The Aztec world

Aztec society

Nahuatl language Aztec calendar Aztec religion Aztec mythology Human sacrifice in Aztec culture For other uses, see Aztec (disambiguation). ... Precolumbian Aztec society was the highly complex and stratified society that developed among the Aztecs of central Mexico in the centuries prior to the Spanish conquest of Mexico, and which were built on the cultural foundations of the larger region of Mesoamerica. ... Nahuatl ( [1] is a term applied to a group of related languages and dialects of the Aztecan [2] branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family, indigenous to central Mexico. ... The sun stone also called the Aztec calendar on display at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. ... The Aztec civilization recognized a polytheistic mythology, which contained the many gods (over 100) and supernatural creatures from their religious beliefs. ... Human sacrifice was an aspect of historical Aztec culture/religion, although the extent of the practice is debated by scholars. ...

Aztec history

Aztlán Aztec codices Aztec warfare Aztec Triple Alliance Spanish conquest of Mexico Siege of Tenochtitlan La Noche Triste Moctezuma II Hernán Cortés The Aztecs were a Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican people of central Mexico in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. ... For other uses, see Aztlán (disambiguation). ... Detail of first page from the Boturini Codex, depicting the departure from Aztlán. ... Note: This page or section contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ... The Aztec Triple Alliance, also known as The Aztec Empire, was an alliance of three Aztec city-states: Tenochtitlán; Texcoco; and Tlacopán. ... Aztec empire The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire was one of the most important campaigns in the Spanish colonization of America. ... Combatants Spain Tlaxcallān Aztec Empire Commanders Hernán Cortés Pedro de Alvarado Cuitláhuac Cuauhtémoc Strength 86 cavalry 900 infantry 80,000 natives 100,000- 300,000 warriors[1] Casualties 20,000 natives dead 100,000 dead 100,000 civilian dead The Siege of Tenochtitlan ended in... Hernán Cortés Hernán Cortés, marqués del Valle de Oaxaca (1485–December 2, 1547) was the conquistador who conquered Mexico for Spain. ... Moctezuma, also known as Motecuhzoma Xocoyotzin (usually spelled Montezuma in English) (c. ... Hernán(do) Cortés Pizarro, 1st Marqués del Valle de Oaxaca (1485–December 2, 1547) was the conquistador who became famous for leading the military expedition that initiated the Spanish Conquest of Mexico. ...

Aztec religion is a Mesoamerican religion combining elements of polytheism, shamanism and animism within a framework of astronomy and calendrics. Like other Mesoamerican religion, it had elements of human sacrifice in connection with a large number of religious festivals which were held according to patterns of the Aztec calendar. It had a large and ever increasing pantheon; the Aztecs would often adopt into their own religious practice deities of other geographic regions or peoples. Aztec cosmology divided the world into upper and nether-worlds, each associated with a specific set of deities and astronomical objects. Important in Aztec religion were the sun, moon and the planet Venus--all these planets had to do with the connection of sex for religious meanings and were connected to deities and geographical places. Large parts of the Aztec pantheon were inherited from previous Mesoamerican civilizations and others, such as Tlaloc, Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca, were venerated by different names in most cultures throughout the history of Mesoamerica. For the Aztecs especially important deities were Tlaloc the god of rain, Huitzilopochtli the patron god of the Mexica tribe, Quetzalcoatl the culture hero and god of civilization and order, and Tezcatlipoca the god of destiny and fortune, connected with war and sorcery. Each of these gods had their own temples within the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan--Tlaloc and Huitzilopochtli were both worshipped at the Templo Mayor. A common Aztec religious practice was the recreation of the divine: Mythological events would be ritually recreated and living persons would impersonate specific deities and be revered as a god--and often ritually sacrificed. Polytheism is belief in or worship of multiple gods or deities. ... This article is about the practice of shamanism; for other uses, see Shaman (disambiguation). ... The term Animism is derived from the Latin anima, meaning soul.[1][2] In its most general sense, animism is simply the belief in souls. ... For other uses, see Astronomy (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Calendar (disambiguation) A page from the Hindu calendar 1871–1872. ... A religious festival is a time of special importance marked by adherents to that religion. ... The sun stone also called the Aztec calendar on display at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. ... Astronomical objects are significant physical entities, associations or structures which current science has confirmed to exist in space. ... For other uses, see Venus (disambiguation). ... Mesoamerican chronology divides the history of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica into a number of named successive eras or periods, from the earliest evidence of human habitation through to the early Colonial period which followed the Spanish colonization of the Americas. ... Tlaloc, as shown in the late 16th century Codex Rios. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ... Tezcatlipoca as depicted in the Codex Borgia. ... This article is about the culture area. ... Tlaloc, as shown in the late 16th century Codex Rios. ... // Huitzilopochtli, as depicted in the Codex Telleriano-Remensis. ... The word Aztec is usually used as a historical term, although some contemporary Nahuatl speakers would consider themselves Aztecs. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ... A culture hero is a historical or mythological hero who changes the world through invention or discovery. ... Tezcatlipoca as depicted in the Codex Borgia. ... Tenochtitlan, looking east. ... The Great Pyramid or Templo Mayor was the main temple of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan (modern Mexico City). ...

Teotl

Main article: Teotl

The concept of "Teotl" is central to Aztec religion. In the Nahuatl language it is often glossed as "God", but may in fact be a much wider term referring to an immaterial dynamic energy of divinity, akin to the Polynesian concept of Mana^[1] The nature of "Teotl" has been an ongoing discussion between scholars for many years. It is also a key element in the understanding of the fall of the Aztec empire, because it seems that the Aztec ruler Moctezuma II and the Aztecs in general referred to Cortés and the conquistadors as "Teotl"--it has been widely believed that this means that they believed them to be Gods, but a better understanding of "teotl" might suggest that they were merely seen as "mysterious" and "inexplicable".^[2] Teotl is a central concept of Aztec religion. ... Nahuatl ( [1] is a term applied to a group of related languages and dialects of the Aztecan [2] branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family, indigenous to central Mexico. ... Mana is a traditional term that refers to a concept among the speakers of Oceanic languages, including Melanesians, Polynesians, and Micronesians. ... For other uses, see Aztec (disambiguation). ... Moctezuma, also known as Motecuhzoma Xocoyotzin (usually spelled Montezuma in English) (c. ... Hernán(do) Cortés Pizarro, 1st Marqués del Valle de Oaxaca (1485–December 2, 1547) was the conquistador who became famous for leading the military expedition that initiated the Spanish Conquest of Mexico. ...

The Pantheon

The many gods of the Aztecs can be grouped into complexes related to different themes. The Aztecs would often adopt gods from different cultures and allow them to be worshipped as part of their pantheon - the fertility god, Xipe Totec, for example, was originally a god of the Yopi (The Nahuatl name of the Tlapanec people) but became an integrated part of the Aztec belief system; sometimes foreign gods would be identified with an already existing god. Other Deities, for example Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl, had roots in earlier civilizations of Mesoamerica and were worshipped by many cultures and by many names. Some gods embodied aspects of nature. A large group of gods were related to pulque, drunkenness, excess, fun and games. Other gods were associated with specific trades. Many gods had multiple aspects with different names, where each name highlighted a specific function or trait of the god. Occasionally, two distinct gods were conflated into one. In polytheistic religions and mythologies, a fertility god is a male deity who is responsible for ensuring human fertility. ... The Tlapanec people is an ethnic group indigenous to the mexican state Guerrero. ...

H. B. Nicholson (1971) classed the gods into three groups according to their conceptual meaning in general Mesoamerican religion. The first groups he calls the "Celestial creativity - Divine Paternalism group", and it contains such gods as the creator couple Ometeotl and Omecihuatl, Tezcatlipoca and Xiuhtecutli. The second one is the Rain-Moisture-Agricultural fertility complex containing gods like Tlaloc, Centeotl, the earthmother gods, the Pulque gods and Xipe Totec. The third group, the War-Sacrifice-Sanguinary Nourishment group contained such gods as Ome Tochtli, Huitzilopochtli, Mictlantecutli and Mixcoatl. Instead of Nicholsons subtle classification in the following a more impressionist classification is presented.

Tezcatlipoca depicted in the Codex Borgia.

Cultural Gods Image File history File links Black_Tezcatlipoca. ... Image File history File links Black_Tezcatlipoca. ... Divine being Quetzalcoatl in human form, using the symbols of Ehecatl, from the Codex Borgia. ...

• Tezcatlipoca - means "Smoking Mirror", a panmesoamerican shaman God, omnipotent universal power.
• Quetzalcoatl - means "Feathered Serpent", a panmesoamerican god of life, the wind and the morningstar
• Tlaloc - a panmesoamerican god of rain, storm, water and thunder
• Mixcoatl - means "Cloud Serpent", the tribal God of many of the Nahua people such as the Tlaxcalteca, god of war, sacrifice and hunting
• Huitzilopochtli - means "Left handed Hummingbird", the tribal God of the Mexica of Tenochtitlan, god of war and sacrifice

Nature gods Tezcatlipoca as depicted in the Codex Borgia. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ... Tlaloc, as shown in the late 16th century Codex Rios. ... In Aztec mythology, Mixcoatl (Cloud Serpent) was a god of the hunt, the north star and war. ... The Nahua are a group of indigenous peoples of Mexico. ... Tlaxcaltec leader speaking to conquistador as depicted in History of Tlaxcala by Diego Muñoz Camargo, published in 1590 The Tlaxcaltecs or Tlacullos were an indigenous group of the Nahuatl culture that inhabited the area in Meso-America that approximates the territory currently known as the state of Tlaxcala, Mexico. ... // Huitzilopochtli, as depicted in the Codex Telleriano-Remensis. ...

• Tonatiuh - The Sun
• Metztli - The Moon
• Tlaltecuhtli - means "Earth Lord", Goddess of the Earth
• Chalchiuhtlicue - means "Jade Her Skirt", Goddess of springs
• Centzon Huitznahua - means "The 400 Southerners", Gods of the stars
• Ehecatl the Wind, often conflated with Quetzalcoatl and called "Quetzalcoatl-Ehecatl"

Xipe Totec "Our flayed lord" wearing a human skin depicted in the Codex Borgia.

Gods of creation In Aztec mythology, Tonatiuh was the sun god. ... In Aztec mythology, Metztli (also Meztli) was a god of the moon, the night, and farmers. ... In Aztec mythology, Tlaltecuhtli (or Tlaltecutli) was a chthonic sea monster who dwelled in the ocean after the fourth Great Flood. ... Chalciuhtlicue from the Codex Ríos In Aztec mythology, Chalchiuhtlicue (also Chalciuhtlicue, or Chalcihuitlicue) (She of the Jade Skirt) was the goddess of lakes and streams. ... In Aztec mythology, the Centzon Huitznahuas (Four Hundred Southerners; alternately: Centzonhuitznauac) were the four hundred gods of the stars in the southern sky, each representing a different star. ... Information in this article or section has not been verified against sources and may not be reliable. ... Image File history File links Xipe_Totec_1. ... Image File history File links Xipe_Totec_1. ... Divine being Quetzalcoatl in human form, using the symbols of Ehecatl, from the Codex Borgia. ...

• Ometeotl/Ometecutli/Omecihuatl/Tonacatecutli/Tonacacihuatl - The doublegendered creator god
• Huehueteotl/Xiuhtecutli - means "Old God" and "Turquoise Lord", god of origin, time, fire and old age
• Coatlicue/Toci/Teteo Innan/Tonantzin - female progenitor goddesses

Gods of Pulque and excess Ometeotl is the name of the dual god Ometecutli/Omecihuatl in Aztec mythology. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Statue of Huehueteotl in Tijuana, Mexico In Aztec mythology, Xiuhtecuhtli (also Huehueteotl, old god) was the personification of life after death, light in darkness and food during famine. ... Statue of Coatlicue displayed in National Museum of Anthropology and History in Mexico City Coatlicue, also known as Teteoinan (also transcribed Teteo Inan) (The Mother of Gods), is the Aztec goddess who gave birth to the moon, stars, and Huitzilopochtli, the god of the sun and war. ... In Aztec legend, Toci was the goddess of the earth (mother earth), and she looked after all the injured wildlife and people. ... Toci ( Our grandmother in Nahuatl )[1] is a deity figuring prominently in the religion and mythology of the pre-Columbian Aztec civilization of Mesoamerica. ... In Aztec mythology, Tonantzin was a lunar mother goddess. ... Pulque, or octli, is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of the maguey, and is a traditional native beverage of Mesoamerica. ...

• Tlazolteotl - Goddess of filth and guilt and of cleansing
• Tepoztecatl - God of Pulque worshipped at Tepoztlan
• Xochiquetzal - Goddess of pleasure and indulgence, and sex
• Mayahuel - Goddess of Pulque and Maguey
• The Auiateteo:
  • Macuiltochtli
  • Macuilxochitl
  • Macuilcuetzpalin
  • Macuilcozcacuauhtli
  • Macuilmalinalli
• Centzon Totochtin - "the 400 Rabbits", god of drunkenness
  • Ometocthli - means "Two Rabbit", leader of the Centzon Totochtin, god of fertility, and drunkenness

Xochipilli wearing a deerskin as depicted in the Codex Borgia.

Gods of Maize and fertility In Aztec mythology, Tlazolteotl was an earth, sex, childbirth and a mother goddess. ... In Aztec mythology, Tepoztecatl (or Tezcatzontecatl) was the god of pulque, of drunkenness and fertility. ... Categories: Cities in Morelos | Mexico geography stubs ... In Aztec mythology, Xochiquetzal (flower feather) was a goddess of flowers, fertility, games, dancing and agriculture, as well as craftsmen, prostitutes and pregnant women. ... In Aztec mythology, Mayahuel was a human girl whom Ehecatl, the wind god, fell in love with. ... Pulque, or octli, is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of the maguey, and is a traditional native beverage of Mesoamerica. ... ... Macuiltochtli (Five Rabbit; from Nahuatl, macuilli, five, tochtli, rabbit) is one of the five deities from Aztec and other central Mexican pre-Columbian mythological traditions who, known collectively as the Ahuiateteo, symbolized excess, over-indulgence and the attendant punishments and consequences thereof. ... In Aztec mythology, Xochipilli (flower prince) was the god of love, games, beauty, dance, flowers, maize, and song. ... In Aztec mythology, the Centzon Totochtin (four-hundred rabbits; also Centzontotochtin) were a group of deities who met for frequent parties; they are divine rabbits, and the gods of drunkenness. ... Image File history File links Xochipilli_1. ... Image File history File links Xochipilli_1. ... Divine being Quetzalcoatl in human form, using the symbols of Ehecatl, from the Codex Borgia. ...

• Xipe Totec - means "Our Flayed Lord", Fertility god associated with spring, patron god of goldsmiths
• Cinteotl - God of Maize
• Xilonen/Chicomecoatl - Goddess of tender maize
• Xochipilli means "Flower Prince", God of happiness, flowers, pleasure and fertility

Gods of death and the underworld Xipe Totec ias depicted in the Codex Borgia, notice the bloody weapon and the flayed human skin he wears as a suit with the hands hanging down. ... In Aztec mythology, Centeotl (also Centeocihuatl or Cinteotl) was a god of maize (originally a goddess), and a son of Tlazolteotl and husband of Xochiquetzal. ... In Aztec mythology, Chicomecoatl was the goddess of maize and fertility. ... Chicomecoatl in an illustration from Rig Veda Americanus, an 1890 book on American aboriginal literature In Aztec mythology, Chicomecoatl Seven snakes, was the Aztec goddess of maize during the Middle Culture period. ... In Aztec mythology, Xochipilli was the god of love, games, beauty, dance, flowers, maize, and song. ...

• Mictlantecutli - Lord of the underworld
• Mictlancihuatl - Queen of the underworld
• Xolotl

Tradegods Categories: Stub | Aztec gods | Death gods ... Mictlancihuatl (Mictlantecuhtzi or Tzontemoc) is the wife of the lord or the dead Mictlantecuhtli. ... In Aztec mythology, (and among the Toltecs), Xolotl was the god of lightning and the one who aided the dead on their journey to Mictlan. ...

• Yacatecutli - means "Nose Lord", god of merchants
• Patecatl - god of doctors and medicine

In Aztec mythology, Patecatl was a god of healing and fertility, and the discoverer of peyote. ...

Religion and Society

Religion was part of all levels of Aztec society. On the state level, religion was controlled by the Tlatoani and the high priests governing the main temples in the ceremonial precinct of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. This level involved the large monthly festivals and a number of specific rituals centered around the ruler dynasty and attempting to stabilize both the political and cosmic systems, these rituals were the ones that inolved sacrifice of humans. For example, on the feast of Huey Tozoztli, the ruler himself ascended Mt. Tlaloc and engaged in autosacrifice in order to petition the rains. Throughout society, each level had their own rituals and deities and played their part in the larger rituals of the community. For example the class of Pochteca merchants were involved in the feast Tlaxochimaco where the merchant deity would be celebrated and slaves bought on specific slavemarkets by long distance traders would be sacrificed. On the feast of Ochpaniztli, all commoners participated in sweeping the streets, and they also undertook ritual bathing. The most spectacular ritual was the New Fire ceremony which took place every 52 years and involved every citizen of the Aztec realm, during this commoners would destroy house utensils, quench all fires and receive new fire from the bonfire on top of Mt. Huixachtlan, lit on the chest of a sacrificed person by the high priests. A tlatoani was a member of the Aztec nobility. ... Tenochtitlan, looking east. ... A pochteca was a traveling merchant in the Aztec Empire. ... The Aztec glyph for a New Fire ceremony, with the year Two Reed (Ome Acatl). ...

Priests and Temples in Tenochtitlan

In the Nahuatl language, the word for priest was tlamacazqui meaning "giver of things" - the main responsibility of the priesthood was to make sure that the gods were given their due in the form of offerings, ceremonies and sacrifices.

The Tlatoani of Tenochtitlan was the head of the cult of Huitzilopochtli and thus of the state religion of the Aztec empire. He had special priestly duties in different rituals on the state level. In the ceremonial center of Tenochtitlan, the most important temple was the Great Temple which was a double pyramid with two temples on top. One was dedicated to Huitzilopochtli this temple was called Coatepetl "snake mountain", and the other temple was dedicated to Tlaloc. Below the Tlatoani were the highpriests of these two temples. Both high priests were called by the title Quetzalcoatl - the highpriest of Huitzilopochtli was Quetzalcoatl Totec Tlamacazqui and the high priest of Tlaloc was Quetzalcoatl Tlaloc Tlamacazqui^[3]. Other important temples were located in the four divisions of the town: for example the temple called Yopico in Moyotlan which was dedicated to Xipe Totec. Furthermore all the Calpullis had special temples dedicated to the patron gods of the calpulli^[4]. Priests were educated at the Calmecac if they were from noble families and in the Telpochcalli if they were commoners. A tlatoani was a member of the Aztec nobility. ... // Huitzilopochtli, as depicted in the Codex Telleriano-Remensis. ... The Great Pyramid or Templo Mayor was the main temple of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan (modern Mexico City). ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ... Xipe Totec ias depicted in the Codex Borgia, notice the bloody weapon and the flayed human skin he wears as a suit with the hands hanging down. ... Calpulli is the Nahuatl term for a group of families (or a single large family) that usually had a particular function in the Pre-Columbian society (such as priests, warriors, etc. ... In the Aztec empire, children of nobility would attend special schools, called Calmecacs, where they would receive very rigorous religious and military training that would prepare them to be future leaders. ...

Cosmovision and Ritual

Aztec cosmological drawing with the god Xiuhtecuhtli lord of fire and of the Calendar in the center and the other important gods around him each in front of a sacred tree. From the Codex Fejérváry-Mayer.

The Aztec world consisted of three main parts: the earth world on which humans lived, an underworld which belonged to the dead and the upper plane in the sky. The earth and the nether world were both open for humans to enter, whereas the upper plane in the sky was impenetrable to humans. The Aztec underworld was called Mictlan ("place of death"). Existence was envisioned as straddling the two worlds in a cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth. Thus as the sun was believed to dwell in the underworld at night to rise reborn in the morning, and the maize kernels were entered later to sprout anew, so the human and divine existence was envisioned as being cyclical. The upper and nether worlds were both thought to be layered. Mictlan had 9 layers which were inhabited by different deities and mythical beings. The sky had 13 layers, the highest of which was called Omeyocan "place of duality" and which held the progenitor dual god Ometeotl. Other mythical places were Tlalocan, "The place of Tlaloc", a verdant spring like place with abundant water where people who drowned had their afterlife and Tamoanchan, a mythical place of the origin of the gods. Image File history File links Xiuhtecuhtli_1. ... Image File history File links Xiuhtecuhtli_1. ... First page of the Codex Fejérváry-Mayer The Codex Fejérváry-Mayer is an Aztec Codex of central Mexico. ... In Aztec mythology, Mictlan was the lowest (ninth) level of the underworld, located far to the north. ... Ometeotl is the name of the dual god Ometecutli/Omecihuatl in Aztec mythology. ... In Aztec mythology, Tlalocan is the underworld, ruled by Tlaloc and his wife Chalchiuhtlicue. ... Tamoanchan is a mythical location of origin known to the Mesoamerican cultures of the central Mexican region in the Late Postclassic period. ... A mythical place is a place that does not really exist but is accepted folklore or speculation that it might exist or might have existed in earlier times but its actual location is now lost. ...

After death the soul of the Aztec went to one of three places: Tlalocan, Mictlan, and the sun. The Aztec idea of the afterlife for fallen warriors and women who died in childbirth was that their souls would be transformed into hummingbirds that would follow the sun on its journey through the sky. Souls of people who died from less glorious causes would go to Mictlan - place of the dead. Those who drowned would go to Tlalocan.^[5] In Aztec mythology, Mictlan was the lowest (ninth) level of the underworld, located far to the north. ... In Aztec mythology, Tlalocan is the underworld, ruled by Tlaloc and his wife Chalchiuhtlicue. ...

In Aztec cosmovision, as in Mesoamerica in general, geographical features such as caves and mountains held symbolical value as places of crossing between the upper and nether worlds. Also the cardinal directions were symbolically connected to the religious layout of the world, each direction was associated with specific colours and Gods.

Sacrifice

To the Aztecs, death was instrumental in the perpetuation of creation and gods and humans alike had the responsibility of sacrificing themselves in order to allow life to continue. This worldview is best described in the myth of the Five suns which is recorded in the Codex Chimalpopoca - here it is recounted how Quetzalcoatl stole the bones of the previous generation in the underworld, and how later the gods created four successive worlds or "suns" for their subjects to live in, all of which were destroyed. Then by an act of self-sacrifice one of the gods, Nanahuatzin, "the pimpled one", caused a fifth and final sun to rise and the first humans, made out of maize dough could live, thanks to his sacrifice - and they, the humans, were responsible for its continued revival. Human sacrifice among the Aztecs and in Mesoamerica in general must be seen in this context - sacrifice and death is necessary for the continued existence of the world. Likewise each part of life had one or more deities associated with it and these had to be paid their dues in order to achieve success. Gods were paid with sacrificial offerings- often offerings of food, flowers, effigies, and animals namely quail. But the larger the thing required from the God the larger the sacrifice had to be, and for the most important rites one would offer one's own blood; by cutting his ears, arms, tongue, thighs, chest or genitals, a human life; either warrior or slave, or even a god's life. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Marcus Aurelius and members of the Imperial family offer sacrifice in gratitude for success against Germanic tribes: contemporary bas-relief, Capitoline Museum, Rome For other uses, see Sacrifice (disambiguation). ... In Aztec mythology, the god Nanauatl (or Nanauatzin, the sufix tzin implies respect or familiarity) sacrificed himself in fire so that it would continue to shine on Earth as the sun, thus becoming the sun god. ...

Confession

The Aztecs practiced a type of confession. One would confess a sin and immediately be forgiven as if it never happened. The catch with Aztec confession is that once you confess a sin, you can never do that same type of sin again. Forgiveness is not granted to those who commit the same sin multiple times. ^[5]

Deity impersonation

An important aspect of Aztec ritual was the impersonation of deities. Priests or otherwise specially elected individuals would be dressed up to achieve the likeness of a specific deity. A person with the honorable charge of impersonating a god was called "ixiptlatli" and was venerated as an actual physical manifestation of the god - until the inevitable end when the god's likeness had to be killed as the ultimate sacrifice under great circumstance and festivities.

Reenactment of Myth

As with the impersonation of gods, Aztec ritual was often a reenactment of a mythical event which at once served to remind the Aztecs of their myths but which also served to perpetuate the world by repeating the important events of the creation. For example the ritual at the feast of Huitzilopochtli would reenact legend of the birth of Huitzilopochtli and his fight against his sister Coyolxauhqui and the Centzon Huitznahua. The ritual at the New Fire Ceremony was a reenactment of the creation of the fifth sun. In Aztec mythology, Coyolxauhqui (golden bells more correctly: She with the bells on her cheeks Consider the orbiting full moon and the stone carvings facial details. ... In Aztec mythology, the Centzon Huitznahuas (Four Hundred Southerners; alternately: Centzonhuitznauac) were the four hundred gods of the stars in the southern sky, each representing a different star. ... The Aztec glyph for a New Fire ceremony, with the year Two Reed (Ome Acatl). ...

The Calendar

Main article: Aztec calendar

The Aztec religious year was connected mostly to the natural 365 day calendar, the xiuhpohualli ("yearcount") - which followed the agricultural year. Each of the 18 twenty-day months of the religious year had its particular religious festival - most of which were connected to agricultural themes. The greatest festival was the Xiuhmolpilli or New Fire ceremony held every 52 years when the ritual and agricultural calendars coincided and a new cycle started. In the table below, the veintena festivals are shown, the deities with which they were associated and the kinds of rituals involved. The descriptions of the rites are based on the descriptions given in Sahagúns "Primeros Memoriales", and the Florentine Codex and of Fray Diego Duráns "Of the Gods and rites" - all of which provide detailed accounts of the rituals written in Nahuatl soon after the conquest. The sun stone also called the Aztec calendar on display at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. ... The Xiuhpohualli was a calendar cycle constructed from a count of 365 days, used by the Aztecs and other Nahua peoples from the central Mexican region during the Postclassic period of Mesoamerican chronology. ... The Aztec glyph for a New Fire ceremony, with the year Two Reed (Ome Acatl). ... Bernardino de Sahagún Bernardino de Sahagún (1499 – October 23, 1590), was a Franciscan missionary to the Aztec (Nahua) people of Mexico, best known as the compiler of the Florentine Codex, also known as Historia general de las cosas de Nueva España (General History of the Things of... Page 51 of Book IX from the Florentine Codex. ... Diego Durán (c. ...

is the 45th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the day. ... Tlaloc, as shown in the late 16th century Codex Rios. ... is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Xipe Totec ias depicted in the Codex Borgia, notice the bloody weapon and the flayed human skin he wears as a suit with the hands hanging down. ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year (86th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 104th day of the year (105th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... In Aztec mythology, Tlaltecuhtli (or Tlaltecutli) was a chthonic sea monster who dwelled in the ocean after the fourth Great Flood. ... Ancient Greek painting in a vase, showing a physician (iatros) bleeding a patient. ... is the 105th day of the year (106th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 124th day of the year (125th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... In Aztec mythology, Centeotl (also Centeocihuatl or Cinteotl) was a god of maize (originally a goddess), and a son of Tlazolteotl and husband of Xochiquetzal. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 142nd day of the year (143rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Tezcatlipoca as depicted in the Codex Borgia. ... // Huitzilopochtli, as depicted in the Codex Telleriano-Remensis. ... is the 143rd day of the year (144th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Tlaloc, as shown in the late 16th century Codex Rios. ... Chalciuhtlicue from the Codex Ríos In Aztec mythology, Chalchiuhtlicue (also Chalciuhtlicue, or Chalcihuitlicue) (She of the Jade Skirt) was the goddess of lakes and streams. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ... is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... In Aztec mythology, Xochipilli was the god of love, games, beauty, dance, flowers, maize, and song. ... is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 204th day of the year (205th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... In Aztec mythology, Chicomecoatl was the goddess of maize and fertility. ... is the 205th day of the year (206th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // Huitzilopochtli, as depicted in the Codex Telleriano-Remensis. ... is the 225th day of the year (226th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Statue of Huehueteotl in Tijuana, Mexico In Aztec mythology, Xiuhtecuhtli (also Huehueteotl, old god) was the personification of life after death, light in darkness and food during famine. ... The mask of Xiuhtecuhtli, from the British Museum, of Aztec/Mixtec provenance. ... is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... In Aztec mythology, Tlazolteotl was an earth, sex, childbirth and a mother goddess. ... In Aztec legend, Toci was the goddess of the earth (mother earth), and she looked after all the injured wildlife and people. ... Toci ( Our grandmother in Nahuatl )[1] is a deity figuring prominently in the religion and mythology of the pre-Columbian Aztec civilization of Mesoamerica. ... Statue of Coatlicue displayed in National Museum of Anthropology and History in Mexico City Coatlicue, also known as Teteoinan (also transcribed Teteo Inan) (The Mother of Gods), is the Aztec goddess who gave birth to the moon, stars, and Huitzilopochtli, the god of the sun and war. ... In Aztec mythology, Centeotl (also Centeocihuatl or Cinteotl) was a god of maize (originally a goddess), and a son of Tlazolteotl and husband of Xochiquetzal. ... is the 265th day of the year (266th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 285th day of the year (286th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... In Aztec mythology, Xochiquetzal (flower feather) was a goddess of flowers, fertility, games, dancing and agriculture, as well as craftsmen, prostitutes and pregnant women. ... Tlaloc, as shown in the late 16th century Codex Rios. ... Binomial name Platalea ajaja (Linnaeus, 1758) Synonyms Ajaja ajaja The Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja, sometimes separated in the monotypic genus Ajaja) is a wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. ... is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... In Aztec mythology, Mixcoatl (Cloud Serpent) was a god of the hunt, the north star and war. ... is the 325th day of the year (326th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 344th day of the year (345th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // Huitzilopochtli, as depicted in the Codex Telleriano-Remensis. ... is the 345th day of the year (346th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Tlaloc, as shown in the late 16th century Codex Rios. ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... In Aztec mythology, Citlalicue (star garment; also Citlalinicue, Ilamatecuhtli) created the stars along with her husband, Citlalatonac. ... In Aztec mythology, Cihuacoatl (snake woman; also Chihucoatl, Ciucoatl) was a fertility goddess and patron of mothers, particularly women who died in childbirth. ... is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Tlaloc, as shown in the late 16th century Codex Rios. ... The mask of Xiuhtecuhtli, from the British Museum, of Aztec/Mixtec provenance. ... For other uses, see Amaranth (disambiguation). ... For the city in Ghana, see Tamale, Ghana A tamale or tamal (from Nahuatl tamalli) is a traditional Mexican foodstuff that begins with corn (maize) flour mixed with water and lard. ... The mask of Xiuhtecuhtli, from the British Museum, of Aztec/Mixtec provenance. ... is the 40th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... In Aztec mythology, Tzitzimime, the monsters from above, were star gods or demons. ...

Mythology

Main article: Aztec mythology

The main deity in the Mexica religion was the sun god and war god, Huitzilopochtli. He directed the Mexicas to found a city on the site where they would see an eagle, devouring (not all chronicles agree on what the eagle was devouring, one says it was a precious bird, and though Father Duran says it was a snake, this is not mentioned in any pre-Hispanic source) perched on a fruit bearing nopal cactus. According to legend, Huitzilpochtli had to kill his nephew, Cópil, and throw his heart on the lake. But, since Cópil was his relative, Huitzilpochtli decided to honor him, and caused cactus to grow over Cópil's heart which became a sacred place. The Aztec civilization recognized a polytheistic mythology, which contained the many gods (over 100) and supernatural creatures from their religious beliefs. ... See also: List of deities Look up deity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A solar deity is a deity who represents the Sun. ... War Gods redirects here. ... // Huitzilopochtli, as depicted in the Codex Telleriano-Remensis. ... Genera Several, see text. ... A nopales merchant at his stand in the Merced market of Mexico City Nopals are a vegetable made from the young stem segments of prickly pear, carefully peeled to remove the spines. ...

Legend has it that this is the site on which the Mexicas built their capital city of Tenochtitlan. Tenochtitlan was built on an island in the middle of Lake Texcoco where modern-day Mexico City is located. This legendary vision is pictured on the Coat of Arms of Mexico. Tenochtitlan, looking east. ... Lake Texcoco is a lake in Mexico. ... Nickname: Location of Mexico City Coordinates: , Country Federal entity Boroughs The 16 delegaciones Founded c. ... The Coat of Arms of Mexico has been an important symbol of Mexican politics and culture for centuries. ...

According to their own history, when the Mexicas arrived in the Anahuac valley around Lake Texcoco, they were considered by the other groups as the least civilized of all. The Mexicas decided to learn, and they took all they could from other peoples, especially from the ancient Toltec (whom they seem to have partially confused with the more ancient civilization of Teotihuacan). To the Mexicas, the Toltecs were the originators of all culture; "Toltecayotl" was a synonym for culture. Mexica legends identify the Toltecs and the cult of Quetzalcoatl with the mythical city of Tollan, which they also identified with the more ancient Teotihuacan. For the city in Mexico, see Anáhuac, Nuevo León. ... The Atlantes – columns in the form of Toltec warriors in Tula. ... Teotihuacan was the largest Pre-Columbian known city in the Americas, and the name Teotihuacan is used to refer to the civilization this city dominated, which at its greatest extent included most of Mesoamerica. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ... Tollan or Tolan or Tolán is the name used for the capital city of two empires of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica; first for Teotihuacan, and later for the Toltec capital of Tula. ...

In the process, they adopted most of the Toltec/Nahua (code) pantheon, but they also made significant changes in their religion. As the Mexica rose in power, they adopted the Nahua gods at equal status to their own. For instance, Tlaloc was the rain god of all the Nahuatl-speaking peoples. They put their local god Huitzilopochtli at the same level as the ancient Nahua god, and also replaced the Nahua Sun god with their own. Thus, Tlaloc/Huitzilopochtli represents the duality of water and fire, as evidenced by the twin pyramids uncovered near the Zocalo in Mexico City in the late 1970s, and it reminds us of the warrior ideals of the Aztec: the Aztec glyph of war is "burning water".

Another significant Mexica deity was the earth mother goddess, Tonantzin. It was her shrine in the northern section of today's Mexico City which was later transformed into the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a central icon in Mexican Catholic belief, and dances of pre-Hispanic origins are still performed there to this day. This was an incarnation of Coatlicoe, the goddess of the snake skirt and mother of Huitzilopochtli. A Cucuteni culture statuette, 4th millennium BC. A mother goddess is a goddess, often portrayed as the Earth Mother, who serves as a general fertility deity, the bountiful embodiment of the earth. ... An image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. ...

Human sacrifice

Aztec sacrifice

Main article: Human sacrifice in Aztec culture

Human sacrifice was practiced on a grand scale throughout the Aztec empire, although the exact figures are unknown. At Tenochtitlán, the principal Aztec city, according to Ross Hassing "between 10,000 and 80,400 persons" were sacrificed over the course of four days for the dedication of the Great Pyramid in 1487.^[7] Excavations of the offerings in the main temple has provided some insight in the process, but the dozens of remains excavated are far short of the thousands of sacrifices recorded by eyewitnesses and other historical accounts. For millennia, the practice of human sacrifice was widespread in Mesoamerican and South American cultures. It was a theme in the Olmec religion, which thrived between 1200 BC and 400 BC and among the Maya. Human sacrifice was a very complex ritual. Every sacrifice had to be meticulously planned from the type of victim to specific ceremony needed for the God. The sacrificial victims were usually warriors but sometimes slaves, depending upon the God and needed ritual. The higher the rank of the warrior the better he is looked at as a sacrifice. The victim(s) would then take on the persona of the God he was to be sacrificed for. The victim(s) would be housed, fed, and dressed accordingly. This process could last up to a year. When the sacrificial day arrived, the victim(s) would participate in the specific ceremonies of the God. These ceremonies were used to exhaust the victim so that he would not struggle during the ceremony. Then five priests, known as the Tlenamacac, performed the sacrifice usually at the top of a pyramid. The victim would be layed upon the table, held down and then have his heart cut out. ^[5] Aztec human sacrifice, from Codex Mendoza, a postcortesian document, made by request of Viceroy Mendoza, but rendered by native scribes (tlacuilos) File links The following pages link to this file: Aztec Categories: Author died more than 100 years ago public domain images ... Aztec human sacrifice, from Codex Mendoza, a postcortesian document, made by request of Viceroy Mendoza, but rendered by native scribes (tlacuilos) File links The following pages link to this file: Aztec Categories: Author died more than 100 years ago public domain images ... Human sacrifice was an aspect of historical Aztec culture/religion, although the extent of the practice is debated by scholars. ... The Great Pyramid or Templo Mayor was the main temple of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan (modern Mexico City). ... Human sacrifice is the act of killing a human being for the purposes of making an offering to a deity or other, normally supernatural, power. ... This article is about the culture area. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... Monument 1, one of the four Olmec colossal heads at La Venta. ... (Redirected from 1200 BC) Centuries: 14th century BC - 13th century BC - 12th century BC Decades: 1250s BC 1240s BC 1230s BC 1220s BC 1210s BC - 1200s BC - 1190s BC 1180s BC 1170s BC 1160s BC 1150s BC Events and Trends 1204 BC - Theseus, legendary King of Athens is deposed after... The Celtics claim Vienna, Austria. ... This article is about the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. ...

External links

• Aztecs at Mexicolore: constantly updated educational site specifically on the Aztecs, for serious students of all ages

Notes

Arqueología mexicana is a bimonthly publication edited by the Mexican Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (National Institute of Anthropology and History). ...

References

Hvidtfeldt, Arild (1958). Teotl and Ixiptlatli: some central conceptions in ancient Mexican religion: with a general introduction on cult and myth. Copenhagen: Munksgaard. 

Miller, Mary; and Karl Taube (1993). The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya. London: Thames and Hudson. ISBN 0-500-05068-6. 

Nicholson, H.B. (1971.). "Religion in Pre-Hispanic Central Mexico", in G. Ekholm and I. Bernal (eds): Handbook of Middle American Indians, Volume 10. Austin: University of Texas Press, 395-446. ISBN 0-292-77593-8. 

Townsend, Richard F. (2000). The Aztecs, revised ed., New York: Thames and Hudson. 

van Zantwijk, Rudolph (1985). The Aztec Arrangement: The Social History of Pre-Spanish Mexico. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press,. 

van Tuerenhout, Dirk (2005). The Aztecs: New Perspectives. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-Clio,. ISBN 1576079244 (ebook). 

Mary Miller is the master of Saybrook College at Yale University and the Vincent Scully Professor of the History of Art. ... Karl Andreas Taube is an American Mayanist, anthropologist, epigrapher and ethnohistorian, known for his publications and research into the pre-Columbian cultures of Mesoamerica and the American Southwest. ...

For Further Reading

Burland, C. A (1985.). The Aztecs: gods and fate in ancient Mexico. London: Orbis,. 

Brundage, Burr Cartwright (c1979). The Fifth Sun: Aztec gods, Aztec world. Austin: University of Texas Press,. 

Markman, Roberta H (c1992). The Flayed God: the mesoamerican mythological tradition: sacred texts and images from pre-Columbian Mexico and Central America. Harper San Francisco,. 

Carrasco, David (1998). Daily Life of the Azecs: People of the Sun and Earth. Greenwood Press,Connecticut. 

Smith, Michael E. (2003). the Aztecs 2nd Ed.. Blackwell Publishing,UK. 

Aguilar- Moreno, Manuel (2006). Handbook to Life n the Aztec World. Facts On File, California State University University, Los Angeles.