The Creation of the Sun and Moon "Two gods of vastly different characters, Tecuciztecatl and Nanahuatzin -- One all vanity and one all humility -- are central to Aztec myth because they were to transform themselves into the lesser deity of the moon and the all-powerful god of the sun." (Allen, 84) "Another Aztec legend claims that Teotihuaccan's famous pyramids of the Sun and Moon are the very mounds on which the gods Tecuciztecatl and Nanahuatzin did penance before sacrificing themselves to the flames and becoming the moon and sun." (Allen, 85)
Allen, Tony. Gods of Sun and Sacrifice: Aztec & Maya Myth TIME-LIFE Myth and Mankind Series
WHEN YET THERE WAS DARKNESS The Florentine Codex aka General History of the Things of New Spain. By the Franciscan friar Bernardino de Sahagún. Aztec myth The Creation of the Sun and Moon during the 5th Sun (our present age)After the Fourth Sun was destroyed as the world was destroyed by flood, it was time for the Fifth Sun to bring forth a new world, the present age. The Earth had been annihilated, so four gods met in Teotihuacan to create a new sun. They met in darkness, as there was no light in the skies. It was decided that a self-sacrifice of one of the gods would be required to create the much needed sun to lighten the darkened skies. What better method than to have the chosen god throw himself into flames from a huge fire to become the all-powerful, mighty god to return dawn upon the Earth. One god, vain and handsome that he was, stepped forward and offered himself to become the sun. Well, the gods felt that such a position should not be given to the first person who volunteered, so they asked for a second volunteer. The other gods were frightened, so no one moved. Finally, they saw another god who was hiding in the shadows and asked him to vie against the vain god for the position of the all powerful sun. This god was a humble god and disfigured from sickness. He agreed to this competition. Preparations began for the two gods' sacrifice. Each god went to a place to mentally and physically prepare themselves for this event. These places were to become pyramids created from the atonement each god furnished. The first god, a wealthy and boastful god, did penance using extravagant items such as quetzal feathers, gold, coral and jade. The other god, a poor and modest god, offered only reeds and cactus spines sodden with his own blood. Four dark days and nights passed. The gods built and steeped the sacrificial bonfire in preparation for the two gods' ordeal. The flames raged red and gold and the heat became intense. Finally it was time. The first god darted towards the flames, but he had to turn away. The heat was too brilliant, his fear was too thick and the fire was too glaring. Four times he tried, each time he failed. Then, it was the other god's turn. Courageous, determined and resolute, he threw himself into the violent flames and was instantly burned. Not to be out done, the arrogant god followed him into the pyre, where he too, burned. Then, the gods waited, for it was only a matter of time before the new sun would rise. And rise it did, magnificently brilliant with golden rays penetrating every dark corner of the Earth, from the Eastern aspect of the sky. Behind him, rose another sun. The gods were perplexed, should they allow both gods to equally rule the skies? Should there be two suns? One of the gods decided no and quickly threw a rabbit onto the face of the first god as it sat in the sky. Instantly the radiance was reduced to a silver glow that would now be recognized as the light of the moon. The humble god became the individual sun while the arrogant god became the lesser moon. But the gods now noticed that the sun was not moving across the sky. The gods had to sacrifice themselves in order to pacify the sun so that it would travel from east to west from morning to evening. "Thus the sun cometh forth once, and spendeth the whole day in his work; and the moon undertaketh the night's task; he worketh all night."
 
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