Chimalma, first lady of the Aztecan migration in 1064

Dr. Antoon Leon Vollemaere

kg000407@online.be

The focus of this communication is Chimalma, a Xiu woman, co-leading the important Aztecan migration to the south. In Codex Boturini, Codex Azcatitlan, Codex de 1576, and in several ethnohistorical sources, the migration of the 8 Nahuatlaca (Aztec tribes) from Southern Utah and centraleastern Arizona to the Valley of Mexico is represented and/or described. The migration started in the year 1 Tecpatl, or 1064, and ended about 260 years later for the Azteca Mexica (later Aztecs/Mexicans) in the year 1325. Chimalma is represented in the codices as a kind of first lady, as co-leader, but she was in fact also a kind of queen-mother for most of the later important mesoamerican groups. Indeed, her children became all political or religious leaders. From the first marriage she had 6 children : 1) the first son Xelua populated Cuauhcachula and many other cities: Teocan, Cuzcataln, etc.; 2) from the second son Tenoch descended the Tenochca (Mexicans); they founded Tenochtitlan (actual Mexico-City); 3) 4) the third and fourth son Ulmecatl and Xicalancatl, populated many provinces and cities as far as Los Angeles (Puebla); 5) from the fifth son Mixtecatl came the famous Mixtecs, goldsmiths of Mixtecapan: and 6) from the son Otomitl descended the Otomies, one of the greatest generations in New Spain.; Xilotepec was their capital. The largest parts of the provinces of Tula and Otumba were under their command. Chimalma was the second wife of Iztacmixcoatl from Chicomoztoc. She was the mother of Quetzalcoatl, the famous Emplumed Serpent, the bearded white god, inventor of their marvellous calendar of 260 days. In this communication, the location of the region of mythical Aztlan, Tollan, Colhuacan, Chicomoztoc, and also of the residences of the 8 Nahuatlaca in Southwest USA shall also be presented.