what does the aztec myth explain

Aztec Mythology

• Aztec Mythology in Context. The mythology of the Aztec civilization, which dominated central Mexico from the 1300s through the early 1500s ce, described a universe that was both grand and ...
• Core Deities and Characters. In the Aztec view of the universe, human life was small and insignificant. ...
• Major Myths. ...
• Key Themes and Symbols. ...

Full Answer

What are the most famous Aztec myths and legends?

What does the Aztec myth explain? According to the myth, all the gods had gathered to sacrifice themselves and create a new age. Although the world and the sun had already been created, it would only be through their sacrifice that the sun would be set into motion and time as well as history could begin. Click to see full answer.

Why was Aztec mythology so complicated?

 · What Does The Aztec Myth Explain? The Aztec’s creation myths are an attempt to explain the origins of the universe and of man. Unfortunately for the Aztecs, human sacrifice, the most disgusting ritual, is normally the focus of a study of the Aztecs and their religion.

What is the complete Aztec mythology?

 · The Aztec creation myth which describes how the world originated is called the Legend of the Fifth Sun. Several different versions of this myth exist, and this is for a few …

Who were the gods and goddesses of the Aztecs?

 · Early Aztec History The exact origins of the Aztec people are uncertain, but they are believed to have begun as a northern tribe of hunter-gatherers whose name came from …

What was an important myth for the Aztecs?

Aztec mythology is the collected myths and legends of the Aztec people. One of their best-known myths is the founding of the city Tenochtitlan, built on the spot where the travelers saw an eagle perched on a cactus and holding a rattlesnake, an image which endures on the Mexican flag today.

What is the theme of Aztec creation story?

The overall theme of the Aztec creation myths is the constant struggle of the sun against the forces of darkness, a struggle related to the practice of sacrifice. In one depiction of an early story, the sun god Tonatiuh sticks out his tongue, waiting for blood.

What does mythology explain?

Definition of mythology 1 : an allegorical narrative. 2 : a body of myths: such as. a : the myths dealing with the gods, demigods, and legendary heroes of a particular people. b : mythos sense 2 cold war mythology. 3 : a branch of knowledge that deals with myth.

What 3 things did the Aztec gods represent?

Aztec EmpireHuitzilopochtli - The most fearsome and powerful of the Aztec gods, Huitzilopochtli was the god of war, the sun, and sacrifice. ... Tlaloc - Tlaloc was the god of rain and water. ... Quetzalcoatl - Quetzalcoatl was the god of life and wind.More items...

How did the Aztecs believe the world was made?

According to the myth, all the gods had gathered to sacrifice themselves and create a new age. Although the world and the sun had already been created, it would only be through their sacrifice that the sun would be set into motion and time as well as history could begin.

What is the name of the Aztec creation story?

the Legend of the Fifth SunThe Aztec creation myth which describes how the world originated is called the Legend of the Fifth Sun. Several different versions of this myth exist, and this is for a few reasons. First is because the stories were originally passed down by oral tradition.

What do myths teach us?

Myths are stories created to teach people about something important and meaningful. They were often used to teach people about events that they could not always understand, such as illness and death, or earthquakes and floods. Legends are like myths, but they are slightly different.

What can we learn from mythology?

Here are six life lessons you can learn from ancient Greek mythology.1 You Can't Escape Your Fate. ... 3 Respect Your Elders. ... 3 Control Your Emotions. ... 4 Stick By Your Family. ... 5 Looks Aren't Everything. ... 6 Even the Best of Us Have Weaknesses.

Who was the ugliest god?

HephaestusHephaestus. Hephaestus is the son of Zeus and Hera. Sometimes it is said that Hera alone produced him and that he has no father. He is the only god to be physically ugly.

What were the Aztecs known for?

The Aztecs were famous for their agriculture, land, art, and architecture. They developed writing skills, a calendar system and also built temples and places of worship. They were also known for being fierce and unforgiving. To please their gods they sacrificed humans!

What were the 4 main Aztec gods?

The four main Aztec gods are considered to be Huitzilopochtli, Quetzalcoatl, Tezcatlipoca, and Xipe Totec. These gods were the children of Ometecuhtli.

What was the Aztecs main god?

HuitzilopochtliHuitzilopochtli, also spelled Uitzilopochtli, also called Xiuhpilli (“Turquoise Prince”) and Totec (“Our Lord”), Aztec sun and war god, one of the two principal deities of Aztec religion, often represented in art as either a hummingbird or an eagle.

What was the Aztec mythology?

The Aztecs had a polytheistic system of beliefs and thus a rich mythology associated with a variety of gods.

What is the most famous myth in Aztec mythology?

The most famous myth in Aztec mythology is of course the creation myth which describes how the world was created.

What was the Aztec womb associated with?

Aztecs associated womb with waters and therefore Chalciuhtlicue was also associated with fertility.

What is the Aztec religion?

Aztec religion was a polytheistic set of beliefs with rich mythology including the myths of creation, myths about the end of time, and myths about different aspects of nature.

Why were temples built in Aztec times?

Temples were built in his honor and festivals were a regular feature of Aztec calendar.

Why did the Earth Goddess offer human sacrifice?

But the earth goddess also needed tribute in the form of human blood to keep producing for the needs of humans. Thus human sacrifice was offered in her honor.

Who was the goddess of night and astrology?

A variety of rituals were reserved for him and priests donned specific kinds of garments during his worship. Another Aztec deity who was also the goddess of night, astrology, and calendar was Oxomoco.

What are the myths of the Aztecs?

Many Aztec myths tell all or part of the story of the five suns. The Aztecs believed that four suns, or worlds, had existed before theirs. In each case, catastrophic events had destroyed everything, bringing the world to an end. Many stories related the Loss of the Ancients, the mythic event in which the first people disappeared from the earth. One version says that Tezcatlipoca stole the sun and Quetzalcoatl chased him and knocked him back down to earth with a stick. Tezcatlipoca then changed into a jaguar and devoured the people who lived in that world. The Aztecs combined versions of this story to explain the disappearance of people at the end of each of the four worlds that had existed before theirs. Carvings on a stone calendar found in 1790 tell how, one after another, jaguars, wind, fire , and flood destroyed the Ancients.

What is the theme of Aztec mythology?

The idea that people were servants of the gods was a theme that ran through Aztec mythology. Humans had the responsibility of keeping the gods fed, otherwise, disaster could strike at any time. The food of the gods was a precious substance found in human blood. The need to satisfy the gods, especially the sun god, gave rise to the related theme of human sacrifice.

What did the Aztecs do?

The Aztecs were newcomers to a region long occupied by earlier civilizations such as the Olmecs and the Toltecs, who had developed a pan theon, or worship of a collection of gods, and a body of their own myths and legends. The Aztec culture absorbed the deities, stories, and beliefs from these earlier peoples and from the Maya (pronounced MYE-ah) of southern Mexico. As a result, Aztec mythology contained religious and mythological traditions shared by many groups in Mexico and Central America. Under the Aztecs, certain aspects of the religion, notably human sacrifice, came to the forefront.

What is the significance of the Aztec ball game?

Another important idea in Aztec mythology was that the outcome of a person's life was already determined by the gods. The Aztec ball game, about which historians know little, may have been related to this theme. Aztec temples, like those belonging to other cultural groups throughout Mexico and Central America, had walled courts where teams of players struck a rubber ball with their hips, elbows, and knees, trying to drive it through a stone ring. Some historians believe that the game represented the human struggle to control their destiny, or future path in life. It was a religious ritual, not simply a sport, and players may have been sacrificed after the game.

Why did the Spanish destroy the Aztecs?

They did this because they believed the Aztec religion was evil. Much of what we know about Tenochtidán and Aztec customs comes from accounts of Spanish writers who witnessed the last days of the Aztec empire.

What did the Aztecs believe about sacrifice?

The Aztecs believed that the world had died and been reborn several times and that the gods had also died and been reborn. Sometimes the gods even sacrificed themselves for the good of the world. Though death loomed large in Aztec mythology, it was always balanced by fertility and the celebration of life and growth.

What was the Aztec civilization?

The mythology of the Aztec civilization, which dominated central Mexico from the 1300s through the early 1500s ce, described a universe that was both grand and dreadful. Worlds were created and destroyed in the myths, and splendid gods warred among themselves. Everyday items, like colors, numbers, directions, and days of the calendar, took on special meaning because each was associated with a deity, or god. Aztec religious life ranged from keeping small pottery statues of the gods in homes to attending elaborate public ceremonies involving human sacrifice .

What does the Aztec mythology represent?

Together they symbolize life and death. Aztec mythology is the body or collection of myths of Aztec civilization of Central Mexico. The Aztecs were Nahuatl -speaking groups living in central Mexico and much of their mythology is similar to that of other Mesoamerican cultures. According to legend, the various groups who were to become ...

Where is the Aztec dream?

This vision fulfilled a prophecy telling them that they should found their new home on that spot. The Aztecs built their city of Tenochtitlan on that site, building a great artificial island, which today is in the center of Mexico City. This legendary vision is pictured on the Coat of Arms of Mexico .

What is the Huitzilopochtli myth?

Huitzilopochtli is raising up the skies of the South, one of the four directions of the world, surrounded by their respective trees, temples, patterns, and divination symbols.

Why are the 5 Suns named after the Aztecs?

One of these, the Five Suns describes four great ages preceding the present world, each of which ended in a catastrophe, and "were named in function of the force or divine element that violently put an end to each one of them". Coatlicue was the mother of Centzon Huitznahua ("Four Hundred Southerners"), her sons, and Coyolxauhqui, her daughter. She found a ball filled with feathers and placed it in her waistband, becoming pregnant with Huitzilopochtli. Her other children became suspicious as to the identity of the father and vowed to kill their mother. She gave birth on Mount Coatepec, pursued by her children, but the newborn Huitzilopochtli defeated most of his brothers, who became the stars. He also killed his half-sister Coyolxauhqui by tearing out her heart using a Xiuhcoatl (a blue snake) and throwing her body down the mountain. This was said to inspire the Aztecs to rip the hearts out of their human sacrifices and throw their bodies down the sides of the temple dedicated to Huitzilopochtli, who represents the sun chasing away the stars at dawn.

Who is the author of Cycles of Time and Meaning in the Mexican Books of Fate?

Boone, Elizabeth Hill (2013). Cycles of Time and Meaning in the Mexican Books of Fate. University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-0-292-75656-4.

Who is the goddess of fertility?

Coatlicue, goddess of fertility, life, death and rebirth. Chimalma, goddess of fertility, life, death and rebirth. Xochitlicue, goddess of fertility, life, death and rebirth. Itzpapalotl, death goddess, obsidian butterfly, leader of the Tzitzimitl.

Who is the goddess of sustenance?

Tonacacihuatl, goddess of sustenance associated with Omecihuatl.

What is the creation myth of the Aztecs?

Nicoletta Maestri holds a Ph.D. in Mesoamerican archaeology with fieldwork experience in Italy, the Near East, and throughout Mesoamerica. The Aztec creation myth which describes how the world originated is called the Legend of the Fifth Sun.

What was the world of the Aztecs called?

During each of the four previous cycles, different gods governed the earth through a dominant element and then destroyed it. These worlds were called suns.

How did Tezcatlipoca end the world?

This world came to an end through catastrophic hurricanes and floods. The few survivors fled to the tops of the trees and were transformed into monkeys. This world also lasted 676 years.

What gods created the fifth sun?

At the end of the fourth sun, the gods gathered at Teotihuacan to decide who had to sacrifice him/herself for the new world to begin. The god Huehuetéotl —the old fire god—started a sacrificial bonfire, but none of the most important gods wanted to jump into the flames.

What is the myth of the fifth sun?

The Aztec creation myth which describes how the world originated is called the Legend of the Fifth Sun. Several different versions of this myth exist, and this is for a few reasons. First is because the stories were originally passed down by oral tradition. Also a factor is that the Aztecs adopted and modified gods and myths from other groups ...

What was the Aztecs' duty?

The Aztecs considered themselves the People of the Sun, and therefore their duty was to nourish the Sun god through blood offerings and sacrifices. Failure to do this would cause the end of their world and the disappearance of the sun from the sky.

Why did the gods throw a rabbit at the moon?

However, the gods realized that two suns would overwhelm the world, so they threw a rabbit at Tecuciztecal and he became the moon—that is why you can still see the rabbit in the moon today. The two celestial bodies were set in motion by Ehecatl, the god of the wind, who fiercely and violently blew the sun into motion.

What was the Aztec civilization?

The Aztec civilization was also highly developed socially, intellectually and artistically. It was a highly structured society with a strict caste system; at the top were nobles, while at the bottom were serfs, indentured servants and enslaved workers. Recommended for you. 1943. The Harlem Riot of 1943 begins.

What were the Aztec gods?

In the great cities of the Aztec empire, magnificent temples, palaces, plazas and statues embodied the civilization’s unfailing devotion to the many Aztec gods, including Huitzilopochtli (god of war and of the sun) and Quetzalcoatl (“Feathered Serpent”), a Toltec god who served many important roles in the Aztec faith over the years.

How many people did the Aztecs have?

By the early 16th century, the Aztecs had come to rule over up to 500 small states, and some 5 to 6 million people, either by conquest or commerce. Tenochtitlán at its height had more than 140,000 inhabitants, and was the most densely populated city ever to exist in Mesoamerica.

What was the name of the Aztecs?

The Aztecs were also known as the Tenochca (from which the name for their capital city, Tenochtitlan, was derived) or the Mexica (the origin of the name of the city that would replace Tenochtitlan, as well as the name for the entire country).

What did the Aztecs do when they saw an eagle?

When the Aztecs saw an eagle perched on a cactus on the marshy land near the southwest border of Lake Texcoco, they took it as a sign to build their settlement there. They drained the swampy land, constructed artificial islands on which they could plant gardens and established the foundations of their capital city, Tenochtitlán, in 1325 A.D.

Where did the Aztecs come from?

The Aztecs, who probably originated as a nomadic tribe in northern Mexico, arrived in Mesoamerica around the beginning of the 13th century. From their magnificent capital city, Tenochtitlan, the Aztecs emerged as the dominant force in central Mexico, developing an intricate social, political, religious and commercial organization ...

Who took Montezuma hostage?

Though the Aztecs had superior numbers, their weapons were inferior, and Cortes was able to immediately take Montezuma and his entourage of lords hostage, gaining control of Tenochtitlan. The Spaniards then murdered thousands of Aztec nobles during a ritual dance ceremony, and Montezuma died under uncertain circumstances while in custody.

What did the Aztecs do to their religion?

At their central temple in Tenochtitlan, Templo Mayor, the Aztecs practiced both bloodletting (offering one’s own blood) and human sacrifice as part of their religious practices. The Spanish reaction to Aztec religious practices is believed to be partially responsible for the violence of the Spanish conquest .

What was the name of the city in Tenochtitlan?

At first, the Mexica in Tenochtitlan were one of a number of small city-states in the region. They were subject to the Tepanec, whose capital was Azcapotzalco, and had to pay tribute to them. In 1428, the Mexica allied with two other cities—Texcoco and Tlacopan. They formed the Aztec Triple Alliance and were able to win the battle for regional control, collecting tribute from conquered states.

Where did Huitzilopochtli find their settlement?

This settlement, in the region of Mesoamerica called Anáhuac located on a group of five connected lakes, became Tenochtitlan.

Who was the Spanish leader who came to Mexico in 1519?

The Spanish, led by conquistador Hernando Cortés, arrived in what is now Mexico in 1519. They were looking for gold, and the gifts from the Mexica ruler, Motecuhzoma, proved that gold was present. Upon arriving in Tenochtitlan, Cortés took Motecuhzoma prisoner and attempted to rule on his behalf, but this did not go well, and Cortés fled the city in June of 1520.

What are the two pictographic texts that survived Spanish destruction?

Two pictographic texts that survived Spanish destruction—the Matricula de tributos and Codex Mendoza — record the tributes paid to the Aztecs. The codices also recorded religious practices. A 260-day ritual calendar was used by Aztec priests for divination, alongside a 365-day solar calendar.

What is the Aztec civilization?

For the same reason, the notion of "Aztec civilization" is best understood as a particular horizon of a general Mesoamerican civilization.

Who was the Aztec ruler?

Moctezuma II Xocoyotzin is known to world history as the Aztec ruler when the Spanish invaders and their indigenous allies began their conquest of the empire in a two-year-long campaign (1519–1521). His early rule did not hint at his future fame. He succeeded to the rulership after the death of Ahuitzotl. Moctezuma Xocoyotzin ( lit. "He frowns like a lord, the youngest child"), was a son of Axayacatl, and a war leader. He began his rule in standard fashion, conducting a coronation campaign to demonstrate his skills as a leader. He attacked the fortified city of Nopallan in Oaxaca and subjected the adjacent region to the empire. An effective warrior, Moctezuma maintained the pace of conquest set by his predecessor and subjected large areas in Guerrero, Oaxaca, Puebla and even far south along the Pacific and Gulf coasts, conquering the province of Xoconochco in Chiapas. he also intensified the flower wars waged against Tlaxcala and Huexotzinco, and secured an alliance with Cholula. He also consolidated the class structure of Aztec society, by making it harder for commoners (Nahuatl languages: macehualtin) to accede to the privileged class of the pipiltin through merit in combat. He also instituted a strict sumptuary code limiting the types of luxury goods that could be consumed by commoners.

What is the origin of the Tenochtitlan?

Mexica migration and foundation of Tenochtitlan. In the ethnohistorical sources from the colonial period, the Mexica themselves describe their arrival in the Valley of Mexico. The ethnonym Aztec (Nahuatl Aztecah) means "people from Aztlan ", Aztlan being a mythical place of origin toward the north.

What are the sources of knowledge about the Aztecs?

Knowledge of Aztec society rests on several different sources: The many archeological remains of everything from temple pyramids to thatched huts, can be used to understand many of the aspects of what the Aztec world was like. However, archeologists often must rely on knowledge from other sources to interpret the historical context of artifacts. There are many written texts by the indigenous people and Spaniards of the early colonial period that contain invaluable information about precolonial Aztec history. These texts provide insight into the political histories of various Aztec city-states, and their ruling lineages. Such histories were produced as well in pictorial codices. Some of these manuscripts were entirely pictorial, often with glyphs. In the postconquest era many other texts were written in Latin script by either literate Aztecs or by Spanish friars who interviewed the native people about their customs and stories. An important pictorial and alphabetic text produced in the early sixteenth century was Codex Mendoza, named after the first viceroy of Mexico and perhaps commissioned by him, to inform the Spanish crown about the political and economic structure of the Aztec empire. It has information naming the polities that the Triple Alliance conquered, the types of tribute rendered to the Aztec Empire, and the class/gender structure of their society. Many written annals exist, written by local Nahua historians recording the histories of their polity. These annals used pictorial histories and were subsequently transformed into alphabetic annals in Latin script. Well-known native chroniclers and annalists are Chimalpahin of Amecameca-Chalco; Fernando Alvarado Tezozomoc of Tenochtitlan; Alva Ixtlilxochitl of Texcoco, Juan Bautista Pomar of Texcoco, and Diego Muñoz Camargo of Tlaxcala. There are also many accounts by Spanish conquerors who participated in Spanish invasion, such as Bernal Díaz del Castillo who wrote a full history of the conquest.

What is the Aztec language?

Linguistically, the term "Aztecan" is still used about the branch of the Uto-Aztecan languages (also sometimes called the yuto-nahuan languages) that includes the Nahuatl language and its closest relatives Pochutec and Pipil. To the Aztecs themselves the word "aztec" was not an endonym for any particular ethnic group.

How was the Aztec Empire ruled?

The Aztec Empire was ruled by indirect means. Like most European empires, it was ethnically very diverse, but unlike most European empires, it was more of a system of tribute than a single system of government. Ethnohistorian Ross Hassig has argued that Aztec empire is best understood as an informal or hegemonic empire because it did not exert supreme authority over the conquered lands; it merely expected tributes to be paid and exerted force only to the degree it was necessary to ensure the payment of tribute. It was also a discontinuous empire because not all dominated territories were connected; for example, the southern peripheral zones of Xoconochco were not in direct contact with the center. The hegemonic nature of the Aztec empire can be seen in the fact that generally local rulers were restored to their positions once their city-state was conquered, and the Aztecs did not generally interfere in local affairs as long as the tribute payments were made and the local elites participated willingly. Such compliance was secured by establishing and maintaining a network of elites, related through intermarriage and different forms of exchange.

What is the meaning of the mask in Aztec mythology?

Large ceramic statue of an Aztec eagle warrior. The Nahuatl words ( aztecatl [asˈtekat͡ɬ], singular) and ( aztecah [asˈtekaʔ], plural) mean "people from Aztlan ," a mythical place of origin for several ethnic groups in central Mexico.

Why did the Aztecs use animal symbolism?

As the animal diversity in the Mesoamerican region was exceptionally rich at the time, the Aztecs used animal symbolism to describe almost every activity. Animal symbolism was also used to describe the different times of day, as well as the different months and seasons of the year, as was common in most ancient cultures.

What did the Aztecs use as symbols?

The Aztecs’ affinity for symbolism and allegories went so far that they even used normal, everyday items or activities as common symbols in their writings and art. One warrior standing in front of a kneeling opponent was a symbol of dominance, footsteps in the dirt symbolized a person’s journey or the passage of time, blood was a powerful symbol of power and even newborn babies were a common symbol of someone escaping captivity.

What is the Aztec calendar?

The Aztec calendar is most well-known as the “sun stone” but a more accurate name would be the Cuauhxicalli Eagle Bowl. It’s easy to view the Aztec calendar as a symbol in and of itself, but it was actually a combination of dozens and hundreds of different symbols – one for each season, each day, and each activity ascribed to them.

What is the meaning of the eagle in Aztec mythology?

Yes, the famed Eagle Warriors are the second most well-known Aztec war caste, and children born under this astrological sign were believed to express war-like qualities such as power, bravery, and fearlessness . The eagle was associated with the sun which also “flew” across the sky every day, “chasing” away the night as its prey.

Why did the Aztecs need blood?

For them, people’s blood was the very substance that made the world go round, or rather – that kept the sun going around the world. The Aztecs believe that at night, the sun was too weak and that’s why it traveled through the underworld. So, the sun needed blood to maintain its strength and rise up again every morning.

What animal is the biggest predator in Mesoamerica?

The Jaguar is the biggest wild feline and alpha predator in Mesoamerica so it’s not surprising that the Aztecs adopted it as a powerful symbol. In their culture, the Jaguar became the symbol of the Aztecs’ most elite warriors – the Jaguar Warriors.

Can we list every symbol used in Aztec writings?

We can’t possibly list every symbol used in Aztec writings and culture in a single article. We can mention the most prominent and/or curious ones, however.

Aztec Mythology in Context

CORE Deities and Characters

Major Myths

• Many Aztec myths tell all or part of the story of the five suns. The Aztecs believed that four suns, or worlds, had existed before theirs. In each case, catastrophic events had destroyed everything, bringing the world to an end. Many stories related the Loss of the Ancients, the mythic event in which the first people disappeared from the earth. One...

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Key Themes and Symbols

Aztec Mythology in Art, Literature, and Everyday Life

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