NAHUATL CULTURE: ORIGIN, LOCATION, CHARACTERISTICS, RELIGION, ECONOMY - HISTORY - 2025

The Nahuatl culture, also known as Nahua, encompassed a series of native peoples that inhabited Mesoamerica in pre-Columbian times. Their common link was the language they spoke, Nahuatl. Among these groups, the Mexica and other Anahuac peoples stood out.

The Nahuatl language spread over a wide territory that included from Mexico to areas of Costa Rica, Nicaragua or Guatemala. According to experts, there were up to 60 dialects related to that language.

Number of Nahuatl speakers in Mexico, according to the XII General Census of Population and Housing of INEGI in 2000 - Source: Addicted04 under the Creative Commons Generic Attribution / Share-Equal 3.0 license

The Nahuas, according to their own legends, came to Mexican territory from the north. Their place of origin was Aztlán, from where they left at the direction of the gods. With the name of Mexica, they were the founders of Tenochtitlán and they managed to spread their culture throughout much of Mesoamerica.

The arrival of the Spanish conquerors caused many of their customs and traditions to be lost. Experts point out that it was a culture that maintained a close relationship with nature. For them the family was the most important social nucleus, something that still remains among their descendants.

Origin

Although the Nahuatl culture was the majority in Mesoamerica, research on its origin has been very scarce. In many cases, the legends of each town have given some indications about their origin, but the historical data are not very abundant.

Presence in Mesoamerica

Researchers date the presence of the Nahuatl culture in Mesoamerica around 500 BC. It is known that, from that time on, the language used by the peoples of that culture spread to the west of the region, reaching even further to the south, such as Chiapas.

The Mexican documentary sources indicate that they came from the north and some historians believe that they may have played a role in the fall of Teotihuacan, around 800 AD. C.

The Mexican legends affirm that the Nahuas came from a swampy region called Aztlán, land of herons in Spanish.

Over time, the Nahuas formed seven different tribes: Tepanecs, Acolhuas, Xochimilcas, Chalcas, Traxcaletas, Tlahuicas and, finally, the Aztecs. It was the latter who ended up dominating the largest territory and forming a great empire.

According to linguists, the very term Aztec comes from the mystical origin of the Nahuas. Thus, Aztec would mean "inhabitant of Aztlán."

A hypothesis maintained by some historians suggests that the Nahuatl were members of the upper class of the Toltecs.

Geographic location

Much of the research on the extension of the Nahuatl culture is based on linguistic studies, since the language was the common link between all the peoples that made it up.

Thus, the evidence allows us to affirm that between the 5th and 13th centuries, Nahuatl was spoken throughout central and western Mesoamerica, Chiapas, Veracruz, part of Tabasco, Guatemala, Cuzcatlán (El Salvador), Honduras, Nicaraocalli and Ometepe.

Similarly, some communities settled in Río San Juan, in present-day Costa Rica, and in the Sixaola basin, on the border with Panama.

Depending on the area, the Nahuas were called differently. In Nicaragua they were called Nicaraos or Niquiranos, in El Salvador and Guatemala they were called Pipiles and in Mexico they were known as Mexica or Aztecs.

General characteristics of the

The common element of all the Nahua peoples was that they spoke the Nahuatl language. Furthermore, their religious beliefs were very similar.

Language

The name of the Nahuatl culture comes precisely from the language they spoke. This language began to be established in the Valley of Mexico around the 5th century AD. C. It is a language included in the Uto-Aztec linguistic family.

Experts affirm that Nahuatl had contributions from various cultures. For example, a characteristic word, Tl, replaced T due to the influence of Tenochtitlán. Likewise, it seems that the Toltecs also contributed some concepts.

At first, Nahuatl was reserved for the higher classes, both political and religious. It was also adopted by merchants, no doubt due to the need to speak a common language that would allow them to sell their products. In time, the people ended up speaking the same language.

Writing

Before the arrival of the Spanish conquerors, the Aztecs only had a script based on ideograms and pictograms. It was a very rudimentary system that only allowed the transmission of basic ideas.

Some Spanish chroniclers created a Nahuatl grammar and began to write it with Latin spelling. The first texts were elaborated in the 16th and 17th centuries and were based on the Nahuatl modality that was spoken in Tenochtitlán. For this reason, this variant is called classical Nahuatl.

Meaning of Nahuatl name

Although there are several theories, the most followed affirms that the Nahuatl term comes from a word that means "witch".

Feeding

The Nahuatl used to eat two meals a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The basis of their diet was corn, which they obtained from their farmland. In addition, the ingestion of wheat and cocoa was also frequent.

Architecture

Many of the great monuments built by the Nahuatl are still standing. This is possible thanks to the resistance of the materials used.

The most important buildings were those for religious activities. They used to have four sides, each with its corresponding staircase, and a sanctuary at the top. The ornaments represented elements of nature, the basis of much of the belief system of this culture.

Painting and crafts

The Nahuatl culture achieved great mastery in its painting. Many of the works represented celebrations of the settlements, especially those of a religious nature. Likewise, they also reflected daily activities.

The paintings were made on amate paper, wood or ceramic. The latter stand out for their striking colors and for the figures of fantasy animals.

On the other hand, the deposits have allowed us to know part of their artisan production. Many examples of household utensils have been found, from pots to wooden stools. Likewise, its production of hand-embroidered fabrics was very important.

Social organization

Broadly speaking, the Nahuatl divided their society into several different classes. The first were the calpullis, family clans who shared their lands. Neighborhoods and communities that shared the same work activity were formed around their lands. These calpullis owned their lands, although they had to pay a tribute to the chief.

Another of the existing classes were the nobles, called pilli. His job was eminently administrative.

The importance of religion among the Nahuatl caused the priestly class to have great importance. Socially they were considered as members of the nobility, although they did not develop any type of administrative task. Its only function was religious.

Traditions

The most outstanding traditions of the Nahuatl culture are related to the ceremonies they performed. However, it must be taken into account that there were differences depending on the region in which each town settled.

Ceremonies

In ancient Nahuatl culture, the person responsible for religious ceremonies was the priest. Today, when many have been mixed with Catholic traditions, a shaman is still in charge of the rituals.

The ceremonies used to be related to both the religious calendar and nature, such as the change of season. Similarly, rituals were carried out to ask for better crops or to honor the dead.

Today, as noted, the ceremonies are linked to the Catholic calendar. Among the most important celebrations are the one that celebrates the winter solstice, carnival, the beginning of spring or the Day of the Dead.

Other rites that are still celebrated are those destined to cure diseases, request the arrival of rain or pilgrimages to holy places.

The rite of death

Nahuatl culture believes in the existence of the soul. For them, the fate of this after death depends on the circumstances. Thus, if the death has occurred prematurely, the soul becomes a spirit of the wind that causes diseases.

If death, on the other hand, has occurred due to something related to water, the Nahuatl think that the soul will go to a kind of aquatic paradise.

This means that the Nahuatl culture does not believe that the behavior of the person determines the destiny of his soul. On the other hand, if they believe that the deceased always remain linked to their loved ones, but on a different plane.

Mitohtli

The Mitohtli, generically called Fiesta, are a series of days that the Nahuatl take to rest and celebrate in community. It is not just a holiday, but it should help the community to coalesce and strengthen. Likewise, it is an occasion for competitiveness and envy to disappear.

Custom

As has been pointed out, it is difficult to highlight the customs of the Nahuatl. By not forming a single group, these can change depending on the area they inhabited.

Traditional houses

The traditional houses of the Nahuatl culture currently have two rooms and a large plot. They are rectangular houses and are built with wooden beams. In colder areas, the walls are raised with reeds and branches and covered with mud.

Each house has an altar, as well as a space for the animals. Normally, they also tend to have a garden in which to plant beans and corn.

Natural medicine

Traditional medicine is still being used in many towns inhabited by the descendants of the Nahuatl culture. Among the most common remedies are herbs and medicinal plants and, as they did in the past, shamans perform healing rituals.

Marriage

The importance of the family and the community is still reflected in the marriage customs of the Nahuatl. For this culture, men and women need a partner. If one member of the couple dies, it is best for the survivor to remarry.

On the other hand, current Nahuatl communities offer the same rights to men and women. This, according to experts, is a reflection of the equality represented by the god Ometecuhtli and the goddess Omecihuatl.

Family concept

Since ancient times, when the calpulli was the nucleus of society, the family has been fundamental in the life of the Nahuatl. For them, the family is a very extensive entity, since it includes grandparents, great-great-grandparents and even the children of other couples.

This means that, for example, infidelity is severely punished. In the case of extramarital children being born, the man is obliged to take care of them.

Religion

Before the Spanish arrived, the Nahuatl culture practiced a polytheistic religion. Much of their gods were related to nature.

As happened in the rest of America controlled by Spain, the Nahuatl were converted to Catholicism. Despite that, they were able to retain some of their ancient beliefs and ceremonies.

At present, the Nahuatl communities still retain a certain magical conception in their beliefs. Aspects such as natural phenomena, animals that can transform into a person or the existence of witches continue to be part of their rituals.

Gods

One of the most important characteristics of the Nahuatl religion was that the gods used to take the form of animals when they related to humans. For this culture, their deities had great powers, so they were honored and feared.

Among its main gods, Ometeotl stood out, who presented a duality: Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl. Other important deities were Xochipilli, god of love, and Centeotl, god of corn.

Apart from the above, the Nahuatl also worshiped Tlaloc, god of rain and lightning; Quetzalcóatl, the feathered serpent; Xolotl; Mictlantecuhtli, Huitzilopochtli or Coatlicue, among many others.

Priests

The importance of religion in the life of the Nahuatl led to the priestly caste having great power. The so-called tlamatinime were in charge of preserving knowledge, offering education and organizing ceremonies according to religious beliefs.

As high priests, the tlamatinime played a very important role in shaping the personality of the population. Likewise, they had to mediate before the gods so that the crops were good and that the climate favored them.

Worldview

Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca

The Nahuatl culture's conception of the universe was totally linked to their religious beliefs. For them, the vital principle was the Sun, which had divine character. This star was related to the cycles of the universe itself, with life and death.

The existence of the universe, according to the vision of this culture, was based on the struggle between good and evil. The first was represented by Quetzalcóatl, symbol of the luminous, while evil was represented by Tezcatlipoca, the darkness.

For the Nahuatl, the gods created the world to be inhabited by men, as they needed their recognition and veneration.

Clothing

As with other aspects of this culture, the Nahuatl dress was not the same in all peoples. However, over time traditional costumes were created that still remain.

Pre-Columbian period

Before the conquest, men dressed in a very simple way. His outfit consisted of three pieces. One of them was the tilmatli, a blanket that was placed in the form of a cape and was used on special occasions. Another of the garments was the maxlat, a rectangular red cloth with which the hips were wrapped.

The women, for their part, wore the huipil. This was a sleeveless shirt that covered up to the crotch. This garment was combined with the cueitl, a skirt that reached the ankles.

Design of a huipil, via Wikimedia Commons.

On the other hand, it was common for the upper classes to make their clothing with white cotton, which they then dyed in colors.

Present

The attempt by the Spanish to make indigenous peoples abandon their customs also reached clothing. However, some elements of the current traditional costume are reminiscent of those used in ancient times.

The men usually wear a blanket shirt, a red scarf tied around the neck, a palm hat and sole sandals.

The women continue to wear the traditional cotton huipil. Today they decorate it with many different images, with a special presence of animals and plants.

Economy

The settlements of the members of this culture always took into account the presence of fertile lands that could offer them enough food to survive. Surpluses, when produced, were exchanged with other peoples. Thus, they were able to establish some trade routes.

Agriculture was the base of the economy. Among the cultivated products corn stood out, followed by other cereals, fruits and vegetables.

These towns also developed a certain textile industry. Their elaborations, apart from for their own use, were destined for trade. Finally, pottery was another of the economic activities that gained importance in the Nahuatl culture.

Tequio

Two important aspects of the Nahuatl economy were its community character and respect for nature.

The importance of family clans made economic activities were at the service of the clan.

Even today you can find a custom that refers to this community work. It is about Tequio, a community task that all the inhabitants of the town must carry out without receiving any payment.

References

1. León-Portilla, Miguel. Náhuatl: language and culture with ancient roots. Recovered from arqueologiamexicana.mx
2. Tweet you. Nahuatl culture. Obtained from tuitearte.es
3. Let's talk about cultures. Náhuatl: History, Origin, Location, Traditions, and much more… Obtained from hablemosdeculturas.com
4. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. Nahua. Retrieved from britannica.com
5. Maestri, Nicoletta. Nahuatl - The Lingua Franca of the Aztec Empire. Retrieved from thoughtco.com
6. Sipper, Joshua. Nahua Peoples: Culture, Religion & Language. Recovered from study.com
7. Strom, Caleb. Nahuatl, The Language of the Aztec Nation. Retrieved from ancient-origins.net