Itzpapalotl the "Obsidian Butterfly" was an Aztec warrior god, said to rule over the paradise world of Tamoanchan where the gods created the human race.

Itzpapalotl changes forms several times in the piece, and with her, the same melodic material is transformed from lyrical to fierce dance-like sections. At the climax of the piece, Itzpapalotl's main motive is combined for the first time with all of the other important melodic material from the piece. ◼