Mexitli

Mexitli based on several codexes.

Mexitli in the Mendoza Codex (fol. 2r).

Variation of the name Mecihtli ("Liebre magueyera"), the phonological evolution from /c/ to /x/ in the Nahuatl language is normal. It usually appears written in sources simply as Mexi.

This name is closely related to the origin of the word Mexico. Widely distorted and disseminated the meaning of the name of the country as "Place of the navel of the Moon", attributing to it a whole series of symbolic and even metaphysical values, this from the publication of the book by Gutierre Tibón in 1975, "History of the name and foundation of Mexico", author with mystical and esoteric tendencies. The historical sources clearly lead to a consensus in another direction.

Mexi, the warlord

The existence of a caudillo named Mexitli, Mexih or Mecih is unclear in the historical sources of Ancient Mexico. It is mentioned that he is Huitzilopochtli himself, a fact that can hardly be corroborated.

The study of the versions shows that he slightly escapes historical time, because his actions are at the time of the origin of human groups, during mythical times. The closest thing to a historical character is mentioned by Alvarado Tezozomoc (Tena, 2012:35) in his "Crónica mexicáyotl", where he talks about a character named Chalchiuhtlatonac Mexi, who serves as pre-caudillo, this participation is better understood by reviewing Chimalpain in the "Brief Memorial about the foundation of Colhuacan" (1998 I: 85), where he is Huitziltzin (Huitzilopochtli) the pre-guide for 52 years, a period prior to his onset of migration.

The truth is that by the end of the XII century, there was already a group that determined itself mexitin. The contrast and the difference between "mexitin" and "mexicah"; in the chronicles (Tezozomoc, Chimalpain, Tovar) the use of mexitin to refer to the group before founding their city is clearly marked, while mexicah is used afterwards.

Boturini Codex, in the upper left corner you can see Huitziltzin who participates in the war of the year 2-acatl (1247).

The Mexitin was a heterogeneous group, with the characteristic that they considered themselves followers of "Mexi", so it predates Huitziltzin, Tecpatzin and Tozcuecuextli, active characters during 1247. They were engaged in construction and were distributed throughout the kingdom of Xaltocan, their guide at this time was possibly Iztacmixcoatl (1188-1233). to the south to found several towns, the most important are Huixachtitlan (1240), Cuauhmixtitlan (1274) and they settled definitively in Chapoltepec (1286). Only after the defeat in 1299 in this last place, did they begin a nationalism that led them to regroup and name their island city and new capital Mexihco-Cuauhmixtitlan in 1302, gradually changing its demonym to Mexicas.

The origin of the word “Mexihco”

The original documentary evidence of the origin of the name of Mexico clarifies that the popular etymology in which mētztli ('moon') is included as the origin of the syllable me- is incorrect. Juan de Tovar mentions:

"They were walking with their ark where their idol was leading them, taking for warlord one called Mexi, of which he takes the name of Mexicans."

Tovar, 1975:9.

One of the oldest sources, such as the Memoriales of Fray Toribio de Benavente Motolinia states:

"the natural say that that name of Mexico brought their first founders, and they were called mexiti; and even after some time the inhabitants of it were called mexitin. This name they took from their chief god or idol, which had two names, it is fitting to know, Vitzilipuchtli and the other Mexitli, and of this Mexitli were called mexiti“

Benavente, 1903:143.

For his part, Fray Diego Durán says:

"They called them by another name Mecitin, which means Mexicans, because the priest and lord who led them, was called Meci, from which the whole congregation took the name"

Durán, 2002:71.

Around 1615, Juan de Torquemada in his compilation, Monarquía Indiana, repeats what Benavente Motolinia said, although he is the first author to add the meaning of "navel":

"the same natural ones claim that this name took from the main god they brought, which had two names, the one Huitzilopuchtli and the other Mexitly, and this second means ombligo de maguey and so they say that the first Mexicans took it from their god, and so in their principles they called mexiti, and then they called themselves mexica"

Torquemada, 1983 I:402.

Of all the sources, the clearest and most eloquent is undoubtedly Sahagún, of which we must remember that we have its original text in Nahuatl, dictated by wise elders:

"This name mexícatl was said formerly mecitli, composing of me, which is met by the maguey, and of citli by the hare, and so it was to be said mecicatl; and moving the c into x corrómpese and tell mexícatl. And the cause of the name according to the Old It is that when the Mexicans came to these parts they brought a leader and lord who was called Mécitl, whom after he was born they called him citli, a hare; and because instead of a cradle they raised him in a large cock of a maguey, henceforth they called mecitli, as he says, a man raised in that cock of the maguey; and when he was a man of idol,"

Sahagún, 1985:610.

No source from the 16th century mentions, in Nahuatl, that the etymology of Mexico is made up of "Moon& #3. 4; and much less, of "navel". Now it is clear that he was temporarily the caudillo first, his followers derive from him; Therefore, Mexihco has both the meaning of Place of Mexi and Place of the Mexitins. While the demonym after the founding of his city will be mexicatl .