Story of Chicomoztoc and The Great Migration

The Story

There was a location that 7 tribes used to live in a place named Chicomoztoc, which was located in the land of Aztlan. The 7 tribes go as follows:

1. Tepanecas

2. Xochimilcos

3. Chalcos

4. Acolhuas

5. Tlahuicas

6. Tlaxcaltecas

7. Mexicas

These tribes are called "The Seven Nahuatlacas Tribes". Each of these tribes 1 by 1 left the tribe from "celestial command".

Some of the tribes left in groups, and other tribes waited for some sort of prophecy to tell them to leave.

Around 820 A.D. the tribes started to leave the caves. The Mexica, were told to leave by their god Huitzilopochtli, who promised Paradise-like lands. The Mexica stayed in the caves 302 years after the first tribe departed from Chicomoztoc.

The first tribe arriving at the Lake Texcoco Region was the Xochimilcos. They extended their new founded kingdom and created the cities of: Tochimilco, Tetela, Hueyapan, Tlamimilolpan, Xumiltepec, Tlacotepec, Zacualpan, Totolapan, Tepoztlan, and Chimalhuacan.

The second to arrive to Lake Texcoco were the Chalcos. Who made their kingdom next to the Xochimilco. They both lived together without conflict. The Chalcos founded the city of Tlalmanalco. They both ruled over the cities of: Cuaxochpan, Ayotzinco, Chalco, and Atenco.

The Tepanecs were the 3rd to arrive to the region, and made ownership to the area of Tlacopan/Tecupa. They established the city of Azcapotzalco. They also established the cities of Tacubaya,

Coyoacan, Tlalnepantla, and Tenayuca. 

After them the rest of the tribes arrived to the area with the last of them being the Mexica.

The Mexica left at 1112 A.D. from the land of Aztlan to search for the promised land. Some historians say that the Mexica adopted the name of Mexica from Huitzilopochtli. He liked the Mexica more than the other tribes, so he left a place for them that was the paradise he described.

He communicated to the priests giving them dreams, visions, omens, prophecies, and tools for getting to the land.

Along the way Huitzilopochtli was kind and allowed them to establish towns along the journey, with him designating the best places to make them. The Mexica would rest for 10 to 20 years in these towns. Some of the Mexicas asked for permission for Huitzilopochtli to abandon the migration and stay in the towns.

In the journey the Mexica circled the territories of the Chichimeca. Which were looked upon as barbaric and uncivilized by the more advanced tribes. The Chichimec lived in badly placed settlements for the seasons and lived as nomads.

The Mexica established a town named Patzcuaro which was one of the more important towns of the Mexica. The town being built next to a lagoon with the same name. The lagoon looked similar to the Mexica and caused some confusion. 

The Mexica conducted rituals to ask Huitzilopochtli if they could stay, to which Huitzilopochtli was not so fond of. But when they asked him if a small portion of people could stay he said yes. And Huitzilopochtli warned them that if people of different ages bathed in the lagoon they would take the clothes and abandon them. And they did that. These people became the Tarascans who were direct descendants of the Mexica.

The second major city they would establish would be named Malinalco which was ruled over by a noble woman named Malinalxochitl who used magic and magic spells and was a sister of Huitzilopochtli. Due to her blood, and her mastery of magic was feared upon the tribe. She challenged the power of the High Priests, and even to Huitzilopochtli. She created a cult, with loyal followers and she appreciated them very much. People who defied her she would cause animals, snakes, insects, all venomous to bite the victims.

The people held rituals to Huitzilopochtli desperate for help and Huitzilopochtli always knew of their troubles, and told them to be strong, and that they would get many riches at their final destination. And he told them to not fall for her spells that were tricking the members of the Mexica. He told them that the next morning when all Malinalxochitl's followers and Malinalxochitl were asleep to abandon her and Huitzilopochtli told them to not worry about the spells and he would protect them.

After she woke up and realized she was abandoned she cursed at them and she sought refuge in a town she made named Malinalco, where she taught them her spells.

The 3rd place they would arrive would be Mount Coatepec, situated in the lands of Tollan. They had encountered small tribes of the Chichimec who were part of the Otomí tribe, they were upset about the invasions of their tribes by the Mexica without their permission. But the Mexica ignored the tribe and set up a camp and an alter to Huitzilopochtli.

Huitzilopochtli told the Mexica to go down the hill of the camp into the Meadow to divert the waters of the nearby river on all locations it was flowing and build a dam stopping the flow. This was possibly the first artificial lagoon created in Mesoamerica. Many birds, animals, fish, and aquatic nature started to grow in the location making it a paradise.

The Mexica stayed in Tollan, to increase in strength, increase in population, and for resting.

In Coatepec Huitzilopochtli made a Tzompantli, and a Pok Ta Pok Ballcourt. Some of the tribes members became lazy and seemed a sedentary lifestyle and those lazy ones didn't honor their god Huitzilopochtli anymore. The lazy begged the priests to make this their paradise destinations and this made Huitzilopochtli angered at the lazy ones, so he seeked to destroy their paradise. The next morning, a lighting strike was heard across the Coatepec Valley and throughout Tollan and it is believed that Huitzilopochtli struck the lazy ones. The next morning, the Mexica discovered the bodies of the lazy ones mutilated and their chests open with no hearts.

Huitzilopochtli told the Mexica to take down the dam and restore the Meadow to the original form and to not delay with it so Huitzilopochtli would not need to get angry again.

In the year of 1168 A.D. the Mexica had left the Coatepec region and were told to go to the area of Tequixquiac, where they rested. After, they would go to the area of Xaltocan where they would plant Corn and Chilies to up the population. They also had rested. They built fences and walls to protect their camp from people from other tribes. After some years the Mexica continued the journey.

Moving from Ecatepec, Tulpectlac, Azcapotzalco, Tacuba, Coyoacan, until they had finally arrived in Lake Texcoco in an area known as Chapultepec. 

During their first times there they had many battles with the Chichimec, Chalcos, and the other surrounding tribes, causing them to create two other cities such as Colhuacan and Tizapan. The Mexica had not arrived to the promised land yet though.

From Azcatitlan, which they had came from fleeing from the Colhuacan, they arrived at a lake-like area near Mixiuhtlan which was very beautiful with extremely clear water, bunches of white trees with white leaves, white plants, and white flowers. There were white fish, frogs, and white aquatic snakes. Birds around the area where with white feathers. A place just like this they had heard in Aztlan.

Huitzilopochtli gave the priests final instructions to where ethe place they would start building, and to look for the heart of his nephew named Copil. Which was the heart he took from his chest. When they found the heart, he told them that there would birth a cactus with a eagle devouring a serpent. And on top of that nest they would make the great city of Tenochtitlan.