A Note on Terminology

It's common these days for people to refer to the Aztecs as the Mexica. Aztec merely means 'People of Aztlan,' and is a term used to denote the groups allegedly descended from the tribes that journeyed to the Valley of Mexico from Aztlan. Historically, none of these people called themselves Aztecs. However, the term 'Aztec' today is used to refer to the three tribes which colonized the Valley of Mexico, the Mexica, the Acolhua, and the Tepaneca. All three together are considered the 'Aztec Empire,' which which was actually an alliance of these three nations. The Aztec Empire thus had three capital cities, one for each of the allied tribes; Tenochtitlan (Mexica), Texcoco (Acolhua), and Tlacopan (Tepanec), although Tenochtitlan was considered the main capital for the entire alliance. Originally upon establishing themselves in the valley, the three tribes fought with each other for supremacy before finally deciding to ally.

The Mexica, Acolhua and Tepaneca all shared the same basic culture and religious beliefs, although each nation considered a different god to be their particular patron above all. Huitzilopochtli was revered above all by the Mexica, while the Acolhua considered Tezcatlipoca their patron, and the Tepaneca paid special respects to Huehueteotl. In addition to the Aztec Empire, this same cultural and religious group included other nations as well. Most of the Nahuatl-speaking people of Mexico shared the same gods and basic cultural traits as the Aztecs, even their Tlaxcalan enemies. As a result, a term broader than 'Aztec' is used by some Mesoamericanists, this term being 'Nahua,' used to denote all the Nahuatl-speaking peoples and this cultural type.

I do not specifically use the term 'Mexica' for three reasons: One is that, as has been stated, the 'Aztec Empire' consisted of two other nations as well. The second reason is that I personally consider myself to hail more from the Acolhua than the Mexica, a draw that is not entirely based on my dedication to Tezcatlipoca. The third is that 'Mexica' has come to be associated with the so-called Mexica Movement, which frankly put, I would loathe to be associated with.