m a place called Aztlan, which was located to the north of the Valley of Mexico. They believed that they had wandered for many years before settling in Mexico in 1200 AD. The Aztecs believed that one of their Gods was a white god named Quetzalcoatl, Quetzalcoatl was the god who founded the Aztec nation, who had sailed away many years ago when human sacrifice began, as he was opposed to the terrible ritual; but he vowed to return one day to reclaim his throne and redeem the Aztecs in the year 1-Reed, which occurred every 52 years in the Aztec time cycle. Quetzalcoatl was adopted by the Aztecs from earlier people in central Mexico, he was symbolized by a plumed serpent whose bird and snake qualities made him equally at home in the realms of the earth and the sky. He was seen by the Aztecs as a great culture hero who was responsible for creating the people of the 5th sun and for bringing them such major gifts as corn and the arts of metallurgy, feather work, writing and the calendar. He was described as light skin, red hair, and light eyes. Another God of the Aztecs was Tonantzin, the mother god. Tonantzin was depicted as a terrifying figure, with her head comprised of snakes and her garment a mass of writhing serpents; her eyes projected fathomless grief. Tonantzin was worshipped at a stone temple in Tepeyac, about five miles from the capital Tenochtitlan.
             The Aztecs began their reign in 1427 after the leader, Itzcoatl, with the assistance of surrounding cities, defeated the Tepanecs and gained control of the Mexican basin. Leadership of the nation was passed on from brother to brother and then to the eldest son of the eldest brother. Leaders were then chosen by religious leaders and people of political power, based on their skills on the battlefield and their ability to speak eloquently.
             For the Aztecs, warfare had a much different goal than for most of their counterparts. The goal of the battles was not to destroy th...