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The Aztec History Directory (- threads, 86 posts)
The Aztec History Directory is a board which members of the Tenochtitlan group use to suggest and create threads to examine all aspects of history culture and the arts of the Aztec Empire ...

Religion

Historical Thread

Aztec religion was very different that that of modern religions. The Aztecs believed in many gods, whom they paid tribute to every day of their lives. The myth of creation was that Coatlique gave birth to the moon(Coylxauhqui), the stars, and the sun(Vitzilopochtl).

Human sacrifices, as well as animal were a big part of Aztec religion. They used sacrifice as a means of satisfying their gods when they believed that they were angry for some reason. When an individual was sacrificed they would climb to the top of the pyramid(wearing a mask), stretch out over a convex stone, and then the priest would cut out the heart using a knife. The number of sacrifices that were performed often depended on whether or not they were in a drought or not. If the harvesting was good they did not sacrifice many people, however if there was a draught hundreds of people could be sacrificed.
For warriors, the most honorable way to die was to be slain in battle or to volunteer to be sacrificed at an important ceremony. At the less important sacrifices, prisoners were offered to the gods. Before each of these ceremonies the participant was required to abstain from sex, and to eat only one unseasoned meal a day for four days leading up to the event. These sacrifices played a continual role in the Aztec civilization, and were carried out until their demise.
It is estimated that over a quarter of a million people were sacrificed each year by the Aztecs. This figure is roughly 1 percent of the population. Anthropologist achieved this figure through a direct correlation with the number of temples that that have been found.

Created by:
* Xolotl Huascar, Feb 26, 2004 - 11:44