What is the legend of Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl?

In Aztec mythology, Iztaccíhuatl was a princess who fell in love with one of her father’s warriors, Popocatépetl. The emperor sent Popocatépetl to war in Oaxaca, promising him Iztaccíhuatl as his wife when he returned (which Iztaccíhuatl’s father presumed he would not).

What is the legend of Popocatepetl & Iztaccíhuatl a love story?

Popocatepetl and Iztaccíhuatl are the Aztec Romeo and Juliet – denied their love while alive but destined to spend eternity together. Now, as two volcanoes that set the backdrop for Mexico City, Izta and Popo, as they are affectionately called, are a symbol of love everlasting.

What deal did Popocatepetl make with Iztaccíhuatl?

Both professed a deep love for each other, so before leaving for war, Popocatepetl asked the chief for the hand of Princess Iztaccihuatl. The father gladly agreed and promised to welcome him back with a big celebration to give him his daughter’s hand if he returned victorious from the battle.

What does Iztaccíhuatl mean in Aztec?

White woman

The name “Iztaccíhuatl” is Nahuatl for “White woman“, reflecting the four individual snow-capped peaks which depict the head, chest, knees and feet of a sleeping female when seen from east or west.

Was Popocatepetl a warrior?

All the greatest Aztec warriors wanted to marry her. But Iztaccíhuatl loved only one warrior. His name was Popocatépetl. Popocatépetl was the greatest of all the Aztec warriors and the leader of the king’s army.

What tales and legends are associated with Popocatépetl?

In Aztec mythology, Iztaccíhuatl was a princess who fell in love with one of her father’s warriors, Popocatépetl. The emperor sent Popocatépetl to war in Oaxaca, promising him Iztaccíhuatl as his wife when he returned (which Iztaccíhuatl’s father presumed he would not).

Are Aztec warriors Mexican?

The Aztecs were a fierce tribe of warriors who settled in the Valley of Mexico in the 13th century CE. They fought endless wars with neighboring tribes until they dominated most of Middle America. Like the Maya and Toltecs before them, they built spectacular cities.

What food did Aztecs eat?

While the Aztecs ruled, they farmed large areas of land. Staples of their diet were maize, beans and squash. To these, they added chilies and tomatoes. They also harvested Acocils, an abundant crayfish-like creature found in Lake Texcoco, as well as Spirulina algae which they made into cakes.

How tall was the average Aztec?

How tall was the average Aztec man? No, Aztecs were safe and stagnant, men were rarely more than 5 feet 6 inches (average height of men in the 17th century.

How did Aztecs fight?

Battle. When the attacking and defending forces sighted each other, the first weapons used were projected weapons—atlatls or dart throwers, slings, spears and bow and arrows. When the armies closed into melee, razor-sharp obsidian clubs, swords and daggers were used.

Why did the Spanish destroy Tenochtitlan?

Spanish conquistadores commanded by Hernán Cortés allied with local tribes to conquer the Aztec capital city of Tenochtitlán. Cortés’s army besieged Tenochtitlán for 93 days, and a combination of superior weaponry and a devastating smallpox outbreak enabled the Spanish to conquer the city.

Did the Aztecs win any battles?

The result of the battle was a victory for the Spanish, which allowed Cortés to reorganize his army, having suffered casualties a few days before in the episode known as La Noche Triste.



Battle of Otumba.

What killed the Aztecs?

Smallpox took its toll on the Aztecs in several ways. First, it killed many of its victims outright, particularly infants and young children.

Are Aztecs still alive?

As the word ‘Aztecs’ strictly speaking only refers to the ‘Mexica’, the residents of the city of Tenochtitlan, it is hard to imagine that there are any real Aztecs left. But the language and elements of Aztec culture are most definitely still very much alive.

What killed the Maya?

READ MORE: What Caused the Maya Collapse



All three of these factors–overpopulation and overuse of the land, endemic warfare and drought–may have played a part in the downfall of the Maya in the southern lowlands.

What did the Aztecs not eat?

The other constants of Aztec food were salt and chili peppers and the basic definition of Aztec fasting was to abstain from these two. The other major foods were beans, squash and New World varieties of the grains amaranth (or pigweed), and chia.

Did Aztecs eat dogs?

Yes, the Aztecs ate dogs. In fact, they raised the animals mostly for food.

Did Aztecs eat humans?

The Aztecs sacrificed human beings atop their sacred pyramids not simply for religious reasons but because they had to eat people to obtain protein needed in their diet, a New York anthropologist has suggested.

What did the Aztec drink?

The most common Aztec drinks were ātōle, and pulque – a fermented juice of maguey (the century plant) which was the main drink of commoners. The rich made a point to not drink pulque.

What did the Mayan eat?

The Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations ate simple food. Corn (maize) was the central food in their diet, along with vegetables such as beans and squash. Potatoes and a tiny grain called quinoa were commonly grown by the Incas.

Did Aztecs eat tacos?

A famished Aztec in the markets of Tenochtitlan could choose between vendors selling tacos filled with vegetables (beans, squash, tomato, nopal cactus), meat (dog, rabbit, turkey, eggs), or the stranger bounty of the lake itself (water-insects, amphibians, algae).

Did Maya drink coffee?

The Mayans consumed xocolatl on a daily basis, much like how we drink our morning coffee. That changed drastically when the Mayan civilization gave way to the Aztecs. The Aztec people did not grow their own cocoa beans and had to trade for the beans.

Did the Mayans eat chocolate?

In many Mayan households, chocolate was enjoyed with every meal. Mayan chocolate was thick and frothy and often combined with chili peppers, honey or water.

What fruits did the Mayans eat?

Besides these main crops, the Maya grew a variety of vegetables including tomatoes and chili peppers, and fruits such as avocados, papaya, bananas, and guava. Beans from cacao trees were the source of a drink favoured by the ruling classes, called xocoatl, or chocolate.