Aztec · No. 083

Monarch of Souls

Inspired by: A MYTHENOR creation inspired by monarch butterflies and the old Nahua belief that the dead returned as butterflies.

Monarch of Souls
They return every year on the day of the dead. They say it's them.
Rarity
Common
Category
Monster
ATK
700
DEF
500
Level
2
Type
Insect-Plant
Element
Wind
Constellations
Feather · Scarab

The myth

The Florentine Codex says fallen warriors, after four years with the sun, returned to earth as hummingbirds and butterflies. For Mesoamerican peoples the butterfly, papalotl, was a symbol of the soul and of transformation, present in art since Teotihuacan. Monarch butterflies migrate thousands of kilometers from Canada and the United States to the oyamel fir forests of Michoacán and the State of Mexico, arriving around early November. According to researcher Jesper Nielsen, the modern link between monarchs and the Day of the Dead became popular in recent decades.

Why it has this power

A Level 2 Common with 700 ATK and 500 DEF: light and fragile as paper wings. Wind is the air that carries it on migration; Feather and Scarab, flight and rebirth. A small support card that can hold the field in the early turns.

Did you know

The Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, in Michoacán and the State of Mexico, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Connections

  • In Tlali, Calmécac Student's deck
  • In Tepin, Veteran of the Flower War's deck
  • In Yolotl, Mistress of the Mirror's deck

Where to get it

  • Campaign drop: Tlali, Calmécac Student (Valley of the Fifth Sun) — grade C: 13% · grade D: 13%
  • Daily Offering: 0% per pack (Common 64% per card)
  • Welcome Pack: 0.97% per pack (Common 70% per card)
  • Traveler's Pack: 0.88% per pack · 5.2% in the themed pack (Common 64% per card)
  • Bronze Reliquary: 0.86% per pack · 5.1% in the themed pack (Common 62% per card)
  • Silver Reliquary: 0.67% per pack · 4% in the themed pack (Common 49% per card)
  • Golden Reliquary: 0.46% per pack · 2.7% in the themed pack (Common 33% per card)
  • Daily Showcase: Shows up on about 0.69% of days · 150 gold
  • Craft with card dust: 40 dust
  • Crossing of Myths: Can be offered as a reward during a crossing (the card stays in the crossing deck).

Sources

  1. Monarch Butterflies and Religious Beliefs in Central Mexico (Mexicolore) — Jesper Nielsen
  2. Hummingbird (Mexicolore) — Ian Mursell