RELIGION OF THE AZTECS: PRINCIPLES, RELIGIOUS PRACTICES, GODS - HISTORY - 2025

The religion of the Aztecs refers to the set of spiritual beliefs and ceremonies that were practiced by the communities located in the ancient Mexica Empire -also known as the Aztec Empire or Tenochca-.

The Aztec culture was made up of a highly developed and vast civilization, whose economic center was located in the city of Tenochtitlan; from this place, the rulers guarded other important cities such as Tlacopan and Texcoco.

Painting where the worldview of the Aztec Empire is appreciated. Via wikimedia commons.

Although the religious cult of the Aztecs was polytheistic -that is, they believed in various gods-, their ceremonies were mainly focused on the god Huitzilopochtli, a warrior entity linked to the Sun who was attributed the founding of Mexico (Tenochtitlan).

In addition to worshiping Huitzilopochtli, the Mexica also paid tribute to other entities such as Coatlicue, goddess of the earth; Tlaloc, god of water and Quetzalcóatl, god of life and creator of men.

A defining characteristic of the Aztec religion consisted in the performance of human sacrifices and offerings. These practices were aimed at pleasing Huitzilopochtli, who - according to the myth - lost blood daily in his confrontations. In addition, these sacrifices were also intended to stop the end of the world, which could occur every fifty-two years.

Principles of Aztec religion

Aztec ritual offering against drought. Codex Tovar. Source: John Carter Brown Library / Public domain

The religion of the Mexica was characterized by its highly polytheistic character, since in their beliefs they worshiped many deities. Likewise, these gods stood out for their dual composition; In other words, each of them had an opposite version.

For example: Quetzalcóatl -also known as Tezcatlipoca Blanco- was the god of creation, light and life, so his counterpart was Tezcatlipoca Negro, known for being the lord of the night and of temptations.

According to the Aztec religion, the world was built and eliminated four times; however, the gods decided to remake it a fifth time. On that occasion, they chose to separate the sky from the earth, while the god Quetzalcóatl decided to create the human being together with the plants that would serve as food.

On the other hand, the Aztec religion considered that men only lived once; this implied that there was no possibility of life after death. For this reason, the Aztecs believed that the only way to transcend after death was through fame. This caused the warriors and Mexican nobles to try to stand out for their feats throughout their lives.

Religious practices

Human sacrifice of the Aztecs. Page 141 of the Codex Magliabechiano.

The Mexican culture stood out for its practice of human sacrifice. These were mainly to celebrate Huitzilopochtli, although they were also performed for other gods. For example, it was common for young girls to be sacrificed in order to please Teteoinnan, the goddess of medicine and childbirth.

However, these rituals also had a political purpose; It served the noble Mexica to instill fear in their enemy troops. In fact, the people sacrificed were generally prisoners of war or slaves, which served to spread stories about the bravery and cruelty of the Aztec warriors.

Besides the sacrifices, the Aztec culture also carried out other cultural festivals related to their deities; all these events were specified in their calendars, which consisted of eighteen twenty-day months. These calendars were directly linked to the Sun.

Main gods

Omteotl

This Nahuatl name can be translated as "dual god" and - according to the mythology of the Mexica - it was used to designate the god of creation. This deity is made up of two entities: Ometecuhtli and Omecíhuatl, who together make up the lord and lady of duality. The first represents the masculine, while the second affirms the feminine essence.

This deity aimed to watch over the energy of the cosmos (that is, the universe) and ensure its proper functioning. For this reason, the Aztecs knew him as "the true being of everything that exists, nurturing and preserving it."

Huitzilopochtli

Illustration by Huitzilopochtli

He was the main god of the Aztec culture; in fact, he was the most revered god in the territories of the central Highlands of Mexico. According to mythology, Huitzilopochtli was the son of Coatlicue (goddess of fertility) and Tonatiuh (god of the sky).

This god was not worshiped by the other Mesoamerican peoples, which is why he became an emblematic and unique figure for the Aztec Empire. At present, the myth of the founding of the city by Huitzilopochtli can be seen on the National Shield of Mexico.

Quetzalcoatl

Drawing of Quetzalcoatl found in a codex. Via wikimedia commons.

In Nahuatl, Quetzalcóatl means "feathered serpent" and is one of the most important deities within the Aztec religion. In contrast to Huitzilopochtli, Quetzalcóatl was worshiped by other civilizations in Mesoamerica.

This deity aimed to give life and light to things, but it was also associated with knowledge, fertility and the winds. Likewise, it was associated with the color white and was inspired by a historical figure known as Ce Ácatl Topiltzin, a king of Tula whose teachings were immortalized through oral tradition.

Tlaloc

Tlaloc was a Mesoamerican god who is credited with rains and rainy seasons. He was also considered the god of earthquakes and lightning. It is one of the oldest gods of the pantheon (that is, of the set of gods), since it was venerated by the first Aztec nomads who settled in Texcoco.

In honor of Tláloc, the Mexica performed important events and rituals. For example, on February 12, they held the Atlcahualo festival, where the deity was offered the sacrifice of a group of children, who were adorned with feathers and flowers.

Coatlicue

Coatlicue was the goddess of fertility, although she was also considered the mother of the gods. Generally, this deity was represented with a skirt made of serpents and with human hearts on the breasts, which was a symbol of its ability to give life. Besides being the mother of Huitzilopochtli, she was also the progenitor of Coyolxauhqui, a warrior goddess.

Themes of interest

Aztec calendar.

List of Aztec gods.

Aztec architecture.

Aztec literature.

Aztec sculpture.

Aztec art.

Aztec economy.

References

1. Brundage, B. (1983) The fifth sun: aztec gods, aztec world. Retrieved on February 16, 2020 from Google books: books.google.com
2. Joyce, T. (2013) Mexican archeology: an introduction to the Archeology of the Mexican and Mayan civilizations of pre-Spanish America. Retrieved on February 16 from Google books: books.google.com
3. Read, K. (1998) Time and sacrifice in the aztec cosmos. Retrieved on February 17, 2020 from Google books: books.google.com
4. SA (nd) The Aztec religion. Retrieved on February 17, 2020 from Art and history: artehistoria.com
5. SA (sf) Religion Mexica. Retrieved on February 17, 2020 from Wikipedia: es.wikipedia.org