The Creation of Music

The gods agreed that the fifth and present world was a beautiful place. The many parts of Tlaltecuhtli, the earth monster, had been splendidly transformed to make the most wonderful sights.

There were vibrant flowers, gushing rivers, lush woods, and refreshing streams. This new Earth was also home to majestic mountains and rambling meadows. There were truly enough natural marvels for all the people of Earth to enjoy.

The gods enjoyed the sights, too, until one day when Tezcatlipoca looked around the Earth and complained that something was missing. Animals could roar and people could talk, but there was no music. Tezcatlipoca said that music could delight the soul like nothing else.

So Tezcatlipoca set out to find a way to bring music to the world. His first task was to contact Quetzalcoatl to see if the great god could assist him. At that time, the feathered serpent god had taken the form of Wind.

The sound of blowing leaves and creaking tree limbs let Tezcatlipoca know that Quetzalcoatl, in the form of Wind, was on his way to see him.

When Tezcatlipoca found Quetzalcoatl, he asked him to embark on a special trip, which was to begin at the ocean’s edge. There, Quetzalcoatl would find three of Tezcatlipoca’s servants: Water Woman; Water Monster; and a third servant named Cane-and-Conch.

Quetzalcoatl would need to order the three servants to make him a bridge reaching to the Sun, for it was in the house of Sun that talented musicians and singers lived. Once he had entered the house of Sun, Quetzalcoatl would be able to select the best musicians and singers and bring them back to their new home on Earth.

So Quetzalcoatl did as he was told. At the beach he found the three servants Tezcatlipoca had mentioned. The trio successfully built the bridge to the house of Sun, and Quetzalcoatl proceeded to climb the bridge until he reached the Sun.

Upon arriving in this new land, Quetzalcoatl found musicians of all stripes, each wearing a different kind of uniform that reflected his own specialty. The musicians who played lullabies and songs for small children wore white clothing.

Wandering minstrels who played as they roamed among the clouds were garbed in a vivid shade of blue. Music makers who bathed in the warm rays of the Sun while playing their flutes dressed in sparkling yellow. Others who liked to play musical stories about love donned clothing that was red as a big, juicy cherry.

One thing Quetzalcoatl noticed was that there were no musicians wearing a dark or depressing color. The reason for that was simple: there were no sad songs being played in the house of Sun.