The Mesoamerican deity Huitzilopochtli was the patron god of the Mexican people during the height of Aztec rule. Where he stands now is a little less clear though. Huitzilopochtli’s legend goes (1) that after he was betrayed by a nephew he killed him and removed his heart. This heart was disposed of on an island in the middle of Lake Texcoco and, like many creation legends involving plants, from the rocks upon which this heart lay sprang the nopal cactus (2). This cactus would later play a role in the creation of Mexico as the wandering Mexica people had a prophecy that stated “they would find the site of their new home when they came upon a cactus in which sat an eagle devouring a snake”, an image that you will find this very day on the Mexican coat of arms and in the centre of the Mexican flag.

1. one of them anyway
2. See Post Huitzilopochtli, Tenochtitlan and the Opuntia Cactus

Well it appears that the prophecy might also be fulfilling itself far from the shores of Anahuac. In Australia, a place that is about as geographically far from México as you can get, many Mexicans have journeyed far from the lands of their birth in search of a new home. Like the wandering Mexica they have ventured into the wilderness and, like the Mexica, it seems that a similar prophetic and revelatory sign has appeared that indicates they are indeed in the right place.

FOMEX, the Friends of Mexico, is a cultural friendship group that serves to introduce and share the people, history and culture of México with their new neighbours in their new homes; wherever that may be. As a local I like to share the weird and wonderful aspects of this land of Australia with my FOMEXican friends. The landscape and wildlife are as beautiful (although very different) as that of México.

A photo came across my feed recently that I thought my Mexican friends might like but I totally missed the prophetic parallels.

In Yanchep National Park (1) a photographer has captured a highly venomous and aggressive (if cornered) local snake called a Tiger snake. These snakes are so named because of the striped yellow and black colouration that is typical to snakes of this species (although some can be totally pitch black).

1. Yanchep is located in Western Australia. It is a place of many lakes and caves and is quite beautiful (although it is no Chicomoztoc)

Kookaburras are a predatory bird in the kingfisher family. They are commonly known for the “laughing” sound they make. They are curious and gregarious animals and have no particular fear of humans.

Their diet includes lizards, insects, worms, snakes, mice and they are known to take goldfish out of garden ponds. They are hunters and as the photo below shows, they are not afraid to take on deadly opponents.

This looks to have been a hard fight. The bird appears somewhat ruffled and the snake seems to have tried to strangle the bird. To no avail though. The snake is now dinner.

Anyway. I shared these images with my FOMEXicans and this is the reaction.

It appears that a new home has indeed been found. The dreams of Huitzilopochtli echo even in a land so far from his birth.

Website References

• https://nre.tas.gov.au/wildlife-management/fauna-of-tasmania/reptiles-and-frogs/tasmanian-snakes/tiger-snake
• https://biomedicalsciences.unimelb.edu.au/departments/department-of-biochemistry-and-pharmacology/engage/avru/discover/snakes/tiger-snakes-emnotechisem-sp.
• https://news.curtin.edu.au/stories/sick-snakes-a-cause-of-concern-for-perths-wetlands/