The Mexican National Flag and Emblem

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The Mexican National Flag and Emblem

The Mexican National Flag and its crest are symbols that represent the nation. Its origination can be traced back to the period of independence, when Mexico broke free from European foreign rule. The history of the crest or emblem of the flag is based on the representation of the founding of the land were Tenochtitlan was built. According to legend the Aztec God of War had given them a sign in which they were to build their Empire. The sign was an eagle perched on a cactus that would be tearing apart a serpent. After a long journey traveling from Aztlan, which is currently Nayarit, the Aztecs found what they had been searching for in the valley of Mexico, the eagle on the cactus on the shores of Lake Anahuac, on a small island.

The sign given by Huitzilopochtli (the Aztec God of War) is reproduced in the emblem of the National Flag. The renovation of life to the indigenous people is depicted in the eagle, in left profile, standing up and perched on a nopal cactus. The eagle is resting on its left claw while holding a rattlesnake with its right claw and griping the other portion of the snake with its beak as if ready to tear it apart. The nopal cactus on which the eagle stands is emerging from an islet, which is a small island. The cactus contains red cactus fruit (tunas), which represents the human heart to the Aztecs. The national emblem also contains a symbol of a republic along with the pre-Hispanic codices (manuscripts such as symbols). The republic is symbolized in the lower part of the emblem containing two garlands joined by a three colored ribbon, on its left is oak and on its right is laurel. The use of the banners and ribbons can be dated back to ancient Mexican hist...

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...ion it would be surrounded by the symbols of the republic, the oak and laurel braches tied together with a three-color ribbon.

Since then the elements of the flag have been conserved, although the emblem and the eagle has change from time to time in the forms of profile view to frontal view and also three fourths position. In 1865 the emblem changed when the emperor Maximilian be shown in frontal view with a crown shown over the eagle. Later, Porfirio Diaz ordered the eagle to be facing forward with its wings outspread. Venustiano Carranza also changed it when he decided that the eagle should be in left profile and bear the characteristics noted by the Mexican government when they discovered Tenochtitlan. Till now, presidents have modified the emblem however; the emblem as designed by the administration of Carranza's administration has been kept and respected.

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