The Floating Aztec City

The Floating Aztec City 

According to legend, in early 12th century a group of Aztecs were directed to travel south from Aztlan, a mythical island in northwest Mexico, to find a new place to settle. On the journey south the group were divided into seven tribes who lived temporarily in seven caves. Six tribes soon left the caves, each securing their own lands. The last tribe to leave were the Mexica ("meh-shee-ka"). The Mexica were summoned from the caves by the Aztec God of sun and war, Huitzilopochtli. 

The wandering Meixca were directed by this God to build their new city when they saw an eagle devouring a snake perched on a nopal cactus on top a rock. It is believed Huitzilopochtli sacrificed his nephew, Copíl, and threw his heart in the lake. Honouring the sacrifice of his nephew he made a cactus plant to grow over where Copil’s heart fell. After suffering for 200 years, the prophecy appeared to a Mexica priest, but in an unlikely place – on a tiny, swampy island in the middle of Lake Texcoco. 

Here was established the capital city of the Aztec empire, Tenochtitlan, and the capital of modern day Mexico, Mexico City; built upon the sight the where the Mexica found the cactus growing from a rock.