Aztec spirit continues to live on in Mexico after 500 years

People perform an Aztec dance in Mexico City’s Zocalo Square.

Traditional healers and dancers resplendent in feather headdresses and body paint perform ancient rites in the heart of Mexico City, keeping the Aztec spirit alive five centuries after the Spanish conquest. Today the Mexican authorities will commemorate the 500th anniversary of the “fall” of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan to the conquistadors and their indigenous allies. Mexico is building a towering replica of the Templo Mayor, the Aztec civilisation’s most sacred site, in the downtown of Mexico City. The mostly-white mock temple will be on show in Mexico City’s bustling main square, the Zocalo, close to the ruins of the real Templo Mayor, where the Aztecs venerated two main deities with elaborate pageantry and sacrificial offerings. The temple was destroyed by Spanish forces after their 1521 conquest and subsequent razing of Tenochtitlan, which became Mexico City. A colonial-era Roman Catholic cathedral was built next to where the temple once stood, using many stones from the toppled shrine. At 16m (52’) high, it will be the biggest ever replica of the Templo Mayor, according to Mexico’s culture ministry. Archaeologists say the original temple was as high as a 15-storey building. “For the (Aztecs) it was the centre of the universe. It was the point at which one could enter the underworld and the different celestial levels,” said Argel Gomez, the ministry’s general festival director. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador will attend a ceremony at the Zocalo commemorating five centuries since the fall of Tenochtitlan to Hernan Cortes, the leader of the Spanish invaders. Meanwhile, Sergio Segura Octocayohua and others like him who strive to preserve Aztec culture planned their own celebrations the day before, in honour of the “heroic defence” of the city. “Despite being distorted, our identity, philosophy and history live on,” he said during a break from overseeing healing rituals in the heart of the capital’s historic district. “We no longer fight with weapons. Now we fight with words, identity and dance,” the 58-year-old said. All around, people of all ages performed choreographies that alternate twists, stomps and energetic movements of their limbs, accentuated by their colourful plumes and the rattling of seeds tied on legs. Crowds of tourists stopped to watch – some exclaiming “This is Mexico!” – as the rhythm of the huehuetl, a traditional drum, mixed with the aromas of incense and corn from street food. “Suddenly they see us and say ‘oh, wow, are they still alive? How weird!’” veteran dancer and tour guide Tezcatlipoca, who only gave one name, said wryly. “Seeing it as a show is good because this has not died,” the 70-year-old added. Dance and purification rituals on the site of the ancient Aztec capital resonate deeply for those seeking to safeguard the traditions for future generations. “It’s one of the places with the most cosmic energy, but it must be cleaned because it has also seen a lot of blood,” said Octocayohua. He views the conquest by the Spanish, with its battles and massacres, as a “humiliation”. Dance, based on the movements of the moon and the sun, is the most visual manifestation of a thriving spiritual and philosophical movement that aspires to restore the splendour of the Aztec legacy. “Dance is a way to understand their values and view of the cosmos,” said Ocelocoatl Ramirez, whose foundation Zemanauak Tlamachtiloyan seeks to preserve the indigenous culture. “The purpose is to share it with people, to do something in communion,” added Ramirez, who for decades has instructed enthusiasts who dance amid the aroma of medicinal plants. The rhythm of the huehuetl drum and the deep sound of the atecocolli, a seashell used as a kind of trumpet, seem to appeal to young people in particular. “If I dance some of my culture, my being shines – I shine – I feel at one with the universe,” said Maria Cervantes, 22, who has been a student of Ramirez since she was 15. Another ancient custom that has endured since Tenochtitlan times is the city’s renowned street food. The smell of corn wafts through the streets of the historic centre. Minerva Martinez, 40, sells tlayudas, a type of corn tortilla that dates back to pre-Hispanic times. “The Mexica (Aztecs) also cultivated it and we farmers also plant the corn,” said Martinez, an indigenous Otomi who believes that the Tenochtitlan legacy “still exists”. Scholars trace the roots of street food back to the laborious preparation of ingredients and dishes such as tortillas or tamales – a type of corn dumpling – whose consumption also had a ritual nature. “This complexity means street food has always been a traditional reference point – totally Mexican and pre-Hispanic,” said chef and historian Rodrigo Llanes. A woman prepares to perform an Aztec dance at the Zocalo Square. A man wearing a penacho is seen before performing an Aztec dance.