ABC's for Writers!

You won me at Zebra cakes.

Hey! CHRISSY here for a review! Ok, here we go...

I think this is soooo original! I love how you put yourself into it! You added things about your self, and made it very comical! I have one question though, why end with zebra cakes? ( yeah they are awesome) but then again, goes with the randomness!

My favorite verse though would be the letter V. So true, we all have them, they are our inspiration! . I agree to with Y being YWS, but it is kind of obvious! Lol.

I agree with Q being the hardest! There are not many good words to use for this case, but I do have an idea:

Q is for the quiet. There are a lot of us writers who need it to write something good, or the retain a single good thought.

That is what I would do!
OK, well that is about it for me, this review will definitely not as long as KatGirl's, but I feel that is what I need to say! OK, hope this helps! Congrats for the spotlight, YOU DESERVE IT!
Keep writing!

Hey! CHRISSY here for a review! Ok, here we go...

I think this is soooo original! I love how you put yourself into it! You added things about your self, and made it very comical! I have one question though, why end with zebra cakes? ( yeah they are awesome) but then again, goes with the randomness!

My favorite verse though would be the letter V. So true, we all have them, they are our inspiration! . I agree to with Y being YWS, but it is kind of obvious! Lol.

I agree with Q being the hardest! There are not many good words to use for this case, but I do have an idea:

Q is for the quiet. There are a lot of us writers who need it to write something good, or the retain a single good thought.

That is what I would do!
OK, well that is about it for me, this review will definitely not as long as KatGirl's, but I feel that is what I need to say! OK, hope this helps! Congrats for the spotlight, YOU DESERVE IT!
Keep writing!

Acampichtli
Acampichtli was the first tlatoni (emperor), a founder of powerful Aztec dynasty, ruling from 1376 to 1395. He further increased Tenochtilan's influence by forging political alliances and initated many building projects and the division of the city into four neighborhoods or calpullis, and the development of the chinampas ("floating" agricultural gardens) to solve the problem of limited farmland. He passed laws and ordinances and instituted religious rituals and festival observances. The glyph for his name is a forearm with the hand grasping a bundle of reeds or arrows.






Balance/duality
The mythology of Aztec civilization described a universe of grandeur and dread.Worlds were both created and destroyed in myths, and gods warred among themselves. A third key theme of Aztec myth was that of duality, a balance between two equal opposing forces. Many of the Aztec gods and goddesses were dualistic, which meant that they had two sides or roles. Deities often functioned in pairs or opposites. In addition, the same god could appear under multiple names or identities, perhaps because the Aztecs had blended elements of their myths from a variety of sources.



Chicomoztoc
Chicomoztoc, or The Place of Seven Caves, is the mythological cave of entrance for the Aztecs. It is frequently decipted in codices and maps, described as a subterranean hall surronded by seven chambers. As with other caves in Mesoamerica, it has animate qualities that appear as teeth, fangs, or eyes. More intricate renderings look like a lion-like beast out of whose mouth the original people emerged.





Dark Heavens
The universe of the Aztec worldview consists of multiple layers. These levels are circular rather than parallel; they can be seen as wheels within wheels rather than horizontal planes. The universe of the Aztecs consists of various layers. The earthly level we inhabit lies between both the Heavens and Underworld, and is considered the first level of both reigons, as Tlaticpac (Earth) is a place of life and death. The highest level of heaven is known as Omeyocan, the Place of Duality. It is here that Ometeotl, the Divine Duality, dwells. Ometeotl is not by nature a personified god, but rather pure divinity. It is often, however, represented by Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl, the Lord and Lady of Duality. From their union all the gods and goddesses were created. Each successive level of the heavens comes closer to the earthly one, ranging from the purely spiritual levels, to the “black” heaven (the void of space), to layers of the stars and planets. Similarly, each level of the underworld comes closer to the Place of the Dead (Mictlan).



Empire
Many years after the Mexica people first built their proud city, Tenochtitlan (later to become Mexico City), they formed an alliance with two other cities - Texcoco (Tetzcoco) and Tlacopan. This Triple Alliance was to rule the Valley of Mexico until the Spanish arrived. However, over time one city become the most powerful - Tenochtitlan. It would become the heart of the Aztec civilization. Essentially, Aztec empire history is a history of city-states. As the empire expanded (which it began to do in earnest around 1428) it conquered more cities. Some cities resisted. Others were conquered and began to pay tribute.


(history-com)

Five Creations of the Sun
The Creation Myth, according to Aztecs, is a continous story of creations and destructions called suns. In Aztec mythology, the beginning of the world there was only darkness. Creation began when Ometecuhtli, Lord of Duality, and Omecihuatl, Lady of Duality, gave birth to Huitzilopochtli, Quetzalcoatl, Tezcatlipoca, and Xipe Totec. The four gods created the world. After creation of man, the gods kept creating lords of the underworld, the heavens and water, a crocodile-like creature named Cipactli, and the rain god Tlaloc. When the initial creation was finished, a cycle of five suns followed, which corresponded to the five world ages, each ending in destruction.
First Sun: The element of this first age is earth. Tezcatlipoca was chosen to be sacrificed to create an energy source for the planet, though he only managed to become a half sun.
During this age, a fight transpired between Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca. Quetzalcoatl was the victor, but Tezcatlipoca takes revenge by sending jaguars on Earth to destroy the giants. Thus came an end to the first sun.
Second sun: The element of this second age is air. Quetzalcoatl is in control in this era. Humans were created according to our current likeness but became corrupt. As a result, Tezcatlipoca transformed them into monkeys, and Quetzalcoatl sent hurricanes to wipe the monkeys out. There were survivors who, according to the legend, are current day monkeys.
Third Sun: The element of this age is fire and the god responsible for this era is Tlaloc, the god of rain and water. A fight ensued between Tezcatlipoca and Tlaloc when Tezcatlipoca stole Tlaloc’s wife. Out of revenge, Tlaloc transformed all of humanity into turkeys, dogs and butterflies. Quetzalcoatl rained fire and ash down on the atrocities, causing the destruction of humanity for the third time.
Fourth Sun: The element related to this world age is water, and god chosen to reign is Tlaloc’s sister, Calchiuhtlicue. During this sun, Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca were filled with jealousy and brought the sun down. The population were turned into fish, and this age was ultimately terminated by a great flood.
Fifth Sun: This is said to be the age that we are currently in, and the god Nanahuatzin is responsible for it. The legend foretells that this era will end with earthquakes.


Government
Second in command of Aztec government was the Cihuacoatl, who had many servants to keep government running smoothly. There was also The Council of Four. These were powerful men and generals of the army who were first in line to become the next emperor. Other important officials of government includes priests and military leaders. The Aztecs had a fairly sophisticated code of law. There were numerous laws including laws against stealing, murder, drunkenness, and property damage. A system of courts and judges determined guilt and punishments. They had different levels of courts all the way up to a supreme court.





Huitzilopochtli
Huitzilopochtli was patron god of the Aztecs. He was a god that, during Aztec migration, directed them to the place to found Tenochtitlan (the Aztec capital). His name means "Hummingbird of the South". He was a god of war and of sacrifice.The Aztecs believed that the sun god needed daily nourishment (tlaxcaltiliztli) in the form of human blood and hearts and that they, as “people of the sun,” were required to provide Huitzilopochtli with his sustenance. The sacrificial hearts were offered to the sun quauhtlehuanitl (“eagle who rises”) and burned in the quauhxicalli (“the eagle’s vase”). Aztecs dedicated a shrine to him on top of the pyramid, Templo Mayor.


Ideographic Symbolism
The Aztecs' writing resembled the Mixtec writing by use of dots for numbers less than twenty, share similar construction, style of compound signs, andplace emphasis on shrort texts that rely on painted scenes for narratives instead of longer text. Nahuatl writing was primarily written on perishable deer skin and paper codices. All surviving documents containing Nahuatl contain a mixture of Aztec glyphs and Spanish notes. Like other Mesoamerican scripts, the core of Nahuatl riting consists of a set of calendrical signs and vigesimal number systems.



Jaguar-Sun
The element of the first age of the Jaguar-sun is earth. Tezcatlipoca was chosen to be sacrificed to create an energy source for the planet, though he only managed to become a half-sun. During this age, a fight transpired between Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca. Queztalcoatl was the victor, but Tezcatlipoca takes revenge by sending jaguars on Earth to destroy the giants. Thus came the end of the first sun.


Knives
The Aztec mosaic knife currently in the British museum dates between 1400 and 1521 B.C is thought to have been used in religious ceremonies. Made from wood and flint, the handle represents an Aztec warrior but the blade revealed no traces of blood, and so was probably not used to sacrifice victims. The ceremonial knife, or ixcuoc measures thirty-two centimeters in length and ten centimeters in height. The handle of the knife has been carved to represent a crouching figure who wears the ritual costume of an Aztec eagle-warrior or cuahtilocelotl, one of the most senior Aztec military ranks.





Life Expactancy
Archeologists excavating Aztec cemetries have determined that skeletons of children between ages four and six represented more than ten percent of the sample. Indications are that the mortality of newborns were even higher. Even for those who survived the dangerous years of childhood, the average life span of an Aztec was thirty four to forty years old.

Mexico
The multi-ethnic, multi-lingual realm of the ancient Aztecs streched for more than 80,000 square miles through many parts of what is now central and Southern Mexico. This enermous empire reached fromthe Pacific Ocean to the Gulf coast and from Central Mexico to present-day Republic of Guatemala. Fifteen million people, living in thirty-eight provinces and residing in 489 communities paid tribute to the emperor Moctezuma II in Tenochtlan, the capital city of the great Aztec empire.




Nahuali
Nahuali is an Aztec term which denotes two different, yet connected things. In one use, the world Nahuali is the term used for a spirtual twin of a person, almost always an animal form. For example, Hitzilopochtli's are the hummingbird and eagle. In this form, a Nahuali is much like the concept of a totem animal found in other Native American cultures. Unlike the concept ofa totem animal, a Nahuali was/is believed to exsist in the physical or spirtual world. It is said to share a portion of the soul known as the tonalli.


Ometecuhtli/Omecihuatl
Ometecuhtli and his wife, Omecihuatl symbolize the duality and primordial forces of nature. They control the entire Aztec universe. Ometecuhtli was the highest god of the Aztec pantheon. With his female counterpart, Omecíhuatl (“Two-Lady” or “Lady of the Duality”), Ometecuhtli resided in Omeyocan (“Two-Place” or “Double Heaven”), the 13th and highest Aztec heaven. The opposing factors in the Aztec universe included male and female, light and dark, motion and stillness, and order and chaos. Ometecuhtli was the only Aztec god to whom no temple was erected, nor was any formal cult active in his name. Seeing him as remote in the heavens, the Aztecs assumed he would never interact with them directly, but they were aware of his presence in every act of ritual and in every rhythm of nature.




Polytheism
Aztec religion was polytheistic, but deities did not exsist as discrete, easily-identifiable individuals. The hundreds of named gods and godesses were seen more as forces or spirits, each posessing anumber of distrinctive attributes of clothing and religion. They worshipped hundreds of gods and goddesses, each of whom ruled one or more human activities or aspects of nature. The people had many agricultural gods because their culture was based heavily on farming; also they included natural elements and ancestor-heroes.


Quetzalcoatl
Quetzalcoatl, or the Feathered Serpent, is a majory deity of the Aztec pantheon. Quetzalcoatl was revered as the patron of priests, inventor of the calendar and books, protector of goldsmiths, and was also identified with the planet Venus. As the morning and evening star, Quetzalcoatl was the symbol of death and resurrection. With his companion, Xolotol, a dog-headed dog, he was said to have descended from the underground hell of Mictlan to gather bones of the ancient dead. These bones he anoited with this ownblood, giving birth to the men in the universe.



Rain-Sun
The element related to this world age is water and the god chosen to reign is Tlaloc's sister, Calchiuhtilicue .Next came the Aztec sun goddess - Tlaloc's sister, Chalchiuhtlicue (lady of the jade skirts), was chosen by Quetzacoatl to next rule the sky. Chalchiuhtlicue was the goddess of water, lakes, and streams. But once again the fighting of the gods caused the destruction of the world, which was again destroyed by floods and the population were turned into fish.


Sacrifice
Aztec gods were 'fed' and 'nourished' with sacrificed blood and flesh which ensured the continued balance and prosperity of Aztec society. In Nahuatl, the word for sacrifice is vemana, which derives from venti (offering) and mana "to spread out" representing the belief that sacrifices helped in the cycle of growth and death in food, life, and energy. Accordingly, meat was burnt or blood poured over the statuees of deities so that the gods might partake it directly. Perhaps the quintessial example of 'feeding' the gods were the ceremonies to ensure Huitzilopochtli, the sun god, was well-nourished enough so that he had enough strength to raise the sun each morning.


Tezcatlipoca
Tezcatlipoca, whose name means "Smoking Mirror", was the Aztec god of night and sorcery, as well as the patron deity of Aztec kings and of young warriors. For the different aspects he embodied, Tezcatlipoca was also known as the Red Tezcatlipoca of the West, and the Black Tezcatlipoca of the North, associated with death and cold. According to Aztec mythology, Tezcatlipoca was a vengeful god, who could see and punish any evil behavior or action happening on Earth. For these qualities, Aztec kings were considered Tezcatlipoca's representitives on earth; at their election they had to stand in front of the god's image and perform several ceremonies in order to legitimate their right to rule. One of Tezcatlipoca's brothers was Quetzalcoatl, who, according to Aztec mythology, was both an enemy as well as a dualistic aspect. Tezcatlipoca is also resembled as a jaguar in Aztec mythology.





Underworld
The Aztecs believed that where you went after death depended upon what you did on earth and how you died. The eastern paradise, the house of the sun, was home to souls of warriors who were killed in combat, and of sacrificed victims. It was believed the souls in the eastern paradise stayed for four years and returned to earth as hummingbirds or other exotic birds. The western paradise, the house of corn, was believed to be for women who died from childbirth. They returned to earth as phantoms of bad omens. THe paradise of Tlaloc, the southern paradise, was for people who died of lightning, leprosy, or other sickness. This was a place of plentiful of food. The paradise of the north was for the rest of the dead. It was called Mictlan, and getting there involved going through nine trials, which goes as follows:
1. Cross a deep river-dogs were buried with their dead owners.
2. Pass between two mountains which were joined together.
3. Climb on an obsidian mountain.
4. Pass through icy wind that cut like a knife.
5. Pass through a place where flags waved.
6. Be peirced by arrows.
7. Pass among wild beasts that eat human hearts.
8. Pass over a narrow path of stone.
9. Reach the level where the soul finds rest.



Valley of Mexico/Anahuac
The Aztecs were among the last of the Chichimecs to arrive in the Valley of Mexico. Upon arrival, they found it heavily populated. At that time, there were seven Nahua tribes living in the area. They had been told by Huitzililopochtli to settle where they found an eagle sitting on a nopal cactus eating a snake. They found exactly that. The Aztecs settled on two islands on the western part of Lake Texcoco. Lake Texcoco was a part of a five lake system in the Valley of Mexico. Around 1300 B.C, they began to build the city of Tenochtitlan. By all accounts, Tenochtitlan was a beautiful city. Its great towers, pyramids, and buildings apeeared to rise right out of the water. Three long causeways connecting the city to mainland were constructed during the reign of Itzcoatl (1427-1440).



Warfare
To the east of the growing Aztec empire was the city-state of Tlaxcala. The Tlaxcalans were a powerful people who shared their culture and language with the people of the Aztec empire. They were closely related with the empire, though they never actually conquered it. An agreement was made with the Tlaxcalans to have ritual battles called Xochiyaoyotl, or the flowery wars. The goal of these battles would not be taking land or killing the enemy, but simply capturing prisoners. The prisoners would then be taken to a temple and sacrificed.


Yucutan Penisula
Aztec ruins, such as Teotihuacan, are in the Yucutan Penisula. Teotihuacan, about 25 miles northeast of Mexico City, was once the largest city in pre-Colombus America. Today, it offers several large pyramids, residental complexes, and well perserved murals. The name of the city means "birthplace of the gods" in Nahuatl. Even after the city's collapse in the seventh or eighth century, it remained an icon in Aztec mythology. Due to the sheer size of the site, it has not been fully excavated.

Xipe Totec
Xipe Totec, or "The Flayed One" in Nahutal, was a major god in ancient Mesoamerican culture and particulary important for the Aztecs and Toltecs. He was considered the god of spring, the patron god of seeds, planting, and the patron of gemstones and goldsmiths. Xipe Totec was closely associated with death, which resulted in him being the source of diseases. However, the god also recieved many offerings from worshippers calling for him to cure illnesses, especially eye ailments. Festivals such as Tlacaxipehualitztli honored Xipe Totec. Held every spring in the third month of the solar year, sacrifical victims, usually war captives, were skinned in symbolic imitation of regeneration of plants and seeds which shed their husks and thereby provide new seeds.


Zodiac Calendar
The Aztec Zodiac Calendar contains twenty zodiacal signs: crocodile, wind, house, lizard, snake, death, deer, rabbit, water, dog, monkey, grass, reed, jaguar, eagle, vulture, earthquake, silex knife, rain, and flower; which are taken by the second smaller wheel with thirteen indentations. Twenty zodiacal signs multiplied by thirteen numbers, give a cycle of 260 days, is an Aztec year.












Works Cited

Kauffman, Frank. "Acamapichtli." New World Encyclopedia. 29 Sept. 2005. Web.
Archuleta, Nadia. "Common Themes in Aztec Legends." Synonym. Demand Media. Web.
Maestri, Nicoletta. "The Mythical Place of Origins of the Aztecs." About Education. Web.
Quipoloa, Justin. "The Aztec Universe." The Aztec Gateway. Web.
Cóttrill C., Jaime. "The Aztec Empire." Aztec-history. Web.
"Aztec Empire for Kids: Government and Empire." Ducksters. Technological Solutions, Inc. (TSI), Jan. 2015. Web. 13 Jan. 2015.
Luebering, J.E. "Huitzilopochtli." Encyclopedia Britannica. Ed. Lorraine Murray. 26 Aug. 2014. Web.
Holloway, April. "Aztec Creation Myths." Ancient Origins. 28 Jan. 2013. Web.
Lo, Lawrence. "Ancient Scripts: Aztec." Ancient Scripts. Web.
AZTEC COSMOLOGY." U-texas. Web. <http://www.utexas.edu/courses/stross/ant322m_files/cosmology.htm>.
Turenhout, Dirk. The Aztecs: New Perspectives. Texas: ABC-CLIO, 2005, 2008. 339. Print.
Quipoloa, Justin. "The Aztec Sorcerer." The Aztec Gateway. Web.
Schmal, John. "The Rise of the Aztec Empire." History of Mexico. 1 Jan. 2004. Web.
Cartwright, Mark. "Aztec Ceremonial Knife." Ancient History Encyclopedia. 4 Feb. 2014. Web.
"Ometecuhtli." Encyclopedia Mythica. 2015. Encyclopedia Mythica Online. 13. Jan. 2015.
E. Smith, Michael. "Aztec Culture: An Overview." "Smith", Aztec Culture. 2006. Web.
Orozco, Chela. "The Legend of Quetzalcoatl." Inside Mexico. 2012. Web.
Christensen, Holle. "Gods and Myth." Aztec Mythology. Web.
"Aztec Human Sacrifice." Myths of Latin America. Web. <http://users.polisci.wisc.edu/LA260/index.htm>.
Voorburg, René. "Tezcatlipoca." Aztec Calendar. Web.
Dils, Lorna. "Aztec Mythology." Yale. New Haven Teachers Institute. Web.
"The Aztecs Arrive in the Valley of Mexico." Maya-aztec. 23 Aug. 2010. Web.
Cóttrill C., Jaime, Cóttrill. "Aztec Flower War." Aztec-history. Web.
Yuccatan-Mexico." History.com. A E Networks, 2009. Web
Maestri, Nicoletta. "Xipe Totec." About Education. Web.

Socks, this is hilarious! This should totally be published now and sold to all writers, in children book form of course, so we can have it on our bookshelves. And then people come over and be like "Why do you have a children's book on your bookshelf?" and we can just laugh xD

Z is always for Zebra anything. (fun fact, there was once this recipe book I had that had a recipe for Zebra Cakes. Either I can't cook right or they taste disgusting...) And O is a;ways for Octopuses (I don't know what it is either. We can just make it up and say it's true)

Here's my favorite part:

M is for Mercy... have Mercy on the poor people reading your stories... but not too much... you should hear them scream every once in awhile...

I think you should put "D is for Dialogue" in quotations for fun.
Also, this can't be a children's book with "Hella" in it! How dare you! Our children shall be corrupted!
I think this is cute. A fun use of fifteen minutes.

I don't even know what this is. It is far from cohesive, not to mention coherent. It is borderline obnoxious, in fact. Even the intentional typos and spelling errors are irritating. I am not certain, but it actually seems like propaganda for Toby Turner and Doctor Who fans. How this became a featured work is beyond me when so many other users are contributing actual works, and this is just some inside joke between a few prominent users. I suppose the last portion of my sentence explained how it became featured.

Great stuff you got here Holy! You even got Toby up there too! =D

You're having too much fun.