In aztec Mythology, there are two deities that stood for many years throughout the creation myth. In the legends, Quetzalcoatl, a historical figure, a legendary ruler, and in a majority of the regions cultural stories. Tezcatlipoca, also a deity in the aztec religion, brother to Quetzalcoatl. It is said that Tezcatlipoca tricks and forces him into exile. Mainly both of them are in cosmic conflict with one another, it is said that they brought creation and destruction of suns and earths. This traditional
Aztec Mythology: Origin Story and Major Gods The ancient Aztecs had many gods that were associated with lots of different things that were important to their culture and their survival. They also held lots of ceremonies to celebrate and appease the gods, who were temperamental. If you displeased the gods they would make you suffer. Alot of their ceremonies involved sacrifice, they were a gory civilization. A few of their more major gods were: Huitzilopochtli, Quetzalcoatl, Tezcatlipoca, Xipe Totec
The Coatlicue Sculpture I have chosen The Coatlicue sculpture, in Mexico City’s National Museum of Anthropology. I find this piece to be a very interesting, and unique piece of art. This piece of art is one of the most famous Mexica (Aztec) sculptures; the statue was a gigantic piece made out of stone and which symbolizes earth and fire. The Coatlicue (the name pronounced "koh-at-lee-kway"). This unique piece of art stands over ten feet tall, it towers over the people as it leans towards them
The Aztecs, as conquerors, expanded their power, influence and territory by subjugating a myriad of local and tribal cultures. Ignoring the obvious violence and death, the Aztecs imposed their culture and values on the conquered peoples. The cultural practices of the Aztecs which focused upon fertility, agriculture, ancient games, war, and social and political power, led to the perversion and distortion of the Aztec’s initial religious ambition by virtue of their increased usage of human sacrifice
near Teotihuacán in Xolalpan and Texcoco. The deity most likely became a prominent Aztec god during the 15th century due to the Aztec conquest of the Gulf Coast under the reign of Axaycatl. Xipe Totec was a major Aztec god also worshipped by Tlaxcaltecans, Zapotecs, Mixtecs, Tarascan, and Huastecs. Xipe Totec was protector of day Cuauhtli and the trecena that starts with 1-Itzcuintli in the Aztec calendar. The Aztec civilization was one that was founded on religion and relied on art to portray their
the significance of transnational and transhistorical cultural exchange to the Aztecs at Tenochtitlan. The mask, discovered at the Templo Mayor at Tenochtitlan, is displayed in the exhibition “Golden Kingdoms: Luxury and Legacy in the Ancient Americas” at the J. Paul Getty Center in Los Angeles. Its presence emphasizes both the importance of the Aztec ceremonial center at Tenochtitlan and the significance of the mythology of Coyolxauhqui to the Mexica. The spatial narrative at the Templo Mayor is rooted
The Aztecs people of Central Mexico have been a controversial culture studied by many archeologist and anthropologist alike. The Aztec had an empire in central Mexico when the Spanish arrived in the 1500s. The Aztecs had a very controversial practice not seen in many cultures around the world and that is a human sacrifice. To understand the practice of human sacrifice one must look at the reasons why the culture did such practices. There are three main ways of examining a cultural practice from
The Aztecs and Incas served an important role in the primal Native American civilizations. They were similar and different with the treatment of women, the economy, and intellectual achievements. Economically, both civilizations used trade, tribute, and agriculture to build their economy. However, the Aztecs had a more mixed economy, used trade more frequently than the Incas, and had a merchant class whereas the Incan civilization had more governmental control. Intellectually, both civilizations
destination every living thing will one day reach. The finish line of rot, ruin and decay. There are many dark deities in mythology. Male and Female deities in every different culture in the world. Two of the most interesting deities of death and darkness are Micteacaihatl the lady of death in Aztec culture, and the famous Anubis, guardian of the dead, and afterlife in Egyptian mythology. In Egyptian culture they believe that death is only the beginning, much like Christian cultures today. If you were
In Aztec mythology, Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca developed the fifth world and as part of their creation they placed Mictlantecuhtli and his wife, Mictecacihuatl, in the underworld. In order to create human life the twin gods Quetzalcoatl and Xolotl were sent to
The Aztecs cosmology was a unique combination of mythology. Their beliefs about themselves and their purpose were not something they took lightly. “The mystic-militaristic approach characteristic of Aztec religion…felt that the purpose of man’s creation was to provide blood for the maintenance of the Sun’s life” (Leon-Portilla, Aztec Thought & Culture, 122). With this perspective of themselves, the Aztecs believed that human sacrifice was not only justified but necessary for the lives of civilization
one of the oldest practices of the Mesoamerican culture. The Aztecs, the last empire of the Mesoamericans, performed human sacrifices in their festivals as a means to show political power and to maintain the order of the universe. The Mexica Empire also considered war and sacrifice to be essential in the gaining of their vast territories. It is believed that hundreds, or even thousands, of victims were sacrificed each year at the Aztec religious sites. However, in addition to the religious ritual
Few objects could claim to elicit such varied responses as the stone statue of Coatlicue. Found in 1790 in the former Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, the object depicted the ancient mother goddess of childbirth and warfare. Nahuatl for “Serpent Skirt,” Coatlicue wears a skirt weaved of snakes. However, that is not the only place on the statue that features the serpent motif. In fact, her head itself is removed, giving way to two spouts of blood that are represented as snakes. Serpents are known to
Mythology ,to this day, is a fascination to many. Made first to explain the wonders of the world and the creation of space, time, and life itself.Every Region had their own explanation to all these questions and have even put their own twist on earlier myths. Mayan mythology centered around life and its principals. Often in Mayan mythology, the connection between the deity and the human were the most important for both counter parts. This would allow such deities to perform such extraordinary things
plants are used to symbolize life as the eternal cycle of nature. One part of this life cycle, represented in Aztec mythology by the goddess Coatlicue, is essentially death. (FRIDA KAHLO 72) Therefore, in the ancient Mexican sense, death simultaneously means rebirth and life. In this self-portrait, death is presented against the thorny branches, a symbol taken from pre-Hispanic mythology through which Kahlo alludes to the rebirth that follows death. For death is understood as a path or transition
!!!Tezcatlipoca Tezcatlipoca was one of the most important gods in the Aztec pantheon. Originally adopted from the Toltecs, Tezcatlipoca is with the horned owl and the jaguar, the latter of which he is known to shapeshift into its form at will. This explains his association with the first day of the thirteen-day Aztec calendar which is represented by a jaguar. In addition to his shapeshifting ability, Tezcatlipoca also appeared as several different gods who were aspects of his identity. Complicated
The Aztecs were a large civilization and arguably the most advanced group of people in Latin America. They were developed in all aspects in life; from their unique and colorful culture to their exceptional feats and achievements. The Aztecs were proud and fierce people and even managed to continue to develop and hold on to their culture, despite the overwhelming change that the Spanish Conquest brought. This exhibit is dedicated to the Aztecs and their accomplishments as a civilization in all areas
The Legend of Quetzalcoatl: Man or Myth? From the beginning of the Toltec reign in Central Mexico, the deity Quetzalcoatl has been a central figure in the religion and culture of Mexico. This is undisputed. What can be disputed, however, is Quetzalcoatl’s legitimacy as an historical figure. The deity Quetzalcoatl, or the “plumed serpent” is inseparable from the man Ce Acatl Topitlzin Quetzalcoatl, known to be a famous leader in pre-historical Mexican myth. The dissection becomes more difficult still
process. Formal processes are goals set by figures of power in order to alter or improve upon the conquered civilization. Informal processes are personal choices made by the conquered people that help to define their culture, such as traditions, mythology, medicine, or food preferences. (Foster 12). In addition, Foster comments on how a “conquest culture” is formed by the dominant civilization being reduced or stripped down, with many of its rules removed and simplified, then given to the conquered
epitomizes and denotes a historical past brimming with every conceivable human emotion. II. History According to Nahuatl written and oral stories, Atzlán is the ancestral home of the Aztec people. A component of one of the largest Native American linguistic family, Uto-Aztecan, Nahuatl was the language of the Aztecs. Atzlán means “place of whiteness” or “the place of the Heron”. According to legend, seven tribes lived in Atzlan-Chicomoztoc, or