Symbols Of Mexico
The word “Mexico” derives from the Aztecs, also known as Mexicas,
who were warrior tribes that came from a place called Aztlán,
thought to be in the north-western region of Mexico. They arrived in
the Valley of Mexico at the beginning of the 13th century and in 1325
they settled on a small island in the
Texcoco Lake.
The old word for Mexico, the place
where the Mexicas lived, was
"metztlixcictlico", and is made up of
three sounds in the
old Nahuatl language spoken by the
Aztecs:
Metztli: which means moon
Xictlii: which means umbilical or centre
Co: means place
Metztlixcictlico, then, means Place in the centre of the moon (or
belly button of the moon). The Aztecs called Texcoco Lake the lake of
the moon and in the centre was Tenochtitlan, their capital city (now
called Mexico City). When the Spanish arrived in 1519, they found it
difficult to pronounce the whole name metztlixcictlico, so the word
became shortened to just Mexico.
The National Emblem
The national emblem is an eagle holding
a snake in its beak. The eagle stands on
a nopal (cactus plant). The emblem
dates back to the time of the Aztecs
coming to the Valley of Mexico and is
based on the legend of the founding of
the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan.
Ross, Kurt. 1978. Codex Mendoza: Aztec Manuscript
The Founding of Tenochtitlan
The legend says that the Aztecs left their home to look for a place to
start a new life. Their god had told them to find a lake where an eagle
with a snake in its beak would stand on a nopal cactus growing from
a rock. That would be the place to
build their new city.
After much travelling, the Aztecs
eventually reached the Valley of
Mexico. In the centre of the valley was
a large, salty lake. On a small island in
the lake, they saw the eagle standing on
the nopal cactus, holding a live snake
in its beak.
The Aztecs were sure that this was the sign they had been seeking,
and in about 1325, they established their capital city on the island,
calling it "Tenochtitlan", which means a place where a cactus grows
from a stone.
The National Flag
The Mexican flag consists of a rectangle
divided into three equal vertical bands with
the following colours, beginning from the
left: green, white and red. In the central
white band is the national emblem.
The story of the colours of the Mexican flag
comes from the time of the War of
Independence with Spain (1810 to 1821).
Originally, several different Mexican groups were fighting for
the creation of a new nation. When these groups came to an
agreement and formed the Army of the Three Guarantees, they
decided on an independent monarchy, one religion, and the union of
all Mexican people.
Therefore the colours are:
Green for independence
White for religion
Red for union
The National Anthem
The words of the National Anthem were written by
Francisco González Bocanegra, and the music was composed by Jaime
Nunó.
The words of the chorus of the National Anthem are as follows:
Mexicanos, al grito de guerra,
el acero aprestad y el bridón y
retiemble en su centro la tierra,
al sonoro rugir del cañón.
Mexicans, at the cry of war,
make ready the steel and the bridle,
and may the Earth tremble at its centers
at the resounding roar of the cannon.
.jpg "The Founding of Tenochtitlan")
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