The beginning
Once upon a time, long long ago, there were humans on the earth. The humans ate maize and so they grew into giants. The giants were tall and strong and lived happily for a long time. However, there was a massive flood. Even the giants weren't tall enough to keep their heads above water. Every giant on earth drowned and got turned into fish. The flood swallowed the sun and ended the first age of the earth after 4008 years.
But two humans survived by climbing on a tree. They were called Nene and Tata and they started the human race all over again in the second age. However, after 4010 years, there was a giant wind that came along and blew the sun out. The wind blew so hard that humans had to cling to the trees with their hands and feet. They even grew tails and all turned into monkeys.
Again, two humans survived by standing on a rock and they started the human race again in the third age. But a monstrous fire came along and destroyed the earth.And again, two humans survived and started the fourth age. But of course like the other ages, the humans of the fourth age got wiped out by a rain of blood and fire. The sun was destroyed. The land was dry and bare. Nothing could grow and the humans starved.
Now we are in the fifth age, the one that will end with earthquakes on 22 December 2012. At the start of the fifth age, the gods met in Teotihuacan 'The place where the gods are born'. It was dark as there was no sun. The only way to make a sun was for a god to set fire to himself. You had to sacrifice your life to become the sun and no god wanted the job. At last, Tecuciztecatl said that he was going to be the sun as he was the greatest. However no one agreed as no one really liked him. But still they built a massive bonfire and invited Tecuciztecatl to jump in. The god looked at the fire. Tecuciztecatl didn't want to become the sun anymore as he didn't want to sacrifice his life. He made excuses how he was too busy to become the sun today. But that's when Nanahuatzin who was wise and popular, jumped into the fire. The earth had a great ball of light in the sky. The earth finally had a sun.Tecuciztecatl was so ashamed of himself that he too jumped into the bonfire. Another great ball of light lit up the sky. Tecuciztecatl had become the moon.
You'd think that after all this, the story would've ended happily ever after, but it didn't. The sun wasn't moving! Nanahuatzin who had given up his life to become the sun, demanded for the other gods to give their lives before he set off across the sky. The gods reluctantly agreed to Nanahuatzin's condition and so one by one, the gods came to the feathered snake god, Quetzalcoatl and had their beating hearts torn out of their bodies. Once the sacrifices were made, the sun finally began to move across the sky as it has done ever since.
It was said that giants built the pyramids of the sun and the moon in Teotihuacan and the first leaders were buried inside them. The Aztecs looked at the pyramids and believed that it could only have been built by giants and they really believed the tale of the gods. The Aztecs said "If the gods had to give their hearts to keep the sun moving in the sky, then we humans should do the same. We must make sure the sun is properly fed with regular supplies of heart." And that's why the Aztecs began sacrificing humans for the gods.
But two humans survived by climbing on a tree. They were called Nene and Tata and they started the human race all over again in the second age. However, after 4010 years, there was a giant wind that came along and blew the sun out. The wind blew so hard that humans had to cling to the trees with their hands and feet. They even grew tails and all turned into monkeys.
Again, two humans survived by standing on a rock and they started the human race again in the third age. But a monstrous fire came along and destroyed the earth.And again, two humans survived and started the fourth age. But of course like the other ages, the humans of the fourth age got wiped out by a rain of blood and fire. The sun was destroyed. The land was dry and bare. Nothing could grow and the humans starved.
Now we are in the fifth age, the one that will end with earthquakes on 22 December 2012. At the start of the fifth age, the gods met in Teotihuacan 'The place where the gods are born'. It was dark as there was no sun. The only way to make a sun was for a god to set fire to himself. You had to sacrifice your life to become the sun and no god wanted the job. At last, Tecuciztecatl said that he was going to be the sun as he was the greatest. However no one agreed as no one really liked him. But still they built a massive bonfire and invited Tecuciztecatl to jump in. The god looked at the fire. Tecuciztecatl didn't want to become the sun anymore as he didn't want to sacrifice his life. He made excuses how he was too busy to become the sun today. But that's when Nanahuatzin who was wise and popular, jumped into the fire. The earth had a great ball of light in the sky. The earth finally had a sun.Tecuciztecatl was so ashamed of himself that he too jumped into the bonfire. Another great ball of light lit up the sky. Tecuciztecatl had become the moon.
You'd think that after all this, the story would've ended happily ever after, but it didn't. The sun wasn't moving! Nanahuatzin who had given up his life to become the sun, demanded for the other gods to give their lives before he set off across the sky. The gods reluctantly agreed to Nanahuatzin's condition and so one by one, the gods came to the feathered snake god, Quetzalcoatl and had their beating hearts torn out of their bodies. Once the sacrifices were made, the sun finally began to move across the sky as it has done ever since.
It was said that giants built the pyramids of the sun and the moon in Teotihuacan and the first leaders were buried inside them. The Aztecs looked at the pyramids and believed that it could only have been built by giants and they really believed the tale of the gods. The Aztecs said "If the gods had to give their hearts to keep the sun moving in the sky, then we humans should do the same. We must make sure the sun is properly fed with regular supplies of heart." And that's why the Aztecs began sacrificing humans for the gods.
Fun Fact 2# The Aztecs were actually defeated by disease, not the Spanish.