In Late Postclassic Central Mexico, the eagle was a symbol of the sun. Thus in Nahuatl, the terms for ascending eagle (cuauhtlehuanitl) and the descending eagle (cuauhtemoc) were used to refer to the rising and setting sun. For the Aztecs, the eagle symbolized one of the two military orders dedicated to the sun, the other being the jaguar. Eagles were also identified with human sacrifice, one of the primary means of nourishing the sun. Thus the eagle feather down was a common symbol of sacrifice in Central Mexico.
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