Glossary

Some of the things you’ve read about in this story are true. Others are inspired by Mexican history, mythology, and lore. All of them were specifically put in this story for you. Below is some extra information if you want to learn more.

Aztecs:

An ancient group of Nahuatl-speaking people who lived in central Mexico from the fourteenth to the sixteenth century. Their name comes from their homeland, Aztlán (sometimes translated from Nahuatl as “White Land,” “Land of White Herons,” or “Place of Herons”). Legend tells that the Aztec god Huitzilopochtli guided the Aztec people from Aztlán to the Valley of Mexico by giving directions to the tribe’s priests. According to the god’s command, the Aztecs would find their new home when they spotted an eagle perched on a cactus and devouring a serpent. The Aztecs found this eagle on a rocky island in Lake Texcoco. There they built their home, Tenochtitlán, which would become one of the largest modern cities in the world, Mexico City.

Cuernavaca:

The capital of the state of Morelos, Mexico. It is nicknamed the City of the Eternal Spring because the climate is springlike all year round. It is also where my home is.

Mount Tlaloc:

A mountain in the state of Mexico. It used to be an active volcano. The mountain was revered by the Aztecs and considered the sacred home of the rain god Tlaloc.

Nagual:

A personal guardian spirit or animal form. According to legend, sorcerers or powerful beings are said to shift into their nagual form. The word comes from nahualli, Nahuatl for “disguise.”

Nahuatl:

The language of the Aztec and Toltec civilizations of Mexico. It was the main language in central Mexico by the mid-1300s. Many Nahuatl words were adopted into Spanish and English, including “chile” or “chili,” “avocado,” “chocolate,” “coyote,” and “guacamole.”

Tezcatlipoca:

The Aztec god of the night sky, whose name means “Smoking Mirror” in Nahuatl. He was one of the major deities of the Aztec pantheon. His nagual was the jaguar, whose spotted skin resembles the night sky.

Tlaloc:

The Aztec god of the rain, whose name means “He Who Makes Things Sprout” in Nahuatl. Tlaloc was one of the main deities of the agricultural tribes of Mexico and was a central deity in the Aztec pantheon. He was highly revered but also highly feared, as his followers believed he had the power to unleash devastating storms onto the earth.