TEZCATLIPOCA - A GOD FOR ALL SEASONS
By Dawn Housand, Newcomers Historian
Tezcatlipoca, Fiery Mirror, was the tribal god of the
Tezcucans. He began his “life” as a common spirit of wind and air. As a spirit
of the wind, he had the opportunity to be everywhere, all the time. He saw
all, hear all, and being a very nosy spirit, he learned all ( at least all he
could.) He carried a shield or mirror in which he could see the reflections of
the actions and deeds of all mankind.
The people of Tezcuco followed him to the Land of
Promise. He called up a storm which aided in the defeat of the gods and elder
race who dwelled in this new land. His fame and glory spread far and wide, as
if on the wind (oops.) In no time at all, Tezcatlipocarose from the rank of
favorite deity of a small band of Nahua immigrants to a god of fate and
fortune, capable of deciding the destinies of entire nations all in a single
bound. Tezcatlipoca is linked with the downfall of the all-powerful
Quetzalcoatl, god-king of the Toltecs.
During the reign of Quetzalcoatl, there was a feast of
life. Milk and honey flowed like a golden stream. All was peace and harmony in
the land of the Toltecs. It is said that the “rain never fell till after
sunset.” By noon, the morning dew had disappeared... (oh, sorry, wrong
legend.)
Corn was plentiful, squash was as big as a strong man’s
arm, and cotton grew in all the colors. No need to even dye it before weaving.
There were song birds of every hue in the rainbow. Gold and silver and
precious stones littered the fields and hillsides. Even in the land of
Quetzalcoatl, too much of a good thing....I mean a good thing can create
problems.
Envious of the good fortune and peace of the Toltecs,
three wicked sorcerers joined together to plot an end to it all.
Huitzilopochtli, Titlahuacan (aka Tezcatlipoca), and Tlacahuepan laid evil
spells on the city of Tollan. Tezcatlipoca, disguised as an elderly man,
presented himself at the palace of Quetzalcoatl and demanded to see the king.
Quetzalcoatl was under the weather (too early for Montezuma’s revenge?) and
was unable to receive the old man.
Tezcatlipoca spoke so persuasively that he was able to
gain entrance to the ailing king. “How are you my son? I have heard of your
discomfort and would seek to ease your suffering.”
Quetzalcoatl replied, “I have seen your coming for many
days. I am exceedingly ill. I can neither use my hands nor my feet.”
Tezcatlipoca was the picture of concern, assuring the
king that if he would but drink of the tonic which he had with him, that
Quetzalcoatl would soon be on on the mend. The kind drank the potion and
warmth infused him. Tezcatlipoca pressed another and still another cup on the
king and soon he fell into a drunken stupor. This wondrous potion was no more
than the local pulque (an alcoholic beverage made from fermented maguey
juice.)
When Tezcatlipoca had finished with Quetzalcoatl, he
turned his attentions on the Toltec people.
As Quetzalcoatl was the spiritual leader of the Toltecs, Lemac was the
temporal leader. Lemac had a daughter who was so beautiful that all the young
men of the land were in her thrall.[] But
to no avail, for her father kept her close to him and would hear no talk of
marriage. Tezcatlipoca, in the guise of the handsome Toveyo, passed by the
golden wall of the palace. This lovely young woman saw Toveyo and fell madly
in love with him. Her passion was so strong that she fell into a deep fever.
Her father, hearing of her illness, inquired as to the
cause. He was dismayed to learn of this stranger in their midst and send
soldiers to capture him. When Tezcatlipoca was brought before Lemac, he began
to work his spells.
“Whence come you?” Lemac asked the briefly clad man.
“Lord, I am a stranger, and I have come to sell green
paint,” replied Tezcatlipoca.
“Why are you dressed this way, where is your cloak?” the
worried father asked.
“I follow the custom of my country, my Lord.”
“You have inspired a passion in the heart of my child. What should be done
to you for this unseemly display. You have disgraced me.”
“Slay me,” replied the cunning Tezcatlipoca. “What care I?”
“Nay!” cried Lemac, “for if I slay you my child will surely die. Please go
to her and say that you and she may wed.”
When news of the upcoming union became known, there arose such a tumult
among the young men of the land that Lemac was forced to look for a way to
distract his people. There was a whisper on the air. A whisper of war. What
better way to spend the anger of the young men but by a call to arms?
“Go forth and seek out the men of Costepec and secure their lands and
stores and any other wealth.” the leader decreed.
Tezcatlipoca and Tlacahuepan visited the marketplace of Tollan where
Tlacahuepan displayed a small infant on the palm of his hand. He cause this
baby to dance and cut such cunning capers that the crowd was enchanted and
fell under his spell. This baby was in reality the Nahua god of war, and one
of the wicked sorcerers, Huitzilopochtli.
Tezcatlipoca was much more than a big wind. He had the power to destroy
existence. On many occasions, he appears as such an inevitable dealer of death
that his is known as Nezahualpilli (the
Hungry Chief) and Yaotzin (the Enemy.) In one of his most widely known
forms he is called Telpochtli (the Youthful Warrior) because his great
strength, his unending life-force, his youthful and boisterous nature were
expressed in the wildest of tempests.
Tezcatlipoca is generally shown holding in his right hand a dart placed in
an atlatl (a spear
thrower), and his mirror shield with four spare darts in his left. The
shiled is a symbol of his power as a judge of mankind and an upholder of
justice. In Aztec legend, Tezcatlipoca is pictured as a highwayman in search
of victims upon whom to unleash his fury, as the night wind rushes along the
deserted roads with much more violence than would appear by the light of day.
One of his names, Yoalli Ehecatl, means Night Wind.
It is believed that Tezcatlipoca led the Nahua and particularly the people
of Tezcuco from a northern area to the Valley of Mexico. Over time, he became
not just a local deity of the Tezcucans, but a widely known and worshipped god
throughout the land. Other gods were sought out for some special needs, but
the worship of Tezcatlipoca was considered compulsory. He was called upon to
safeguard against the destructions of the universe, a fate the Nahua believed
might occur through his agency. In times of war, plague, famine, or natural
disaster, the entire community fled to the Teocalli (temple) to plead for his
speedy intervention.
It is along way from a whisper of a breeze to the all-powerful,
all-destroying big wind. Tezcatlipoca has grown in strength and power and his
image casts a long shadow over all the people of Mexico.
Information from this article was taken from The Myths of Mexico and
Peru, by Lewis Spencer.
