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Nanahuatl, weakest of the Aztec gods, 
sickly and covered in pimples,

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had been chosen to form a new world.

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There had already been four worlds, each 
set in motion by its own “Lord Sun,"

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and each, in turn, destroyed:

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the first by jaguars, the next by winds,

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the next by rains of fire, 
and the fourth by floods.

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To establish the Fifth Sun,

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Lord Quetzalcoatl, 
the “Feathered Serpent,”

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had gone to the underworld and 
returned with the bones of earlier people,

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nourishing them with his own 
blood to create new life.

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But for them to have a world to live in,

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another god had to leap into the 
great bonfire and become the fifth sun.

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The Lord of Sustenance and the Lord of 
Fire had chosen Nanahuatl for this task,

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while the Lord of Rain and 
the Lord of the Four Quarters

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had picked their own offering:
the proud, rich Tecciztecatl.

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First, the chosen ones had to complete a 
four-day fasting and bloodletting ritual.

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Nanahuatl had nothing but cactus thorns 
with which to bleed himself,

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and fir branches to paint 
with his red offering,

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but he resolved to try his best.

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Meanwhile, Tecciztecatl flaunted 
his riches,

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using magnificent jade spines and branches
adorned with iridescent quetzal feathers

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for his own blood offering.

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When four days had passed, 
the fire was roaring high.

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Four times proud Tecciztecatl 
approached the flames,

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and four times he pulled back in fear.

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Humble Nanahuatl stepped forward.

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The other gods painted him chalky 
white and glued feathers to him.

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Without hesitation, he threw himself 
into the flames.

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A fire-blackened eagle 
swooped over the fire,

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grabbed Nanahuatl and carried 
him into the sky.

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There, Lord and Lady Sustenance 
bathed him,

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sat him on a feathered throne, and 
wrapped a red band around his head.

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Inspired by Nanahuatl,

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Tecciztecatl threw himself into what 
was left of the fire: cooled ashes.

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A jaguar jumped over the fire pit, but 
couldn’t carry Tecciztecatl into the sky.

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When Tecciztecatl reached the horizon, a 
band of goddesses dressed him in rags.

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Still, he shined just as brightly 
as Nanahuatl.

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But since he had shown far less bravery 
and much more pride,

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one of the gods picked up a rabbit 
and tossed it in his face,

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dimming his light.

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But the fifth world still wasn’t 
truly established.

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Nanahuatl, Lord Sun,
shined for four days straight

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without moving through the sky like 
all the previous suns had moved.

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Back in their home, Teotihuacan, 
the gods began to worry.

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They sent Obsidian Hawk up 
to ask what was wrong.

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Nanahuatl replied that just as he had 
sacrificed himself to become Lord Sun,

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he now needed the nourishing 
blood of the other gods

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in order to move through the sky.

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Enraged at this suggestion, Lord Dawn 
stepped up and shot an arrow at Lord Sun.

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Lord Sun shot back,

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and his quetzal-feathered arrows 
struck Lord Dawn in the face,

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turning him to frost.

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Before anyone else could act rashly,

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the other gods turned to each 
other to discuss what to do.

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Of course, no one wanted to 
sacrifice themselves,

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but nor did anyone want to 
act like Lord Dawn.

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Besides, Nanahuatl had held up his end of 
the bargain to nourish the earth—

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how could they refuse to 
nourish him in return?

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They remembered how even 
the wimpy Tecciztecatl

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had eventually managed to 
emulate Nanahuatl's bravery.

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At long last, five other gods agreed 
to sacrifice themselves.

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One by one, Lord Death stabbed them 
in the heart with an obsidian knife,

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offering their bodies to 
their new Lord Sun.

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As the last god made the sacrifice,

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Lord Quetzalcoatl blew the embers 
of the great fire back to life,

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and the sun began to move 
through the sky at last,

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ushering in the fifth age.

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Thanks to a pimply weakling whose 
fortitude inspired all the other gods,

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the sun moves along its daily path,

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the rabbit-faced moon 
following in its wake.