30 May 2025 / 10 House
Article suitable for older students
Find out moreThe Aztec symbol for war
Aztec war symbol on a famous Mexica huehuetl war drum
ORIGINAL QUESTION received from - and thanks to - Stephanie Ulloa: I wanted to know what the Aztec symbol for war is. I have seen so many variations I just want to make sure I have the right one. (Answered by Ian Mursell/Mexicolore)
Good question. You can see the Mexica symbol for war on this famous vertical drum (huehuetl), though it might not be obvious straight away. It’s NOT to be confused with the better known Aztec shield symbol (chimalli) - that you can see in our ‘Aztec Artefacts’ section - nor the symbol for a battle victory (burning, toppled temple). Because the symbol for war was a paired metaphor (made up of two opposite terms that complement each other) to be spoken, it’s often shown as a speech sign in front of a mouth. Can you spot it coming from the jaguar warrior’s mouth carved here on the drum - and from the mouth of the eagle in the second picture?
The symbol in the language of the Aztecs/Mexica (Náhuatl) was atl tlachinolli, meaning ‘water, burnt (or scorched) earth’. The metaphor, typically in Náhuatl, consists of two opposite elements (literally) - water and fire, forming two streams (in all likelihood one blue and one red) that join together to form one key idea (war). Each element is a source of energy and life-force but can also be one of destruction. Like the paired shrines to (rain god) Tlaloc and (war god) Huitzilopochtli atop the main temple of the Mexica and the reality of two ‘opposite’ seasons in the Aztec year (farming season and war season) they are classic examples of the importance of the concept of duality in Mexica thought and approach to life.
Some scholars believe the fire-and-water concept of war may be as old as the Early Classic Teotihuacán period, hundreds of years before the Aztec empire was built - see The Gods of Ancient Mexico and the Maya by Mary Miller and Karl Taube (1993), p. 41.
• You can explore the Aztec war symbol further by going to our features on the Morning Star god (Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli) and on the great war drum from Malinalco (follow the links below).
Picture sources:-
• Photos of the war drum and of the stone sculpture by Ian Mursell/Mexicolore
• Drawing of ‘atl tlachinolli’ scanned from our copy of Burning Water by Laurette Séjourné, Thames and Hudson 1957
Comments (7)
Aurelian
8th Jan 2025
The eagle is also a misrepresentation it’s actually a falcon
amotaba
24th Aug 2024
There are a question (‘That would explain the snake symbol on the current Mexican flag, Its a misrepresentation of Tenochtitlan at war.’) and answer (: Exactly what we think! Will need to check, but we believe many scholars make the same connection. After all, the snake never appeared in ‘foundation of Tenochtitlan’ iconography till AFTER the conquest...) from 2010. I would like to know if there are new discoveries about it (Tenochtitlan foundation myth)
Gabrielle
29th Aug 2020
This is a bit off topic, but I’m wondering what was the mexica’s war cry. I thought I read somewhere it was in-atl-in-tlachinolli. Is this true?
Mexicolore
Not that we’ve come across. John Pohl, a world expert in this field, suggests that ‘Battles were generally opened with a good round of insults from both sides’. Of course it was important these didn’t interfere with military signals played out with conch shell trumpets, whistles and drums. Pohl doesn’t mention war cries. If we discover more, we’ll add it here...
Omar Sanchez
17th Jul 2012
this is kinda off topic but i am really attracted to the two peices at the top of this page. Is there a link to get a better explanation and view of these two?
Mexicolore
Yes!
• For more on the drum, follow the link above (‘Aztec War Drum’)
• For more on the ‘Teocalli de la guerra sagrada’, read our feature ‘The eagle and the snake...’ (also in this Ask Us section): link here -
http://www.mexicolore.co.uk/index.php?&one=azt&two=wus&tab=aus&id=47
thaserg
26th Jan 2012
Yes they are opposite forces, but that doesnt signify war. That concept was used to symbolize LIFE. What do you get when you heat water? (burn water)? STEAM!
Steam is the beginning of all life. The time when transformation begins.
And yes that was the symbol in the flag of Cuitlahuac. It was the Atlachinolli in the beak of the eagle.To the Mexica, snakes represent change, growth, knowledge, etc.
To the Europeans that arrived, the snake represented the devil.
They put that snake in our modern flag to signify victory over the indigenous people if you ask me, or they just plain old misundurstood the concept.Or better yet, didnt have the capacity to.
Gael
25th Jan 2012
Archaeologist Laurette Sejourne puts forward an interesting idea. She claims that this symbol does not merely refers to the concrete material reality (warfare) but to men’s spiritual quest to reconcile inner opposites, and to achieve balance, the conquest of his very own “soul”. This idea is to be found in her article “ EL LENGUAJE SIMBOLICO NAHUATL”
http://americaindigena.com/sejourne_pensamiento/sejourne_pensamiento.htm
Mexicolore
Thanks, Gael. Séjourné was a great writer on ancient Mexico. We recommend her book ‘Burning Water’ (see above). Her suggestion that you refer to is also included in her book (p. 105).
AZCATL
10th Dec 2010
That would explain the snake symbol on the current Mexican flag, Its a misrepresentation of Tenochtitlan at war.
Mexicolore
Exactly what we think! Will need to check, but we believe many scholars make the same connection. After all, the snake never appeared in ‘foundation of Tenochtitlan’ iconography till AFTER the conquest...
Aztec war symbol on a famous Mexica huehuetl war drum
More Ask Us Entries
- The colours of maizeDid the Aztecs and Maya believe in predestination?What did the Europeans make of the Aztecs brought to Spain?Is the Templo Mayor the only double shrine?How were disputes settled?Why no backgrounds?What was the Maya moon symbol?Why didn’t most Aztec warriors wear helmets?Why did the Aztecs sculpt goddesses?Why did Aztec priests practice asceticism?Was the Toltec calendar similar to the Mexica?What about cougars?Is Xoaltecuhtli a real Aztec god?Was another layer planned for the Templo Mayor?Did women sing and dance in rituals?Did the Aztecs have organised schools of thought?What about Aztec toilets and bathing together?Did the Aztecs adapt to Spanish tactics?Questions about Aztec warriorsDid Aztec warriors have their own warrior code?Did the Aztecs know about peccaries?Did the Aztecs know soap?A symbol for welcomeAre Toci and Tlazolteotl the same?Aztec fortressesAhuitzotl’s childrenDid the Aztecs have ritual specialists?Tell us more about OpochtliDid the Aztecs use canoes for war?The town of MixtlanWas tobacco a harvest offering?Who was Huemac?Diadem versus feather headdressWhat did the Aztecs think of Venus?Did the Aztecs perform mummification?Did the Toltecs paint codices?What is the origin of the Aztec spirit bird?What were battle formations like?Calendar signs on a chess setAztec stone toolsWhat is the object in Xochipilli’s hand?Did the massacre of Toxcatl affect the Mexica army?Did Tezcatlipoca have four wives?What did noble houses look like?Is this a Nezahualcoyotl poem?What do we know about Teotitlan?The art of magicWhat did heron feathers represent?How did the bridges in the causeways work?How did Spaniards describe Aztec warriors?How bad was it to be under the control of the Mexica?How did the Aztecs write distances?What connects Xiuhtecuhtli, Huehueteotl and Chantico?Itzpapalotl and her Chichimec originsDid spiders have any symbolism?What’s with Ixtlilton?Please describe Aztec sling projectilesWere other animals associated with the moon?What do Quetzalcoatl’s earplugs really look like?The ‘Rise Talokan!’ hand gestureHow did Aztec warriors train?Were fish symbolic to the Aztecs?Did sharks or swordfish symbolise anything?Did crows mean anything to the Aztecs?Did they scar children going to religious school?What rituals accompanied Aztec deaths?Did the Aztecs have anything like the 7 deadly sins in Christianity?What was the average age of an Aztec emperor?What would be the Aztec term for empress?Did the Aztecs refer to Tenochtitlan and Mexico?Did merchants stay at inns?Could priests and priestesses marry?Did codices advise on being a good ruler?Did commoners have access to codices?Did they have a preferred hand for wielding weapons?How did warriors carry weapons?Did Mictecacihuatl have her own temple?What was the symbol for the Mexica themselves?Did the Aztecs use wood saws?Why did Quetzalcóatl and Tezcatlipoca dominate creation?The Mexica war cryA name for the north American continentDeclaring warDid the Aztecs use perfume?How do I choose an Aztec name?Did the Mexica say prayers before hunting?Who created Mictlantecuhtli?Were there initiation rites for new warriors?Did they use cooking fat and earth ovens?What animals were associated with the sun?Were albinos special in ancient Mexico?Is there an Aztec symbol for family?Is sobador (massage) culture prehispanic?What type of war paint did they have?Did the Aztecs practice martial arts?Is any of Cortes’s treasure left today?Everything for sale in the great marketDid Aztec men grow beards?Did all festivals include human sacrifices?What happened to the Culhuas?When does a day ‘start’ in the tonalpohualli?Towns linked by causeways to TenochtitlanThe Aztecs and mental illnessWere all Mexica great astronomers?How did they light their homes?Did the Aztecs hug?The Aztecs and the seaWhat about giants in Aztec mythology?The colour bands on Tezcatlipoca’s faceSacrifice of a Colhua princessAxolotls in Mexica(n)/Aztec mythologyWhat’s the meaning of this statue?Xochipilli and XochiquetzalCommon features of Aztec/Mesoamerican religionWhat was the hairstyle of (seasoned) Aztec warriors?How did commoners address the emperor?Resources on Mexica writingOther examples of Aztec templesIs this tattoo an Aztec eagle?Did the Aztecs convert conquered peoples?What’s painted red on the face of Tenoch?Why no bears in Aztec mythology?Red paint on Aztec stone sculpturesGod figures made of corn stalk pasteComing-of-age ritualsCan you identify this poster?What does Temaxcalapa mean?What evidence is there of human sacrifice?Did the Aztecs have a term for religion?How did the Aztecs get their stones for building?Did the Aztecs use metal spears?What does this Nahuatl saying mean?How did the Aztecs use stars?What happened to the nobility?What did the Aztecs call the Spanish?How did Aztec culture influence their housing?Why did Alvarado massacre the Aztecs?What surgery did the Aztecs practice?What did royal women wear?Were all gods male and female?The feast for XilonenCould you get divorced?What would Cuauhtémoc have looked like?Is Tlaltecuhtli on this ring?Keeping the Aztec army supplied and treating woundsThe Aztecs and dwarfsCan you identify this object?Was Xochiquetzal a female Aztec warrior?Is this the urn with Ahuitzotl’s ashes?Dogs as guides for soulsWar chantsThe clothing of Aztec priests and royalsWhat’s going on in this image from the Florentine Codex?Which feast was dedicated to Chalchiuhtlicue?Royal court musiciansHow did they make colourful costumes?Did the Aztecs use a ‘Mixtec Sabre’?The symbolism of the four directionsWere women stargazers?Turquoise mosaic discMesoamerican tradeWhat happened to the rest of the sacrificed person’s body?Who exactly were the Chichimec people?Is there a name for the Aztec speech glyph?Did the Aztecs paint their canoes?The symbol for turquoiseHow do we know Tenochtitlan had a zoo?Did the Spanish eliminate Aztec song and dance?The tongue hanging out in Aztec artThe 13 heavens and 9 underworldsWhat exactly was a ‘calpulli’?Aztec children’s clothesGood source books on Mexica musicWhere are the codices today?Deerskin strap masks‘Mum’ and ‘Dad’How much gold did the Conquistadores get?Can you translate this poem?The origin of ‘pulque’The eagle and the snake...Many partners or one?Volcano mythsMapsWere war banners sacred or utilitarian?Did war shield symbols represent cities?Symbol for war‘A typical battle’TonantzinThe monkey’s earringDouble-headed serpentWho was Prime Minister at the Conquest?The ‘crying boy’ whistling jugThe wind god’s fanThe symbol for goldAztec gardensMysterious rectangular motifAztec/Mexica clothingCuauhtémoc’s emblemThe ruler’s white dressFood storesThe name Moctezuma todayWho are these 2 gods?Aztec shieldsHow should I start teaching a topic on the Aztecs?How did the Aztecs make molcajetes?Aztec God of Good Health?Why wear headdresses?How big was the Aztec Calendar (Stone)?An image of Citlalicue?Aztec pyramidsPictures of what the Aztecs ateTezcatlipoca or Tezcatilpoca?Sacred birds, flowers and Day LordsAztec symbol for protectorTraditional Náhuatl greetingsChild-friendly sources on the ConquestWere the Aztecs barbaric?What does (my) name Cuitlahuac mean?Ce Acatl Topiltzin QuetzalcoatlWomen and the ConquestMoctezuma’s deathAztec earringsThe Aztec ArmyWhat about Tlatelolco?