Running head: AZTEC RELIGION ESSAY

Aztec Religion Essay Gail M. Biggers Grand Canyon University: SOC 315 December 9, 2012 Professor John Wilkins

AZTEC RELIGION ESSAY

The Aztec culture is a culture that is very unique and an interesting culture to study. This essay will delve into the Aztec religion including gods, priests, ceremonies, and magic. This essay will look into the Aztec religion and explain it from the aspect and perspectives of the Aztec. It will also look into why sacrifice is such a main factor of their religion. One of the beliefs of the Aztecs is that the sun fought the darkness every night and rose to save mankind. Another belief of the Aztecs is that the earth was flat. The Aztecs believed that if they fed the sun blood it would rise. Also part of the Aztec beliefs is that there are 13 heavens and nine hells. Aztecs respect their Gods a lot. They put their best efforts in constructing beautiful strong temples to please the Gods. Art plays a main part in the Aztec religion the pictures that they draw tell about their Gods. The use of hieroglyphics and number symbols helps with recording religious events. The Aztecs pray to 1000 Gods but the one they worshipped the most was the sun god. In the temple known as teocallu is where religious ceremonies took place. Also inside the temple were sacred pools for ceremonial cleansing, gardens, living quarters for the priest and racks where skulls would be displayed of victims. One of the main events of the Aztec religion is sacrifice. Human sacrifices are done by the priest to make the sun god happy. The most celebrated day in the Aztec culture was the O Nothing Days. On these days the priest dresses resembling gods travels to an extinct volcano to perform human sacrifices. There can be both men and women serving in the priesthood and baby boys and girls can be dedicated by their parents. The main duties of the priests are to educate the boys of nobility as well as interpreting the sacred text. Also part of their duties is to care for

AZTEC RELIGION ESSAY then idol and keep the surroundings clean along with keeping the temple fire lit as well as offering of their own blood smeared on the temple to show penance and dedication. The Aztec believes deeply in the afterlife. Although others believe how you live

determines what happens to you in the afterlife. Aztecs believe that it is how you died determines where you will end up. If death occurs during child birth for a woman it is a privilege that is enjoyed by the woman. As for anyone else who dies for other reasons, the individual would have to go through the underworld before reaching the resting peace of the dead. The Aztec religion has many ceremonies during the year with 16 regularly scheduled in a month. Most of these ceremonies have to do with asking the gods associated with fertility, rain and agriculture. These rituals consist of fasting to human sacrifice. Human sacrifice is a part of the Aztec religion due to the Aztecs believe they owe the gods if they did not pay up it would be the end of the world. The most common sacrifice is to cut the mans chest and remove his heart and sacrifice it to the son god. Women had their heads cut off before removing their heart and children were drowned to make sure there is a good rainfall. When it comes to magic and omens the Aztec people depend on the message that comes from the Shaman. The Shaman takes hallucinogens to help in predicting or granting them access to divine information. They are able to read illness by throwing maize on a cloth and translating the pattern of the maize that has landed on the cloth. Aztecs fate is ruled and their destiny is already planned it is understandable that the Aztecs would be drawn to look for omens around them of their destiny.

AZTEC RELIGION ESSAY References Religious Beliefs of the Aztecs retrieved December 9, 2012 from http://www.library.thinkquest.org/27981/beliefs.html Holly, Peters, Golden Cultural Sketches Cases in Anthropology McGraw Hill, New York, New York 10020