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Last Updated: Wednesday, December 8, 1999

How the Aztecs Won Their Capital City

Once upon a time, the Mexicas were conscripted by one one of the local warring tribes. The Mexicas were despised but grudingly used as soldiers since they were fierce and brutal. The tribe conscripting them was the Colhuas, whose chief promised the Aztecs their freedom if they would capture eight thousand of the enemy for sacrificing. The Mexicas did capture the tribe they were sent against, and then slaughtered them, since they hated their oppressors the Colhuas.
The ruler of the Colhuas asked them why did not bring back any prisoners, and the Mexicas through before him large quantities of ears which they had cut off the tribe they had beaten, taken prisoner and then killed. The chief was disgusted, but decided for reasons of safety to keep his promise. He gave them the Mexicas their freedom. They asked then for his favourite daughter. They invited him to attend the ceremony they would hold to honor her. The chief of the Colhaus granted that.
When he arrived at the ceremony he found of the Mexica priest dancing with the skin of his daughter about him, it having been flayed off her while she was alive. To the Mexicas the sacrifice of a chief's daughter and the use of her skin in a religious cermony was a great honor. They were confused when the chief attacked them with his warriors. The Mexicas surviving managed to escape into the barren, marshy islands of Lake Texcoco, where they survived to found their capital city of Tenochtitlan.

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