Coatlicue: National Museum of Anthropology and History
Coatlicue was busy sweeping one day in the temple. As she swept a ball of feathers had fallen and she took them and put them into her bosom. Later she had discovered that the feathers had mysteriously vanished from her bosom and she was confusingly pregnant. Coyolxauhqui, enraged by the fact that her mother was the Mother Goddess and that she had already given birth to herself and her four hundred brothers, set out to kill her. They arrived fully armed marching towards her when suddenly Huitzilopotchli was born fully grown and armed as well and with an ignited serpent killed Coyolxauhqui dismembering her. He then used the rest of his weapons to kill the other four hundred brothers. (Berdan 2005).
After defeating Coyolxauhqui her head was cut off and thrown into the sky to become the moon. And the four hundred dead brothers became the stars. (Berdan 2005).
At dawn of every day the Aztecs saw a reenactment where "The Sun" Huitzilopochtli fights "The Moon" Coyolxauhqui and "The Stars" her 400 brothers. A sacrifice was performed every night so that The Sun (Huitzilopochtli) would have strength to fight his sister and brothers and to rise again the next morning. (Berdan 2005).
