Aztec religion is mainly based off of how the humans had to
interact with the gods to keep their world as they knew it, the people doing
the gods biddings to ensure the giving of the land, sky and water in order to
live.
![Picture](/uploads/2/5/2/7/25279996/4819502.jpg?578)
One of the most well-known god the Aztecs worshipped is
Quetzalcoatl, a plumed/feathered serpant who brought maize to the people and
was linked with the rain and water (like fellow god Tlaloc). Unlike some gods who needed human sacrifice,
Quetzalcoatl only demanded sacrifices of jade, snakes, birds and butterflies. Quetzalcoatl was the one who created the
humans by bringing bones from the underworld and scattering them across the
land, using his blood to bring them to life.
He had a temple in Tula devoted to him; it was the center of ceremonial
life. Quetzalcoatl represented life and resurrection. After a while of Quetzalcoatl’s rule, he was
over thrown by the god Tezcatlipoca and became the planet Venus. Quetzalcoatl’s over throw marked the end of a
peaceful living for the Aztecs.
![Picture](/uploads/2/5/2/7/25279996/6911489.jpg?377)
Tezcatlipoca is said to be the most powerful out of the
gods, he was the god of the night, sorcery and destiny. It was said that he created war as a source
of food and drink for the other gods. He
also had the power to forgive sin, relive sickness and rewrite a man’s destiny,
but it was not in his nature too. In fact,
Tezcatlipoca would do the opposite of what he could, bringing drought and famine
the land as well as horrid sickness. Most
sacrifices the Tezcatlipoca were done through a ritual combat as well as the
Tezcatlipoca impersonators being sacrificed after a rich and well respected
life.
![Picture](/uploads/2/5/2/7/25279996/6185823.jpg?205)
Sacrifice is what the Aztecs are known for. The Aztecs believed that since the gods sacrificed
so much to create there world, they were forever in dept. to them. The way they paid off the debt was through
human sacrifice. They saw that the
sheading of blood was the ultimate gift to give in order to sustain life for
the community. The Aztecs sacrificed
humans, animals and valuables, in order to please the gods.
The most well-known form of sacrifice it the removing of the human heart. The heart was known to be a part of the sun trapped in the body of a human, so the heart would be removed (victims were usually still conscience for process) and lifted towards the sun as an offering. The gods that are commonly associated with heart sacrifices were Haitzilopochtli (god of south, warfare) and Huehueteotl. Huehueteotl’s offerings would be sacrificed after a large feast then burned, but before the victim died they would have their heart cut out and the chest cavity hollowed. In a fire ceremony, the village would put out all of their fires and look to their temple to see a show of the victim’s empty chest cavity filled with supplies to make a fire and then have it lit, if the fire was strong then it would bring 52 more years of good living to the world.
The most well-known form of sacrifice it the removing of the human heart. The heart was known to be a part of the sun trapped in the body of a human, so the heart would be removed (victims were usually still conscience for process) and lifted towards the sun as an offering. The gods that are commonly associated with heart sacrifices were Haitzilopochtli (god of south, warfare) and Huehueteotl. Huehueteotl’s offerings would be sacrificed after a large feast then burned, but before the victim died they would have their heart cut out and the chest cavity hollowed. In a fire ceremony, the village would put out all of their fires and look to their temple to see a show of the victim’s empty chest cavity filled with supplies to make a fire and then have it lit, if the fire was strong then it would bring 52 more years of good living to the world.