Aztec Eagle Warriors, Elite Warriors of Aztec Society
The Aztec Empire dominated central Mexico for two centuries. One of the most successful empires in Mesoamerican history, if not world history, the Aztec state depended heavily upon their elite fighting force to conquer and subdue enemy territory. Among the ranks of these elite soldiers were the Aztec eagle warriors.
Aztec Warrior Societies
Once emerging from the basic military training schools, young Aztec men joined the military, where they had an opportunity to distinguish themselves in combat.
While nobles secured entry into the elite warrior classes by virtue of their birth, ordinary individuals who demonstrated remarkable courage and expertise had the chance to ascend the social and military hierarchy of Aztec society. The key to achieving victories, both on the battlefield and in societal status, lay in capturing, rather than outright killing, adversary fighters.
Many of these apprehended combatants were subsequently offered as sacrifices, as the Aztecs believed that presenting blood offerings to the god Huitzilopochtli would ensure the perpetuation of their world.
Various ranks were attainable for Aztec warriors throughout their careers. Among these, the most esteemed included eagle warriors, jaguar warriors, Otomies, and the Shorn Ones.
Eagle Warriors’ Role in the Aztec Empire
Eagle warriors played many roles within Aztec society. They were some of the most experienced warriors in the empire, had a part to play in Aztec religion, and (if they weren’t born into it) became Aztec nobility after reaching the rank of eagle warrior.
Interestingly, Aztec jaguar warriors performed many of the same functions in the Aztec Empire. Indeed, the two ranks seem to have been largely equal; so much so that the two warrior classes were sometimes referred to as a single body, the cuauhtlocelotl (eagle-jaguar warriors).
Anyway, let’s explore the life of Aztec eagle warriors!
Elite Warriors of the Aztec Army
The significance of the eagle as a symbol of bravery is exemplified by the elite military unit known as the Eagle Warriors, or Eagle Knights in some texts.
An elite group of infantrymen, Aztec eagle warriors were some of the best warriors that the Aztec army had to offer. The ranks of eagle warriors were open to Aztec nobility, as well as commoners who displayed exceptional talent in school (telpochcalli) or on the battlefield. Like jaguar warriors, the eagle warriors’ role in battle was to capture as many enemy soldiers as possible. These captured combatants would later be sacrificed as part of religious rituals.
Becoming an eagle warrior required more than just bravery. Though the exact figures vary, it seems that aspiring eagle warriors needed to capture a specific number of enemy combatants. Estimates range from four to 20, with some sources adding the condition of capturing enemies in two consecutive battles. Regardless of the exact criteria, it underscores the skill level required for this prestigious rank.
Once a soldier achieved the rank of eagle warrior, they were considered full time warriors, and eligible for certain rights and political power due to their social status.
Members of the Aztec Nobility
Though some eagle warriors enjoyed the privileges of noble lineage, not all did. Noble birth entitled a young man to better training and education, increasing the likelihood he could reach the higher echelons of the Aztec warrior societies.
No matter the class you were born into in Aztec society, once you achieved eagle warrior status you were vaulted into the higher ranks of the Aztec world.
The privileges afforded to eagle warriors off of the battlefield included:
- Wearing fine jewelry and clothes in public
- Wearing sandals and cotton clothes in the royal residences
- The ability have a mistress
Practitioners of Huitzilopochtli’s Cult
Off the battlefield, eagle warriors also participated in religious duties. In many areas of the Aztec Empire, local temples existed that were connected to warrior societies like the eagle warriors.
Though only one such temple remains, in what is now Malincalo, Mexico, at the height of the Aztec Empire The House of the Eagle (or the Eagle Warriors’ Temple) stood within the religious complex of Tenochtitlan. Within this temple, eagle warriors assisted Aztec priests with religious ceremonies, sometimes even giving small portions of their own blood as a sacrifice.
This historical context has been backed up by archaeological evidence. In excavations of the Templo Mayor complex, archaeologists have discovered large ceramic statues of eagle warriors in the temple’s inner chamber.
An Aztec Eagle Warrior Uniform
Eagle warriors weren’t just good in combat, they also looked good doing it. Like any elite military body throughout history, the Aztec eagle warriors wore special uniforms to denote their rank.
Over their bodies, they wore clothing that had eagle feathers sewn into it to mimic the plumage of eagles. On their heads, eagle warriors wore feathered helmets designed to look like a screeching eagle, with their faces visible through the open beak.
In Aztec culture, feather working was considered a high art. So as eagle warriors donned their eagle head helmet and feathered uniform, they were quite literally wearing art into battle. Not a bad way to show off one’s wealth and social status while looking like a badass.
Weapons Used by the Eagle Warriors
As elite soldiers, eagle warriors had a large arsenal of Aztec weapons at their disposal. These weapons included bows and arrows, spears, the atlatl (a spear thrower that allowed combatants to hurl spears over large distances), and, most famously, the macuahuitl.
The macuahuitl, the favored weapon of elite Aztec warriors, was a formidable force on the battlefield. Often depicted holding a macuahuitl, it would have been one of an eagle warrior’s favorite weapons.
Despite its appearance, which might not seem as robust or powerful as the iron swords of the Old World, Spanish conquistadors consistently marveled at its capabilities, noting that it could sever the head of a horse with a single mighty blow.
Available in two versions — one-handed and two-handed — the smaller variant measured approximately 3 to 4 inches in width and a little over 3 feet in length, while the larger two-handed macuahuitl reached about 4 inches in width and matched the height of a man. The skill and strength required to wield the two-handed version was undoubtedly impressive.
Crafted by Aztec artisans, the macuahuitl featured a sturdy wooden body, often made from oak, with carved grooves along the outer edge. Within these grooves, razor-sharp obsidian blades were meticulously placed. Some macuahuitls had closely aligned obsidian blades, creating a smooth and consistent cutting surface, while others left gaps between the blades, imparting an almost serrated quality. To secure the obsidian, artisans used bitumen and adhesive made from turtle dung.
The effectiveness of the macuahuitl in battle was so remarkable that even Spanish conquistadors acknowledged its superiority over European swords, a concession rarely made by the conquistadors.
Sources on Aztec Eagle Warriors
- Wu Mingren, “The Infamous Eagle Warriors: Elite Infantrymen of the Aztec Empire,” ncient-origins.net
- Ibid
- Ibid
- Eli Addams, “Warrior Cults of the Aztec Empire,” historicalmx.org
- Ross Hassig, Aztec Warfare: Imperial Expansion and Political Control (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1988), 88-90.
- Hassig, Aztec Warfare, 83.
- Ibid
