AZTECS By: Stephanie Osorio

Aztec religion is a South American religion combining elements of polytheism, (many gods) shamanism and animism (worship of nature spirits) which was guided by the seasons and the stars. Like other South American religions, it had elements of human sacrifice in connection with a large number of religious festivals which were held according to festivals of the Aztec calendar.

RELIGION ORIGIN

The Aztecs had their patron deity, Huitzilopochtli, and then a ton of other deities that already had a long history in other parts of Central America. Many of these deities have Olmec origins, like Quetzalcoatl. Huehueteotl, the Old God of Fire, actually has origins older than the Olmec. Tlaloc can be traced back to at least Teotihuacan, as can Xipe Totec.

WHO STARTED IT

The head of the gods was Huizilopochtlid, god of war and god of sun. This god had told the Aztecs to wander until they found an eagle with a serpent in its mouth perched on a cactus growing from a rock. When they found this, they claimed the area around it, which is now known as Tenochtitlan.

The Aztecs worshipped Tlaloc, the rain god, in the main temple. This god was very important to farmers because drought was a threat in the area.

Quetzalcoatl was a feathered snake who represented arts, crafts, and self-sacrifi ce.

Priests and priestesses were very important people. They acted as doctors, and taught science, art, writing, music, dance, history, and counting. They also had to know astronomy and astrology. They had to perform diffi cult ceremonies.

Religion played an important part in Aztecs' l ives, and human sacrifi ce was used to pay homage to their gods.

SCRIPTURES

Symbolism was a part of every day life for the people of central Mexico.  Symbols were used in writing, in keeping time and dates, in names and titles, on buildings and in artwork, and even in clothing.  It identifi ed and explained the gods, showed social level, and foretold good and bad fortune.In keeping with the culture of the Aztecs, much symbolism was focused around religion and war.  The gods were portrayed, as were warriors and battles.These things were portrayed using realistic human forms, as well as forms of nature .  For example, jaguars, snakes (rattlesnakes were a favourite), dogs, birds and even insects were common.  The human forms have come to be known as a defi ning characteristic of the Late Postclassical period in central Mexico.Of course, these things often had various meanings intertwined.  There were basic meanings for animals, for example, that would grow in complexity as they came to represent gods or a warrior class.  The frog represented joy.  Butterfl ies symbolized transformation.  The monkey represented dance and celebration.  Combined with other symbols, a rich story could be told

ICONS

Aztecs worshipped the sun and sacrificed according to the seasons of the sun.

They sacrificed defeated enemies by cutting out their live heart from their chest and severing it from their body. This was a sign of respect and obedience to the sun god.

Sacrifice was a practice known throughout Mesoamerica, but the Aztecs sacrificed at an alarming rate. During the rebuild of the Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlan, the main sacrificial pyramid of the Aztec Empire, the Aztecs sacrificed 84,400 prisoners over the course of four days

PRACTICES

Aztec music was a constant and important part of life.  Not only was music used for enjoyment, it was a way of passing on culture, of sharing an understanding of religion, of making an emotional connection with the events of life.

When a child was sent to school, music and the playing of instruments was an important subject to be learned.  Students between 12 and 15 would learn songs that were important in their culture.  And, as we see in the quote above, music was important enough that the nobles often had their own band, song writers and studio right at home.  Edlers in the home would teach children the songs they needed to know.

SONGS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laWtr7MIzBM

AZTEC MUSIC

The Aztec held many rel igious ceremonies. The most important observed planting, harvesting, and other events in the agricultural year. The purpose of many ceremonies was to motivate people to work together to ensure good crops by winning the favor of the gods.

  Human and animal sacrifi ce played a vital role in the ceremonies.

The Aztec regarded the human body and al l l iving things as gifts from the gods. They believed that a divine power resided in three parts of the body—the head, the heart, and the l iver. The Aztec thought that the gods required a ritual payment in the form of human hearts and blood to remain strong. Human sacrifi ces were elaborate, dramatic ceremonies designed to magical ly transform the human victims into l iving representatives of the gods before they were sacrifi ced. Often, priests slashed open the chest of a l iving victim and tore out the heart. Worshippers sometimes ate portions of a victim's body. They may have thought that the dead person’s strength and bravery passed to anyone who ate a portion of the fl esh. Most victims were prisoners of war or slaves. The Aztec also sacrifi ced women and occasionally, to the god Tlaloc, chi ldren.

PRAYERS

WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THE SERVICE ?

The tlacatecuhtli , or "chief of men." controlled all the religious ceremonies and was also the military leader. Under the tlacatecuhtli were several religious and other offi ces which included military generals. Priests and priestesses were very important in society.

MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH

They were those who live in the empire and had to be really devoted to them.

BASIC BELIEFS

The Aztec people were quite religious. They worshipped over 1,000 gods. They believed the gods controlled all life from the birth of a baby until the death of an older person. Therefore, the Aztecs had to please the gods. The Aztecs would conquer other lands and use some of the captives as human sacrifices to please the gods. They felt that keeping the gods happy would result in good crops, good weather and sunny days. The Aztecs never took the gods for granted. They continually tried to please them.

AZTEC EMPIRE

SACRIFICES

AZTEC CALENDAR

MUSIC

AZTEC SUN