Tale of the rabbit

• There had been four Suns in previous ages, and all had ended in catastrophic destruction. The gods came together to create a new and final Sun. To create the Sun, one of the gods would have to jump into the fire, the hearth of the gods. The gods gathered at the hearth at midnight to determine which god would make the sacrifice and become the Sun.
• Two gods volunteered. One of them was wealthy and strong, the arrogant Tacciztecatl, and the other was poor, sick, and frail, the god Nanahuatzin. Both agreed to die in order to raise the new Sun.

Myth Cont.

• But when the strong god approached the fire, the flames flared high, and frightened, he fell back from the edge. His fellow gods shouted encouragements to him to take the leap but he could not.
• Humble Nanahuatzin approached the fire, and without hesitating, he leaped into the flames. His body sizzled, cracked, and burned. This gave Tacciztecatl the courage to jump, and he did. The other gods waited in the darkness for signs of the dawn and Nanahuatzin’s transformation into the fifth Sun.

Myth Cont.

• The gods kept arguing among themselves as to where the Sun would first appear. Each one took up a position looking in a different direction so they would be sure to see the Sun as it first came up. And finally the Sun appeared brilliant and red in the east, the direction of creation and new life. Following the Sun, Nanahuatzin, was a second very bright ball, Tacciztecatl, reincarnated as the Moon. Both balls remained still, and in order to get them to move across the sky, the rest of the gods had to sacrifice themselves in the fire.

Myth Cont.

But before they died, one of the gods did something to the Moon. He grabbed a rabbit and hurled it into the Moon’s bright face, darkening tremendously.