendrical references that appear in the monument: the rafters shows the dates 1 Rabbit and 2 Reed; at the sides, representations of date 1 Flint to the left and 1 Death to the right; and at the top of this monument appears the date 2 House, indicating that this was the date of the traditional founding of the Aztec capital. Mtro. Hugo García Capistran.