Tequihuah Xochimazatzin

Xochimazatl encouraging his soldiers during the march towards the Gulf Coast, Late 1491

The year Twelve Reed (1491). Ahuitzotl focused this year’s campaign on the rebellious Gulf coast city states. Their initial target was Chinantlan, located far southeast out of the basin of Mexico. The army had to travel through rugged terrain for days. Halfway through the route, tlatoani’s loyal general Xochimazatl encouraged his soldiers to arrive safely in the friendly city of Huaxtepec before sunset.

 Xochimazatl is dressed in the typical battle outfit of a high-ranking lord. He wears an ichcahuipilli (quilted armor) to provide basic protection for his torso and thighs. He also wears an ehuatl (feathered tunic), which was worn by nobility and kings over their armor. Jewelry made of gold, turquoise, and jade was also common among the ruling class. Colorful tropical feathers are used throughout his attire, including the banners and shield. He wears a tilmatli (cloak) over the ehuatl, which further denotes his rank. Because the army is on the road, he is carrying a gourd bottle (tecomatl) strapped on his shoulders. A bag made of sturdy maguey fiber contains neccesities such as field ration and spare obsidian blades.

Tequihuah means ‘the valiant warrior’. It is also a title bestowed on distinguished warriors, particularly those who have taken four captives in combat. They also commanded the contingents of calpolli (neighborhood/district) soldiers. The formal military title of Xochimazatl is Mexicatl Tequihuah.

Sources

• Aztec jade necklace, Museo Nacional de Antropologia

• Aztec/Mixtec golden ear pendants, Metropolitan Museum of Art

• Obsidian, gold and turquoise lip plug, Princeton University Art Museum

• Matricula de Tributos, 1510s

• Codex Mendoza, 1542

• Codex Tepetlaoztoc, 1550s

• Primeros Memoriales, 1561

• Codex Telleriano Remensis, 1563

• Codex Ixtlilxochitl, 1582

• Codex Tlaxcala (Glasgow manuscript), 1585

• Hernando Alvarado Tezozomoc, Cronica Mexicana, 1598

• Ross Hassig, Aztec Warfare: Imperial Expansion and Political Control, University of Oklahoma Press, 1988