The eagle and the serpent represented the sky and the earth. These two animalsÊwere important to Aztec beliefs. They worshipped gods who represented these animals.
Aztec sun god or "feathered serpent"
Quetzalcoatl
The eagle
The black Aztec eagle was a deity in their culture. It represents strength. It can also symbolize the dark situation of farm workers. Cesar Chavez used the black eagle in his fight for better work conditions for farmers.
When the Aztecs sought a sign from their god Huitzilopochtli, they received a vision of an eagle perched on a cactus, devouring a serpent. This imagery became a powerful symbol for the Aztec people and indicated the location where they should establish their capital, Tenochtitlán. The vision was interpreted as divine guidance, leading them to settle in the Valley of Mexico where they built a great civilization.
Serpent
Yes, in fact more than one. There is the Crested Serpent Eagle (Asia), the Madagascan Serpent Eagle (Madagascar), the Philippine Serpent Eagle (Philippines). All three are medium size eagles.
Madagascar Serpent Eagle was created in 1875.
Congo Serpent Eagle was created in 1863.
The serpent itself is not a god to the Aztecs, however Quetzalcoatl did have the form of a feathered serpent.
There was a warrior God that told the Aztecs to move to a land where an eagle was eating a serpent. The land happend to be in the Yucatan peninsula which was at the time all water. They built the land on the water because they had seen an eagle chewing a serpent in the water on top of a cactus as signified in today's Mexican flag.
Order of the Aztec Eagle happened in 1933.
Aztec sun god or "feathered serpent"
Back in the Aztec times (around 1500's and 1600's) priest's were like gods they were very important. One day one of the Aztec priest's had a vision of an eagle eating a serpent while sitting on a cactus. And one day someone saw a eagle eating a serpent on a cactus and that where they stayed!!
Serpent and the Sun Tales of an Aztec Apprentice - 2009 was released on: USA: 1 March 2009
An eagle perched on a cactus while devouring a serpent. It represents the fulfillment of an ancient prophesy. See related questions for more information.
Quetzalocatl