Glossary for terms in the book Mexica by Richard J. Gonzales
MEXICA GLOSSARY
Pronunciation Key
Vowels are pronounced as in Spanish. Consonants are pronounced as in English with the exceptions below. Stress is normally on the penultimate syllable.
Vowles
a as in father
ai, ay as “i” in I
e as in bed
ey as “ay” in bay
i as “ee” in deep
o as in rope
u as in rule
Consonants
c (followed by “a” or “o”) as in cake
c (followed by “e” or “i”) as in ceremony
c (followed by “u”) as in “qu” in quit
h is almost silent as in historic
hu as “w” in way
ll as in fully
qu (followed by “a” or “o”) as in quake
qu (followed by “e” or “i”) as “k” in kite
tl as “tle” in title
x as “sh” in shout
z as “s” in sea
Important Characters of the Novel
Ahuitnol—a WIT nol: Chief priest of Temple of Huitzilopóchtli and Teoxitl’s adversary.
Alvarado—al vah RAH do: A captain in Cortés’ army who was known as the “Sun God” because of his blond hair.
Cortés—core TES: Commander of the Spanish invaders of Mexico.
Cuauhtémoc—cuauh TE moc: Last emperor of the Mexicas who directed their final defense against the Spaniards and their allies.
Cuitláhuac—cweet LA wahk: Brother of Moctezuma who succeeded him as emperor of Mexicas.
Malinche—ma LEEN che: Interpreter and advisor to Cortés. Her name was later changed to Doña Marina.
Mexica—Me SHEE ca: The word the people of Tenochtitlan called themselves. More popularly known as the Aztecs, Mexica is the more correct term for the people who dominated central Mexico in the 15th century.
Moctezuma—moc te ZOO ma: Emperor of Mexicas at the time of the arrival of the Spaniards to Mexico.
Omotl—o MOE tl: Eagle Warrior who led his fellow fighters into battle against Mexica enemies. Brother of Teoxitl and Chevetl.
Papaxochitl—pa pa show SHE tl: Wife of a merchant and mistress of Omotl.
Teoxitl—te oh SHE tl: Priest of the Temple of Quetzalcoatl and one of Emperor Moctezuma’s closest advisors. One of a triplet with brothers Omotl and Chevetl.
Xiopatl—Shee oh PAH tl: Head steward of Moctezuma’s palace.
Xochimitl—show shee ME tl: Omotl’s lover and prostitute of Tenochtitlan.
Zumal—zoo MAL: Priestess of the Temple of Quetzalcoatl and Teoxitl’s student.
Important Locations of the Novel
Acachinanco—ah ca chee NAHN coe: This is the juncture point of the Coyoacan spur and the Iztapalapa causeway. This site was fortified with towers and walls.
Anahuac—ah NAH wok: This term refers to the territory under Mexica domination. It translates from Nahuatl to “near the water.”
Mexica Valley—This is a basin surrounded by mountain ranges at an elevation of 7,500 feet above sea level. It encompassed Tenochtitlan, five lakes and about 1,768 square miles of hinterland. Twenty percent or 442 square miles of the Valley consisted of the lake.
Aztlan—azt LAN: According to tradition, this was the original home of the Mexicas. It was thought to be in the southwestern region of the present-day United States of America. The word translated to “Land of the Herons.”
Cempoala—cem poe AH lah: City located on the eastern shore of the Gulf Coast, it was the first to fall to Cortés in his invasion of Mexico.
Cholula—choe LOO lah: A religious city, located south of Tenochtitlan, it was the site of a massacre by the Spaniards.
Hill of the Star—This was site of the New Fire celebration held every fifty-two years. This hill was located by the city of Culhuacan (cool WAH khan) about seven miles south of the Mexica capital.
Iztaccíhuatl—iz tac ci HUA tl: Located next to Popocatépetl, this snow-covered volcano rose on the eastern mountain range of the Valley. It translates to “white woman.”
Iztapalapa— iz tah pa LAH pa: Ally city of Tenochtitlan, it was located six miles south of the Mexica capital.
Lakes of the Valley—These lakes were Texcoco (tesh CO co), Chalco (CHAL coe), Xochimilco (so chi MIL coe), Zumpanco (soom PAN coe), and Xaltocan (chal TO can).
Major Temple Square—Located at the center of Tenochtitlan, this square contained fifteen temple-pyramids and was surrounded by the Wall of Snakes. The Temples of Huitzilopóchtli (huit zi lo POCHT li), Tezcatlipoca (tez cat li PO ca), Quetzalcoatl (quet zal CO a tl), Tlaloc (TLA loc), the skull rack, and gladiatorial stone were in the square.
Market of Tlatelolco— tla te LOL co: The major market place of Tenochtitlan’s sister city covered a large area where merchants traded a wide variety of goods. The market attracted up to 60,000 people on market day which was held every five days.
New Houses—This was the principal residence and court of Emperor Moctezuma. It was located just east of the Major Temple Square and covered an area of ten acres.
Popocatépetl—po po ca TE pe tl: One of a pair of volcanoes, active at the time of Cortés’ arrival, it was located on the eastern ridge of the Valley. The word translates to “the hill that smokes.”
Principal Causeways—Tenochtitlan was connected to the mainland by three major causeways: Tacuba (ta COO ba) in the west, Tepeyac (te PE yak) in the north, and Iztapalapa (iz ta pa LA pa) in the south.
Residence of Axayacatl—ax ah ya KAH tl: This was the residence of Cortés and his army when they first entered Tenochtitlan. It was located just west of the Major Temple Square. This location was once the court of the deceased Mexica Emperor Axayacatl.
Skull Rack—Located in the Major Temple Square, it held thousands of skulls of sacrificial victims.
Temple of Huitzilopóchtli— huit zi lo POCHT li: This temple to the Hummingbird of the Left was in the Major Temple Square. It was one of the largest pyramids in the religious center and shared its plateau with the Temple of Tlaloc (TLA loc).
Temple of Quetzalcoatl— quet zal CO a tl: This temple to the Feathered Serpent God was in the Major Temple Square directly in front of the Temple of Huitzilópochtli. Circular in shape to represent the wind element, the temple had an entrance carved in the fashion of a snake’s mouth.
Tenochtitlan—te noch TIT lan: Island-capital of the Mexica Empire, located in Lake Texcoco, Tenochtitlan literally translates from Nahuatl as “the land of the prickly pear plant.” It was founded in A.D. 1325 by the Mexicas.
Teotihuacan—te o ti HUA can: A religious center located twenty-four miles northeast of Tenochtitlan, its magnificent monuments included the Pyramids of the Moon, Sun, Quetzalcoatl, and many smaller ones. The city was deserted at the time of the Mexicas’ arrival to the Valley. It translates to “City of the Gods.”
Texcoco— tesh CO co: This was the ally city of Tenochtitlan, located on the eastern shore of Lake Texcoco.
Tlatelolco—tla te LOL co: Mexicas made their final defense at this sister city, located on the northern half of the island-capital.
Tlaxcala—tlax CA la: This city was in mountains east of the Valley. The people were archenemies to the Mexicas and never submitted to their rule.
Wall of Snakes—This was richly decorated with the figures of snakes and enclosed the Major Temple Square. It contained three colonnade entrances commemorating the Eagle and Jaguar Warriors.
Xochimilco—so chee MIL co: This was the ally city of Tenochtitlan about 12.5 miles south of the island-capital
Xomol—Chee OH mol: This was an ally city of the Mexicas in the mountains north of the Valley.
Important Gods of the Novel
Huitzilopóchtli—huit zi lo POCHT li: The name of the god translates to “Hummingbird of the Left.” This was the Mexica war god for whom many captives were taken in battle for sacrifice. Mexicas believed the god fought the stars at night and to be victorious over the darkness Huitzilopóchtli needed the nourishment of human hearts.
Quetzalcoatl—quet zal CO a tl: This god was also known as the “Feathered Serpent God.” He was considered a civilizing, benevolent god who represented knowledge, creation, and spiritual purification. Mexica legend held that the god would return to the Mexicas in the year One Reed, the year of Cortés’ arrival.
Tezcatlipoca—tez cat li PO ca: This god’s name translates to the “Smoking Mirror God.” The god was considered powerful, capable of sending pestilence, famine, and misfortune to those who sinned. He was the patron god of sorcerers and the spiritual rival of Quetzalcoatl.
Tlaloc—TLA loc: God of rain, his name means “He who makes things sprout.” Mexicas worshiped the god for its power to bring rain and fertility. The god was also feared for its ability to send drought, lightening and hurricanes. To appease the god many sacrifices were offered.
Yacatecuhtli—ya ca te CUHT li: The god of the merchants or Pochteca and travelers, his name means “Lord of the Nose.” Merchants honored the god with sacrifices to safeguard their travel into foreign lands and to bring them good fortune in their trade.
Clothes and Weapon
Cueitl—kwe EE tl: Mexica women wore a long skirt to the ankles held up by a sash.
Huipilli—wee PEE lee: Mexica women wore a loose-fitting blouse that extended past the waistline.
Macuahuitl—ma coo a UEE tl: Mexica warriors wielded swords composed of a wooden club embedded with obsidian on both sides.
Maxtlatl—ma cht LA tl: Mexica men wore loin cloths under their tilmàtli or cloak.
Piochtli—pee CHEET lee: Mexica youth wore a hair lock on their napes until they took their first captive in battle.
Tilmàtli—teel MAH tlee: Mexica men wore a cloak that normally tied over one shoulder and extended to the knees.