Youaltepuztli likely became the most feared and well-known ghost among Spanish soldiers during the invasion of Mexico. While Spanish troops had a clear advantage thanks to their weapons, “floating houses” (ships), and horses — all unknown to the Mexicans — the Mexica used every resource at their disposal to repel the advance of the “bearded men.”
Stones and arrows weren’t enough to fight the Spaniards. Even the overwhelming number of Mexican warriors didn’t help much against the conquistadors and their “sticks that spat fire.”
That’s why they turned to other methods to drive the invaders from their land. Shamans and sorcerers began summoning spirits to torment the Spanish — those long-bearded men who had appeared without warning and wouldn’t leave, even though Hernán Cortés had promised more than once that they would. There wasn’t enough gold in the world to satisfy the hunger of this enemy who claimed to serve a distant king.
The spirit most feared by the conquistadors was the “Night Axe,” or Youaltepuztli. This ghostly figure had no head, but that wasn’t even the most terrifying part. What truly horrified people was his chest — torn wide open, cracked apart down the middle. In his torso, just below the shoulders, Night Axe had a gaping wound that opened and closed, revealing his rotting entrails and a decaying heart. The sound of his chest opening and closing sounded like an axe chopping wood — hence his name.
This is how Bernal Díaz del Castillo, a Spanish soldier and chronicler, described the Night Axe. He was one of the first to record this legend, dating back to around 1520, and included it in his manuscript, “The True History of the Conquest of New Spain.”
“The Arrival” by Augusto Ferrer-Dalmau.
The people of Mexico-Tenochtitlán knew this creature well. He waited for the city to fall asleep and announced his arrival with the chilling sound of his chest snapping open and shut. Those who were afraid (or anyone condemned to spend the night in the woods) would flee the moment they heard it. But there was one way to defeat this ghost: face him directly. If someone managed to reach into his open chest and rip out his heart, they could demand anything they wished — wealth, victory in war, anything at all. However, those who encountered the headless ghost and didn’t confront him would be plagued by misfortune.
The Spaniards, of course, knew nothing about this spirit, let alone that he could be defeated. Their most common reaction upon seeing Night Axe was to faint or fall to their knees, their faces contorted with fear. This part of the story, again, comes from Spanish accounts, which makes it hard to dismiss this as merely an Aztec tactic to humiliate the invaders. A few soldiers even attempted to fire their “sticks of fire” at the ghost, with no effect. So wrote Bernal Díaz del Castillo, who became one of the main chroniclers of the Spanish conquest of the Americas.
Where is the Night Axe now?
Time has not erased the legend of Youaltepuztli, the headless ghost.
It’s been 500 years since the first stories about him were told, and to this day, some claim he continues to torment those who cross his path. They say he still roams the Valley of Mexico, making him one of the most enduring ghost legends in Mesoamerican history.
