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 most feared spirit by the conquistadors was the “Night Axe,” or Youaltepuztli. This ghostly figure had no head, but that wasn’t even the most terrifying thing about him. What truly horrified people was his chest: torn open and split in half. Just below the shoulders, Night Axe had a hole that opened and closed, revealing his rotting entrails and a decaying heart. The sound of his chest opening and closing resembled that of an axe chopping wood in a forest — 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 ancient inhabitants of Mexico-Tenochtitlán were well aware of this creature. He waited for the city to fall asleep and announced his arrival with the chilling sound of his moving chest. The fearful (or those punished 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 ask for any favor: wealth, victory in war, anything. However, those who encountered the headless ghost and didn’t confront him would suffer great 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 twisted in fear. This part of the story, again, comes from Spanish accounts, leaving little room to think this was just 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 ended the legend of Youaltepuztli, the headless ghost.

It’s been 500 years since stories about him began, 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 longest-enduring ghosts in Mesoamerican history.