The Aztec myth of the unlikeliest sun god - Kay Almere Read
-
0:07 - 0:12Nanahuatl, weakest of the Aztec gods,
sickly and covered in pimples, -
0:12 - 0:15had been chosen to form a new world.
-
0:15 - 0:19There had already been four worlds, each
set in motion by its own “Lord Sun," -
0:19 - 0:22and each, in turn, destroyed:
-
0:22 - 0:25the first by jaguars, the next by winds,
-
0:25 - 0:29the next by rains of fire,
and the fourth by floods. -
0:29 - 0:31To establish the Fifth Sun,
-
0:31 - 0:33Lord Quetzalcoatl,
the “Feathered Serpent,” -
0:33 - 0:37had gone to the underworld and
returned with the bones of earlier people, -
0:37 - 0:40nourishing them with his own
blood to create new life. -
0:40 - 0:42But for them to have a world to live in,
-
0:42 - 0:46another god had to leap into the
great bonfire and become the fifth sun. -
0:46 - 0:51The Lord of Sustenance and the Lord of
Fire had chosen Nanahuatl for this task, -
0:51 - 0:54while the Lord of Rain and
the Lord of the Four Quarters -
0:54 - 0:59had picked their own offering:
the proud, rich Tecciztecatl. -
0:59 - 1:03First, the chosen ones had to complete a
four-day fasting and bloodletting ritual. -
1:03 - 1:07Nanahuatl had nothing but cactus thorns
with which to bleed himself, -
1:07 - 1:09and fir branches to paint
with his red offering, -
1:09 - 1:11but he resolved to try his best.
-
1:11 - 1:15Meanwhile, Tecciztecatl flaunted
his riches, -
1:15 - 1:20using magnificent jade spines and branches
adorned with iridescent quetzal feathers -
1:20 - 1:22for his own blood offering.
-
1:22 - 1:25When four days had passed,
the fire was roaring high. -
1:25 - 1:29Four times proud Tecciztecatl
approached the flames, -
1:29 - 1:32and four times he pulled back in fear.
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1:32 - 1:34Humble Nanahuatl stepped forward.
-
1:34 - 1:37The other gods painted him chalky
white and glued feathers to him. -
1:37 - 1:40Without hesitation, he threw himself
into the flames. -
1:40 - 1:43A fire-blackened eagle
swooped over the fire, -
1:43 - 1:46grabbed Nanahuatl and carried
him into the sky. -
1:46 - 1:49There, Lord and Lady Sustenance
bathed him, -
1:49 - 1:53sat him on a feathered throne, and
wrapped a red band around his head. -
1:53 - 1:55Inspired by Nanahuatl,
-
1:55 - 2:00Tecciztecatl threw himself into what
was left of the fire: cooled ashes. -
2:00 - 2:05A jaguar jumped over the fire pit, but
couldn’t carry Tecciztecatl into the sky. -
2:05 - 2:10When Tecciztecatl reached the horizon, a
band of goddesses dressed him in rags. -
2:10 - 2:14Still, he shined just as brightly
as Nanahuatl. -
2:14 - 2:17But since he had shown far less bravery
and much more pride, -
2:17 - 2:21one of the gods picked up a rabbit
and tossed it in his face, -
2:21 - 2:23dimming his light.
-
2:23 - 2:26But the fifth world still wasn’t
truly established. -
2:26 - 2:29Nanahuatl, Lord Sun,
shined for four days straight -
2:29 - 2:32without moving through the sky like
all the previous suns had moved. -
2:32 - 2:36Back in their home, Teotihuacan,
the gods began to worry. -
2:36 - 2:40They sent Obsidian Hawk up
to ask what was wrong. -
2:40 - 2:44Nanahuatl replied that just as he had
sacrificed himself to become Lord Sun, -
2:44 - 2:47he now needed the nourishing
blood of the other gods -
2:47 - 2:50in order to move through the sky.
-
2:50 - 2:55Enraged at this suggestion, Lord Dawn
stepped up and shot an arrow at Lord Sun. -
2:55 - 2:57Lord Sun shot back,
-
2:57 - 3:00and his quetzal-feathered arrows
struck Lord Dawn in the face, -
3:00 - 3:01turning him to frost.
-
3:01 - 3:04Before anyone else could act rashly,
-
3:04 - 3:07the other gods turned to each
other to discuss what to do. -
3:07 - 3:10Of course, no one wanted to
sacrifice themselves, -
3:10 - 3:13but nor did anyone want to
act like Lord Dawn. -
3:13 - 3:17Besides, Nanahuatl had held up his end of
the bargain to nourish the earth— -
3:17 - 3:19how could they refuse to
nourish him in return? -
3:19 - 3:22They remembered how even
the wimpy Tecciztecatl -
3:22 - 3:26had eventually managed to
emulate Nanahuatl's bravery. -
3:26 - 3:30At long last, five other gods agreed
to sacrifice themselves. -
3:30 - 3:34One by one, Lord Death stabbed them
in the heart with an obsidian knife, -
3:34 - 3:37offering their bodies to
their new Lord Sun. -
3:37 - 3:39As the last god made the sacrifice,
-
3:39 - 3:43Lord Quetzalcoatl blew the embers
of the great fire back to life, -
3:43 - 3:46and the sun began to move
through the sky at last, -
3:46 - 3:48ushering in the fifth age.
-
3:48 - 3:52Thanks to a pimply weakling whose
fortitude inspired all the other gods, -
3:52 - 3:54the sun moves along its daily path,
-
3:54 - 3:58the rabbit-faced moon
following in its wake.
- Title:
- The Aztec myth of the unlikeliest sun god - Kay Almere Read
- Speaker:
- Kay Almere Read
- Description:
-
View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-aztec-myth-of-the-unlikeliest-sun-god-kay-almere-read
Nanahuatl, weakest of the Aztec gods, sickly and covered in pimples, had been chosen to form a new world. There had already been four worlds, each set in motion by its own "Lord Sun," and each had been destroyed. For a new world to be created, another god had to leap into the great bonfire and become the fifth sun. Will Nanahuatl complete the sacrifice? Kay A. Read recounts the myth of the sun.
Lesson by Kay Almere Read, directed by Tomás Pichardo-Espaillat.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TED-Ed
- Duration:
- 03:58
Elise Haadsma approved English subtitles for The Aztec myth of the unlikeliest sun god | ||
Elise Haadsma accepted English subtitles for The Aztec myth of the unlikeliest sun god | ||
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