Quecholcohuatl was a Chalcan musician. He was known for making peace between his native

altepetl The ( , plural ''altepeme'' or ''altepemeh'') was the local, ethnically-based political entity, usually translated into English as "city-state", of pre-Columbian Nahuatl-speaking societiesSmith 1997 p. 37 in the Americas. The ''altepetl'' was ...

of Chalco and

Tenochtitlan , also known as Mexico-Tenochtitlan, was a large Mexican in what is now the historic center of Mexico City. The exact date of the founding of the city is unclear, but the date 13 March 1325 was chosen in 1925 to celebrate the 600th annivers ...

by serenading its

Tlatoani ''Tlahtoāni'' ( , "ruler, sovereign"; plural ' ) is a historical title used by the dynastic rulers of (singular ''āltepētl'', often translated into English as "city-state"), autonomous political entities formed by many pre-Columbian Nahuatl- ...

Axayacatl Axayacatl (; ; ; meaning "face of water"; –1481) was the sixth of the of Tenochtitlan and Emperor of the Aztec Triple Alliance. Biography Early life and background Axayacatl was a son of the princess Atotoztli II and her cousin, prince ...

, in 1479. His song became a multigenerational hit and brought fame to his hometown of Amaquemecan.

Chimalpahin Domingo Francisco de San Antón Muñón Chimalpahin Quauhtlehuanitzin (1579, Amecameca, Chalco1660, Mexico City), usually referred to simply as Chimalpahin or Chimalpain, was a Nahua annalist from Chalco. His Nahuatl names () mean "Runs Swiftl ...

, a

Nahua The Nahuas ( ) are a Uto-Nahuan ethnicity and one of the Indigenous people of Mexico, with Nahua minorities also in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. They comprise the largest Indigenous group in Mexico, as well as ...

annalist Annalists (from Latin ''annus'', year; hence ''annales'', sc. ''libri'', annual records), were a class of writers on Roman history, the period of whose literary activity lasted from the time of the Second Punic War to that of Sulla. They wrote t ...

, commented that: “Because of it Amaquemecan (Ah-mah-kay-MAY-kahn) was ncefamous, an altepetl which now appears small and unimportant”. His

Nahuatl Nahuatl ( ; ), Aztec, or Mexicano is a language or, by some definitions, a group of languages of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Varieties of Nahuatl are spoken by about Nahuas, most of whom live mainly in Central Mexico and have smaller popul ...

name roughly translated to ''"Flamingo Snake"'' in English, although he later adopted the

Christian name A Christian name, sometimes referred to as a baptismal name, is a religious personal name given on the occasion of a Christian baptism, though now most often given by parents at birth. In English-speaking cultures, a person's Christian name ...

, Don Jerónimo, after the

Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire was a pivotal event in the history of the Americas, marked by the collision of the Aztec Triple Alliance and the Spanish Empire. Taking place between 1519 and 1521, this event saw the Spanish conquistad ...

of 1519–21.

Making peace

The story of how Quecholcohuatl made peace with the

tlatoani ''Tlahtoāni'' ( , "ruler, sovereign"; plural ' ) is a historical title used by the dynastic rulers of (singular ''āltepētl'', often translated into English as "city-state"), autonomous political entities formed by many pre-Columbian Nahuatl- ...

, is told in the ''Eight Relations'', an

annal Annals (, from , "year") are a concise historical record in which events are arranged chronologically, year by year, although the term is also used loosely for any historical record. Scope The nature of the distinction between annals and histo ...

written by Chalcan

. The story features in his Seventh Relation. Chalco was conquered by the Aztec triple-alliance under

Moctezuma I Moctezuma I (–1469), also known as Montezuma I, Moteuczomatzin Ilhuicamina ( ) or Huehuemoteuczoma ( ), was the second Tlatoani, Aztec emperor and fifth king of Tenochtitlan. During his reign, the Aztec Empire was consolidated, major expansion ...

in or around 1465, after which the kings of Chalco were exiled to Huexotzinco. By 1479, the Chalcan people had grown tired of the

hegemonic Hegemony (, , ) is the political, economic, and military predominance of one state over other states, either regional or global. In Ancient Greece (ca. 8th BC – AD 6th c.), hegemony denoted the politico-military dominance of the ''hegemon'' ...

dominion of the Aztecs and wanted to join the

Mexica The Mexica (Nahuatl: ; singular ) are a Nahuatl-speaking people of the Valley of Mexico who were the rulers of the Triple Alliance, more commonly referred to as the Aztec Empire. The Mexica established Tenochtitlan, a settlement on an island ...

, Tepanecs of

Tlacopan Tlacopan, also called Tacuba, (, ͡ɬaˈkóːpan̥ was a Tepanec / Mexica altepetl on the western shore of Lake Texcoco. The site is today the neighborhood of Tacuba, in Mexico City. Etymology The name comes from Classical Nahuatl ''tlacōtl ...

and the

Acolhua The Acolhua are a Mesoamerican people who arrived in the Valley of Mexico in or around the year 1200 CE. The Acolhua were a sister culture of the Aztecs (or Mexica) as well as the Tepanec, Chalca, Xochimilca and others. The most important p ...

of Texcoco as an allied power in the

Valley of Mexico The Valley of Mexico (; ), sometimes also called Basin of Mexico, is a highlands plateau in central Mexico. Surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, the Valley of Mexico was a centre for several pre-Columbian civilizations including Teotihuacan, ...

. In order to achieve this, Quecholcohuatl travelled to Tenochtitlan in 1479, accompanied by other Chalcan drummers and singers to perform for the Tlatoani, Axayacatl. Quecholcohuatl was not supposed to be the lead musician, but the chosen Chalcan nobleman had fainted earlier that day, leaving Quecholcohuatl to lead the performance. The Mexica believed that the musicians came for the sole purpose of entertaining the Tlatoani, however, the performance carried a political message. The song title performed by the group of Chalcans roughly translates to ''"the Chalca woman's song"''. It is sung from the perspective of a Chalcan noblewoman taken prisoner during the war with the Aztecs. The song highlighted how the Aztecs'

hegemony Hegemony (, , ) is the political, economic, and military predominance of one State (polity), state over other states, either regional or global. In Ancient Greece (ca. 8th BC – AD 6th c.), hegemony denoted the politico-military dominance of ...

had disproportionately devastated Chalcan women. Women were seen as relatively equal to men during times of peace but were condemned to

sex slavery Sexual slavery and sexual exploitation is an attachment of any ownership right over one or more people with the intent of coercing or otherwise forcing them to engage in sexual activities. This includes forced labor that results in sexual ...

by the victors, a sanction that passed onto her children. The girl's reaction to her situation evolves; she initially attempts to regain agency by flirting with her master: ''"What if I were to pleasure him?"''. In later stanzas, she offers more direct references to how the master sexually exploits her:

''"Will you ruin my body painting?'' ''You will lie watching what comes to be a green flamingo bird flower...'' ''It is a quetzal popcorn flower, a flamingo raven flower.'' ''You lie on your flower-mantled mat.'' ''It lies inside.'' ''You lie on your golden reed mat.'' ''It lies in the feathered cavern house."''

Later in the song, the Chalcan woman's heart breaks as she remembers her life before the desolation of war and

. She remembers that, as the children of a noblewoman, her offspring were to be rulers, something that she laments losing:

''"As a noble girl child, I was spoken of in connection with my marriage...'' ''It is infuriating, it is heartrending, here on Earth.'' ''I worry and fret.'' ''I consume myself in rage.'' ''In my desperation, I suddenly say, "hey, child, I would as soon die"''

The line, ''"I would as soon die"'' (), is intended to emphasise her despair upon losing any hope of raising influential children. The song ends with the Chalcan girl offering to live with the Tlatoani without rancor, if and only if she were treated with respect:

''"Don't let your heart take a needless tumble...'' ''Here is your hand.'' ''Come along, holding me by the hand.'' ''Be content.'' ''On your reed mat, on your throne, sleep peacefully.'' ''Relax, you who are kind Axayacatl."''

At this point in the performance the Tlatoani came out from inside, where he was accompanied by his women, to dance, something that was considered a great honor for the performers. Once the music finished, the Tlatoani retired inside, sending a messenger to summon the lead musician. When Quecholcohuatl entered, he began to beg forgiveness of the Tlatoani. However, it turned out that

actually enjoyed the performance. He took Quecholcohuatl to bed with him and requested that he only perform for him thereafter. Chimalpahin reported that Axayacatl told his wives: ''"Women, stand up and meet him, seat him among you. Here has come your rival."'' Therefore, it is believed that Quecholcohuatl and Axayacatl engaged in sexual relations that afternoon before a great feast. Axayacatl died two years later in 1481. His successor and eldest half-brother,

Tizoc Tizocic (), or Tizocicatzin (), usually known in English as Tizoc, was the seventh tlatoani of Tenochtitlan, ''tlatoani'' of Tenochtitlan. His name means, "He who makes sacrifices" or "He who does penance." Either Tizoc or his successor Ahuitzot ...

, completed the process of reinstating the royal lines and

tlatoque ''Tlahtoāni'' ( , "ruler, sovereign"; plural ' ) is a historical title used by the dynastic rulers of (singular ''āltepētl'', often translated into English as "city-state"), autonomous political entities formed by many pre-Columbian Nahuatl- ...

of Chalco in 1486.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Quecholcohuatl 15th-century Aztec people 15th-century musicians 16th-century male musicians Nahuatl-language singers Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown