The Mexica Flower War: Xochiyaoyotl and the Aztec Ritual of Combat

In this episode, Lucas and Luna delve into the controversial and often misunderstood Aztec practice of the flower war, or xochiyaoyotl. They explore its origins under Moctezuma Ilhuicamina, its true purpose as a ritual to capture sacrificial victims and train warriors, and the complex relationship between the Mexica and their enemies Tlaxcala, Huexotzinco, and Cholula. Drawing on the Florentine Codex and the Codex Mendoza, they discuss how these battles were intertwined with the worship of gods like Huitzilopochtli and Tezcatlipoca, and how the flower wars ultimately played a role in the Spanish conquest. The conversation also touches on the controversy among historians about whether the flower wars were a practical strategy or purely religious. #Aztec #FlowerWar #Xochiyaoyotl #MoctezumaIlhuicamina #Tlaxcala #Huexotzinco #Cholula #FlorentineCodex #CodexMendoza #Huitzilopochtli #Tezcatlipoca #Mexica #Tenochtitlan #Mesoamerica #History #FexingoHistory #Warfare #Ritual #AztecEmpire #MoctezumaII Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo