"Huitzilopochtli is first in rank, no one, no one is like unto him: not vainly do I sing coming forth in the garb of our ancestors, I shine, I glitter" - An ancient Aztec hymn (translated by Daniel G. Brinton)
The Aztec civilization was dominated by religion. Everything they did was somehow related to religion; their daily lives revolved around their beliefs. Their religion itself was a complex system of various gods, dates, and directions. It seemed to revolve around the ideas of the fear of nature and the end of the world. Religion and politics were in close reaction.
CREATION
The Aztec civilization was dominated by religion. Everything they did was somehow related to religion; their daily lives revolved around their beliefs. Their religion itself was a complex system of various gods, dates, and directions. It seemed to revolve around the ideas of the fear of nature and the end of the world. Religion and politics were in close reaction.
CREATION
In accordance to Aztec history, it took the gods five consecutive tries. Each attempt was futile because of fighting within the ranks of the gods. The first time the earth was destroyed because of Tezcatlipola, the first creator, a god who was demoted and therefore turned into a jaguar and destroyed the world.
Tezcatlipola, the first creator.
After the fourth try to create the earth, the gods decided they needed a new sun god. A humble god named Nanauatl(A.K.A Nahuatl) sacrificed himself to become the new sun god.
Nanauatl, the Sun God
Unfortunately, Nanauatl would not move. The god Ehecatl made a sacrifice that allowed a strong wind to blow the sun and therefore there would be sunrise and sunset. Because this sacrifice could not fully appease the Sun God, the Aztecs had to continue to sacrifice as time went on.
As soon as there was a sun, the gods decided to finally make the earth for good. Quetzalcoatl, a serpent god, was in charge of making humans.
An artists rendition of Quetzalcoatl
Quetzalcoatl recycled the previous human remains, but in the process broke all the bones, resulting in people coming in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Along with his own blood, he made humans.
NATURE AND BALANCE
Tezcatlipola, the first creator.
After the fourth try to create the earth, the gods decided they needed a new sun god. A humble god named Nanauatl(A.K.A Nahuatl) sacrificed himself to become the new sun god.
Nanauatl, the Sun God
Unfortunately, Nanauatl would not move. The god Ehecatl made a sacrifice that allowed a strong wind to blow the sun and therefore there would be sunrise and sunset. Because this sacrifice could not fully appease the Sun God, the Aztecs had to continue to sacrifice as time went on.
As soon as there was a sun, the gods decided to finally make the earth for good. Quetzalcoatl, a serpent god, was in charge of making humans.
An artists rendition of Quetzalcoatl
Quetzalcoatl recycled the previous human remains, but in the process broke all the bones, resulting in people coming in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Along with his own blood, he made humans.
NATURE AND BALANCE
The Aztec religion was all about keeping nature in balance. The Aztecs made sacrifices to the sun god in order to keep it from stopping completely. The Aztecs new that it was a fine line they were treading on. In order to win a battle against darkness, the warrior sun god, Huitzilopochtli needed a daily blood sacrifice.
Huitzilopochtli, the Warrior Sun
Every 52 years, the Aztecs thought the world would end. The Aztecs destroyed everything they owned and and start mourning, until they saw the constellation of Pleiades, which would assure them that the world would go on, at least for another 52 years. Hahaha.
The religious realm of the Aztecs was divided into four parts; the center being the city of Tenochtitlan. Tenochtitlan was considered the part where the heavens and the underworld met.
Aztecs believed that the afterlife was directly related to how you died. Those who were sacrificed would join the battle against darkness alongside Huitzilopochtli. They believed that some spirits of people would roam the earth, and some would be reincarnated into a flying creature(birds or butterflies) and eventually into a human.
PRACTICES(SACRIFICE)
The Aztecs were known well for their sacrifices, especially of humans. By human sacrifice and military conquest, the Aztecs believed they could keep the sun rising.
The practice of human sacrifice is probably the most infamous ritual of the Aztecs. The ritual was daily and would go like this:
1. Choose a slave, criminal, or volunteer to sacrifice.
2. Lay them out on top of the temple built for Huitzilopochtli.
3. Stab them in the chest.
4. Take their heart out from there chest to ensure maximum bloodletting.
5. Hold the heart up to the sun for maximum honor.
6. Kick the body down the stairs of the temple.
As you can see, this was a very graphic activity to occur on a day to day basis.
In Mel Gibson's Apocalypto, a scene portrays the sacrifice of a human for the sun god.
The estimated amount of people sacrificed by the Aztecs every year was around 20,000.
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This is obviously a violent part of Aztec history, but unfortunately, it is what they are most known for. The video above depicts a ritual sacrifice, not a daily one. A ritual sacrifice happened every 18 months and the victim would be painted. Victims would be sacrificed in various other ways such as being burned to death, shot with arrows, or forced to fight to the death gladiator style. Basically, whether it was people or animals, the Aztecs sacrificed a lot.
The Aztecs worshiped their gods through hymns and chants, along with prayer, but mostly sacrifices.
Huitzilopochtli, the Warrior Sun
Every 52 years, the Aztecs thought the world would end. The Aztecs destroyed everything they owned and and start mourning, until they saw the constellation of Pleiades, which would assure them that the world would go on, at least for another 52 years. Hahaha.
The religious realm of the Aztecs was divided into four parts; the center being the city of Tenochtitlan. Tenochtitlan was considered the part where the heavens and the underworld met.
Aztecs believed that the afterlife was directly related to how you died. Those who were sacrificed would join the battle against darkness alongside Huitzilopochtli. They believed that some spirits of people would roam the earth, and some would be reincarnated into a flying creature(birds or butterflies) and eventually into a human.
PRACTICES(SACRIFICE)
The Aztecs were known well for their sacrifices, especially of humans. By human sacrifice and military conquest, the Aztecs believed they could keep the sun rising.
The practice of human sacrifice is probably the most infamous ritual of the Aztecs. The ritual was daily and would go like this:
1. Choose a slave, criminal, or volunteer to sacrifice.
2. Lay them out on top of the temple built for Huitzilopochtli.
3. Stab them in the chest.
4. Take their heart out from there chest to ensure maximum bloodletting.
5. Hold the heart up to the sun for maximum honor.
6. Kick the body down the stairs of the temple.
As you can see, this was a very graphic activity to occur on a day to day basis.
In Mel Gibson's Apocalypto, a scene portrays the sacrifice of a human for the sun god.
The estimated amount of people sacrificed by the Aztecs every year was around 20,000.
A painting depicting human sacrifice.
This is obviously a violent part of Aztec history, but unfortunately, it is what they are most known for. The video above depicts a ritual sacrifice, not a daily one. A ritual sacrifice happened every 18 months and the victim would be painted. Victims would be sacrificed in various other ways such as being burned to death, shot with arrows, or forced to fight to the death gladiator style. Basically, whether it was people or animals, the Aztecs sacrificed a lot.
The Aztecs worshiped their gods through hymns and chants, along with prayer, but mostly sacrifices.
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