Download The Aztecs

Aztec Religion
Religion
Deities
Religion
 Worlds
 Four worlds before the present, each called a sun,
each had different types of inhabitants.
 Each had perished through its own imperfections
 The fifth sun or world in which people now lived
would also perish through a series of devastating
earthquakes.


It was not know when this would occur.
but it would occur at the end of one of the 52 year
cycles.
 Aztec calender stone depicts four suns with the
present sun at the center.
Aztec Calendar Sun
Tonalpohualli: Calendar System
 Dividing time among gods
 A day (tonalli) in the tonalpohualli consists of a number and a
symbol or day sign. Each day sign is dedicated to a god.
 The twenty dayssigns and their gods are successively:
1 Cipactli Tonacatecuhtli, 2 Ehecatl Quetzalcoatl, 3 Calli
Tepeyollotl, 4 Cuetzpalin Huehuecoyotl, 5 Coatl
Chalchihuitlicue, 6 Miquiztli Tecciztecatl, 7 Mazatl Tlaloc,
8 Tochtli Mayahuel, 9 Atl Xiuhtecuhtli, 10 Itzcuintli
Mictlantecuhtli, 11 Ozomahtli Xochipili,12 Malinalli Patecatl,
13 Acatl Tezcatlipoca, 14 Ocelotl Tlazolteotl, 15 Cuauhtli Xipe
Totec, 16 Cozcacuauhtli Itzpapalotl, 17 Ollin Xolotl, 18 Tecpatl
Chalchihuihtotolin, 19 Quiahuitl Tonatiuh, 20 Xochitl
Xochiquetzal
http://www.azteccalendar.com/introduction-to-the-aztec-calendar.html
Monthly Festivals
 MONTH 1: Feb 13 - Mar 4 ATL CAUALO- The Ceasing of Water.






Tlaloc, Chalchihuitlicue, Chicomecoatl, Xilonen, and
Quetzalcoatl were greatly worshiped.
Poles erected and decorated with banners in both the homes
and temples of the population.
Corn gods were greatly worshiped.
Children were carried to the mountains, home of several rain
deities, and sacrificed there in various places.
The dead children were named and honored after the
mountain they were killed upon.
Gladiatorial sacrifice rites were performed to Pie Totec. The
dead victim was cut up, distributed and eaten. Much praying
to all rain gods and to Quetzalcoatl in his guise as "the god
of the wind", to push the rain clouds before him.
MONTH 2
 Mar 5 - Mar 24: TLACAXIPEUALIZTLI- The Flaying of Men.




Xipe Totec was worshiped and many temple and gladiatorial
sacrifices occurred.
A great feast, Tlacaxipehualiztli, meaning Skinning of Men,
would last for twenty days and during this month. Priests
wore skins of victims for twenty days.
The flesh of the sacrificed victims was cooked with corn in a
broth, the stew was called "tlacatlaolli". After eating, there
was much drinking(*84) of pulque. Slaves were scalped and
the hair kept as a trophy. Young warriors played games of
mock battles, some dressed in the skins of victims.
The owner of a sacrificed slave would often receive blood
from the victim into an ornately decorated bowl and then
travel to all of the temples in the area to donate blood to the
various gods that he worshiped. The owner would not eat of
the flesh of his captive almost developing a father/son
relationship. Special agricultural dances.
MONTH 3
 Mar 25 - Apr 13 TOCOZTONTLI- Little Vigil.






Tlaloc, Centeotl, Chalchihuitlicue, and Chicomecoatl were
worshiped.
Agricultural planting rituals were practiced. Flowers offered.
Children would let blood in their homes.
Coatlicue, "She of the Serpent Skirt" was greatly honored in
a ritual flower sacrifice. The flowers offered to her
symbolized the first fruits of springtime. Until ceremonial
flowers were offered to this goddess, the general population
was not allowed to smell the new flowers.
Today a ceremony of offering flowers to the Virgin of
Guadalupe survives, inheriting the ancient cult of Coatlicue.
Month also referred to as Tocoztontli Xochimanaloya.
Xochimanaloya meaning, "The Offering of Flowers".
The skin worn by priests in the previous month were ritually
carried and placed in the Yopico temple. Ceremonial first
plantings of corn occurred. Month may have been called
"Tozoztli”
Cosmology
 Many Creations Myths
 Earth visualized as a crocodile-like monster
floating in the primeval sea.



edges of the sea curled up to support the sky.
heavens arranged as a pyramid with 9-13
layers.
Underworld-nine underworlds.
Myth 2
 The mother of the Aztec creation story was called "Coatlique",





the Lady of the Skirt of Snakes.
She was created in the image of the unknown, decorated with
skulls, snakes, and lacerated hands.
Coatlique was first impregnated by an obsidian knife and gave
birth to Coyolxanuhqui, goddess of the moon, and to a group of
male offspring, who became the stars.
Then one day Coatlique found a ball of feathers, which she
tucked into her bosom. When she looked for it later, it was gone,
at which time she realized that she was again pregnant. Her
children, the moon and stars did not believe her story.
Ashamed of their mother, they resolved to kill her.
A goddess could only give birth once, to the original litter of
divinity and no more.
Myth 2, con’d
 During the time that they were plotting her demise,




Coatlique gave birth to the fiery god of war,
Huitzilopochtli.
With the help of a fire serpent, he destroyed his
brothers and sister, murdering them in a rage.
He beheaded Coyolxanuhqui and threw her body into
a deep gorge in a mountain, where it lies
dismembered forever.
The natural cosmos of the Indians was born of
catastrophe. The heavens literally crumbled to
pieces.
The earth mother fell and was fertilized, while her
children were torn apart by fratricide and them
scattered and disjointed throughout the universe.
http://www.crystalinks.com/aztecreation.html
Deities
 Organized by fundamental characters, cult
themes, and clusters.
 Most Important:
 Tlaloque-Main rain god



Also lesser rain gods, tlaloque, resided in mts.
and produced rain clouds.
Mount Tlaloc, is aligned with the location of the
Tlaloc shrine on top of the great temple at
Tenochtitlan.
Hutizilopochtli-War God, god of the Mixecabecame very important-sun.
Multiple aspects of most gods.
 Creator deities come in pairs and in both
sexes.
 Most gods have four of five aspects that are
related to the four directions and the zenith
(fifth).
 directions were associated with different
colors.
 White god of the east (Quetzacoatl)
 Red god of the west (Xipe)
Tlaloc
 "He who makes things grow“
 In ancient Chichimec times may have been worshipped
under the name of Tlalocateuctli, meaning "Land-lierLord". Tlalocateuctli was considered by Alcaron to be a
metaphor for the owner of a sown field.
 Known to the Olmec as "Epcoatl", meaning Seashell
Serpent. There is speculation that this deity originated
with the Olmec. Known to the Maya as Chac, to the
Totonacs as Tajin, to the Mixtecs as Tzahui, to the
Zapotecs as Cocijo and throughout Mesoamerica.
http://mrburnett.mine.nu/GCII/U1/outside/aztec/a-god1.html
Tlaloc
Huitzilopochtli
 Left Handed Hummingbird
 God of War-Lord of the South-The Young Warrior-Lord of
the Day- The Blue Tezcatliopoca of the South-Patron
God of the Mexica. Known metaphorically as "The Blue
Heron Bird", "The Lucid Macaw", and "The Eagle".
 The derivation of his name may have come from the
ancient Chichimeca "Tetzauhteotl", possibly meaning
"Omen-God“
 He is considered an incarnation of the sun and struggles
with the forces of night to keep mankind alive. Only to
have found a place of major worship among the Aztec
peoples. Huitzilopochtli is credited with inducing the
Aztecs to migrate from their homeland in "Aztlan" and
begin the long wanderings which brought their tribe to
the Mexico Valley.
http://mrburnett.mine.nu/GCII/U1/outside/aztec/a-god1.html
Huitzilopochtli
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/mythology/huitzilopochtli_sun.html
Coatlicue
This massive monolith of the
earth deity Coatlicue ("she of
the serpent skirt") wears,
aside from her diagnostic
skirt of serpents, a necklace
made of human hearts and
hands.
http://www.mesoweb.com/features/jpl/85.html
QUETZALCOATL- "The God of Wind"
 The Creator God-The Feathered Serpent-The
Founder of Agriculture- Precious Feather
Snake- The Road Sweeper.
 Often portrayed with a black beard to
represent age or as an old man. Covering his
mouth there is often a red mask in the form of
a bird's beak.
 His mask identifies him as the god of wind
and he was worshiped under the name of
Ehecatl, or wind. One of the greatest gods,
god of wind, light, and Venus
http://mrburnett.mine.nu/GCII/U1/outside/aztec/a-god1.html
Quetzalcoatl
http://mrburnett.mine.nu/GCII/U1/outside/aztec/a-god1.html
XIPE TOTEC- "Our Lord of the Flayed One"
 God of suffering. God of Spring-God of Jewelers-
Ruler of the East- The Red Tezcatlipoca. Also known
as "The Red Mirror" and his disguise was that of the
Eagle.
 May have been worshiped by the name Tlatlauhqui
Tezcatlipoca, meaning the red Tezcatlipoca.
 According to Sahagun this god was originally from
Zapotlan, a town in the state of Xalisco and was well
honored by all those living near the seashore. Itching,
diseases of the eyes, and tumors were attributed to
this well worshiped god. His cult was greatly
enhanced by Tlacaelel, half brother to Moctezuma I.
http://mrburnett.mine.nu/GCII/U1/outside/aztec/a-god1.html
Xipe Totec
As a symbol of the
new vegetation, Xipe
Totec wore the skin of
a human victim - the
"new skin" that
covered the earth in
the spring.
http://home.freeuk.net/elloughton13/xipe.htm
TEZCATLIPOCA- "The Mirror That Smokes" "One Death"
 The creator God - The God of the Hunt - Patron of
Princes - God of Providence. The Lord of the Here
and Now - The Enemy on Both Sides.
 The true invisible god who walked over the heavens
and surface of the earth and hell. Where ever this
god went wars, anxiety, and trouble were sure to
follow.
 Tezcatlipoca was thought to incite wars against one
another and was called Necocyautl, which means
"sower of discord on both sides".
http://mrburnett.mine.nu/GCII/U1/outside/aztec/a-god1.html
Tezcatlipoca
http://www.azteccalendar.com/god/Tezcatlipoca.html
XOCHIQUETZAL- "Flower Quetzal-or Plumage"
 "Patroness of Erotic Love" "Goddess of the
Flowering Earth".
 Celebrated during the "Farewell to the
Flowers" festival signifying the coming of
frost. This was a solemn festival. People
would make merry and smell flowers knowing
they were about to dry up and wither for the
season. A feast in honor of the flowers would
occur.
 Xochiquetzal was also the divinity of painters,
embroiders, weavers, silversmiths and
sculptors.
http://mrburnett.mine.nu/GCII/U1/outside/aztec/a-god1.html
Xochiquetzal
 The image of this
deity was of wood in
the shape of a young
woman.
 A gold ornament was
placed over her
mouth and a crown
of red leather in the
form of a braid was
placed on her head.
 A Green bright
feathered decorated
this headband in the
shape of horns.
http://www.azteccalendar.com/god/Xochiquetzal.html
Aztec Creation Story
 The mother of the Aztec creation story was called "Coatlique",




the Lady of the Skirt of Snakes. She was created in the image of
the unknown, decorated with skulls, snakes, and lacerated
hands.
Coatlique was first impregnated by an obsidian knife and gave
birth to Coyolxanuhqui, goddess of the moon, and to a group of
male offspring, who became the stars.
Then one day Coatlique found a ball of feathers, which she
tucked into her bosom. Whe she looked for it later, it was gone,
at which time she realized that she was again pregnant. Her
children, the moon and stars did not believe her story. Ashamed
of their mother, they resolved to kill her. A goddess could only
give birth once, to the original litter of divinity and no more.
During the time that they were plotting her demise, Coatlicue
gave birth to the fiery god of war, Huitzilopochtli.
With the help of a fire serpent, he destroyed his brothers and
sister, murdering them in a rage. He beheaded Coyolxauhqui
and threw her body into a deep gorge in a mountain, where it
lies dismembered forever.
Basic ritual pattern-Ceremonies
 Mainly elitist in organization, involved members of the
stae-supported church or upper class.



usually preceded by fasting and other abstentions.
offerings, processions, deity impersonations, dancing and
singing, mick combats and human sacrifice.
followed by feasts.
 Calendrical and non-calendrical.
 365-day ceremonies were fixed, occurred during each of
the 18 months.
 260-day ceremonies had movable feasts which rotated in
relation to the 365-day year. i.e. Christian easter.
 noncalendircal were tied to life cycle, crises,
homecoming, domestic rituals, curing, etc.
Ceremonies
 Ceremonies held in temples, several aspects
similar to Christianity,



such as confession of sins,
sacred dough which was made in the image of
a god and eaten,
similarity of the mother of the gods, Coatlicue,
and the Virgin Mary were noted.
 Also many personal gods to different jobs,
tlaloc to farmers, Yacateuctli to merchants.
Cult themes
 Celestial creativity and divine paternalism
 most abstract, poetic, and philosophical segment.
 Tezcatlipoca (Smoking Mirror) belongs to this cult,
supernatural and associated with night and
darkness.
 Rain, moisture, agricultural fertility.
 Tlaloc and his helpers.
 fermented cactus juice of the maguey plant
overseen by deities (obviously some form of
intoxicating beverage).
Themes, con’d
 Death and rebirth
 Xipe-Totec complex, sacrificing of human victims.
 Quetzalcoatl, crossed many lines, but associated with war
and blood nourishment.
 Blood nourishment of the sun and earth by war and
sacrifice.


human sacrifice to prevent the end of the world.
war was necessary to provide victims.
 Death god and Sun god complexes
 Tonatiuh, patron of warrior societies, eagle and jaguar
knights.
Human Sacrifice
Human Sacrifice, con’d
Aztec Medicine
 Perhaps the most vital document on their
medical practices is The Badianus
Manuscript.
 Created in 1552, this manuscript book of
traditional medicinal knowledge is the legacy
of an Aztec artist who labored at a Catholic
mission to produce it.
Badianus Manuscript
 There are 184 plants and trees depicted in brightly




colored illustrations within the 63 folios of the Codex.
The book is arranged in 13 chapters, that deal with
different groups of afflictions, some related to one
another; others of no apparent connection.
The first chapter, for example, provides remedies “on
the curation of the head, boils, scales of mange,
coming out of the hair, lesion or broken skull.”
Above each illustration is the Aztec name of the plant
written in crimson ink.
Beneath the plant illustration is the name of the
disease or condition for which the plant serves as a
treatment.
Badianus Manuscript
http://wwwa.concise.britannica.com/ebc/art-5900
Manuscript, con’d
http://www.incois.gov.in/Tutor/badianus.html
Other Remedies
 For fevers they suggested to take regular steam
baths, and they thought that the heat would clean
and relax them and also sweat out the evil spirits that
were poisoning them.
 For earaches, Aztec doctors suggested putting liquid
rubber in their ears.
 For broken legs doctors tied splints to the leg, but for
legs that were cut, doctors sprinkled ground-up
obsidian glass on the wound to help it heal.
 For colds, doctors suggested putting a drop of
collected dew (from the fields) into each nostril twice
a day.
 http://library.thinkquest.org/27981/medicine.html
Mexican Chocolate?
 Cacao beans


Used as currency.
Also used as medicine to treat fatigue, fever,
intestinal disorders