The Hummingbird's Daughter

Hummingbirds play an important part of the plot not only because of Cayetana and Teresita’s associations with the name, but also because of the messages that the hummingbird is purported to deliver from God. Huila educates Teresita on the cultural and religious significance of the hummingbird, and it is clear that its relevance is embedded in Indigenous culture. In fact, in ancient Aztec culture, “[t]he Aztecs recognized in the hummingbird all the attributes necessary to be a good warrior and this bird became the main symbol of their principal god, called Huitzilopochtli” (Urraca, Vanessa Hernandez. “The Hummingbird in Mexican Culture.” Association of Avian Veterinarians. August 24, 2022). The Aztecs saw the hummingbird as efficient and fierce, and they revered it and hoped to incorporate those same qualities into their lives.

These hummingbirds are so important within this culture that even the name of their associated god stems from them. This god, Huitzilopochtli, “derives from the nahuatl words huitzilli (hummingbird) and opochtli (left)... ‘Left’ referred to the South always appearing to the left of the rising Sun from the perspective of the rising Sun)” (Urraca). This association with the left is also echoed in The Hummingbird’s Daughter, as Teresita’s dream hummingbird goes to the left, signifying the side of the heart.