Mesoamerican Ball Game Analysis

Henry James once said, “it takes an endless amount of history to make even a little tradition.” Although many civilizations that dominated over extensive amounts of territory no longer exist, some have a substantial impact on the culture and traditions of other civilizations that follow them after. The Aztecs, for example, extended their empire over a vast majority of present-day Mexico by battling other tribes for territory. Their influence on modern time is often overlooked, yet still present; from movies to fairytales to everyday objects, the Aztecs left traces of their civilization on Mexico and other parts of the world.
The Mesoamerican ball game, known as just the Ball Game, was a game played by the different civilizations in Mesoamerica
Further, the two volcanoes are part of a love story that shares similar elements to William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The young warrior, Popocatepetl, and the Aztec princess, Iztaccihuatl, were in love. Although the Aztec ruler, Iztaccihuatl's father, agreed to their marriage, he sent Popocatepetl to a war against an enemy tribe; if Popocatepetl was to come back victorious, he could marry Iztaccihuatl (Klimczak). After the warrior left for war, a man that also showed interest in marrying Iztaccihuatl notified the her that Popocatepetl had died in battle and this news brought the princess great sorrow; her grief was so great that she died of a broken heart (Klimczak). Upon Popocatepetl's return from the triumphant combat, he heard the news about Iztaccihuatl and left the settlement with her body; the legend says that he died while he was on his knees (Klimczak). The volcano named after Iztaccihuatl means “the White Woman”; the top of this volcano has snow at the top of its four peaks, while the volcano Popocatepetl means “smoking mountain.” This Aztec legend is not the only one that has had an impact on the Mexican culture; the flag also has its origins based on another
For instance, the coat of arms found in the Mexican flag is a representation of an ancient Aztec legend that describes the founding of Tenochtitlan (“Mexican Flag History”). This legend demonstrates the loyalty of the Aztecs to their gods because the place picked by Huitzilopochtli was a swampy island, an area that was difficult to settle in, but they still managed to build their empire there; the sign that Huitzilopochtli used to tell the Aztecs to settle was an eagle perched on a cactus (Willis 242). Moreover, they established their civilization on the island by using chinampas, floating gardens, which are still used today in present-day Mexico city (“Mexican Flag History”). In addition to the incorporation of the legend to the flag, Mexico also uses the same coat of arms on one side of their