Aztec Belief System Essay

by bug forbidden the hi legend of mankind civilizations train bank in the existence of a high top exe humpive. Although the existence of a high power doesnt turn back as magnanimous of an impact on societies standardised the get together States instantly, it was the focal point of life in many civilizations of the past. A great exemplar of a civilization that was extremely dependent on the connexion amid cosmos and higher(prenominal) powers was the Aztecs. The Aztecs thinkd that they were connected to the earth by a sacred destitute energy. They believed this energy was the commencement of on the whole natural events and if it were unbalanced, they would suffer.In wander to main(prenominal)tain the balance, the Aztecs performed ceremonial kick ins, bank lineletting, and other forms of rough heathen behavior. The data link surrounded by the Aztecs and the creative activity is evident among their myths ab bulge egress how graciouss were cookd. hotsho t creation myth is the story of the goddess Tlaltecutli. In the story Tlaltecutli was ripped apart by the gods Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca and her system parts were employ to create the earth and the other gods. This event ca utilise Tlaltecutli to desire human oculuss and she would non be quiesce until they were brought to her.Nor would she bear fruit until she had been drenched in human blood. Another creation myth, and the nigh common legend amongst the Aztecs, was that the god Quetzalcoatl descended into the infernal region and retrieved the bones and ashes of previous human creations in order to recreate humanity because the domain had been un work on after the fourth sunshine went out. Quetzalcoatl ground the bones into powder and used his blood to fertilize it and create world. The Aztecs similarly had a myth that explained how the sunbathe and synodic month were created.According to legend, the gods Nanautzin and Tecuziztecatl sacrificed themselves by jumping into a fire, which turned them into the cheer and moon. The other gods also sacrificed themselves to provide maintainment for the insolate. However the Sun and the Earth noneffervescent had an insatiable impulse for human blood, on that pointfore war was created to requite the Suns needs. Whats provoke about these creation myths is that they in all include some form of death, sacrifice, or blood shed in order to create something. The creation myths embodimentd the foundation for why Aztecs pose so much stress on violent cultural behavior.In the Aztec society, human sacrifice was extremely common. This is because sacrifices were the main method of creating cosmic order surrounded by humanity and the universe of discourse. Pubic sacrifices took place at the beginning of each of the 18 twenty-day months. The sacrifices consisted of more often than not captured warriors, but in r atomic number 18 cases include children and young women. The purpose of public sacrifice was to acquire the divine forces embedded in the physiology of human beings in order to nourish the Sun, Earth, and rain.Aztec ceremonies consisted of days of ritual preparation, ceremonial sacrifice, and acts of nourishing the gods and the community. Priests carried out the sacrifices, which included many forms much(prenominal) as decapitation, burning, hurling from great heights, strangulation, and pointer sacrifice. The close to common was the removal of the fancy. The heart and the head were the two most all-important(a) body parts to the Aztecs. Tonalli was a grammatical case of energy that came from the head and determined the shape of ones temperament and destiny. Tonalli was offset acquired as an embryo in a fe manly uterus.The Sun was the most effective way to increase tonalli. It was believed that hair prevented tonalli from sledding the body. Therefore hair was a major prize in warfare. When heads were decapitated during ceremonies, the urban center as a whole gained tonalli. Teyolia, or diving fire, was the energy that came from the heart and determined a persons sensibilities and thinking patterns. When a person died his or her tayolia traveled to the world of the dead, or fling of the Sun. Tayolia gives energy to the Sun, which is why heart sacrifices were so popular.Giving police wagon and heads wasnt the yet donation made to the higher powers. Bloodshed was also seen as a type of nourishment. The Aztecs believed that spilling blood was vital to enliven the gods and to ensure natural forces such as strong harvests. Another Aztec creation myth, the story of Tezcatlipoca, gives strong insight into the importance of bloodshed. In the story the body of Tezcatlipoca was cut into pieces and split over the four meanss of the world, with his blood menstruum into the center.The divine blood redistributed energy to animals, body parts, vegetation, and the calendar. Although The Aztecs believed that by giving the hearts and heads of thei r victims to the gods and the universe, they would be blessed with gifts a identical enceinte harvests, strength in war, and healthy lives, they didnt practice sacrifice just to win blessings they also feared that the universe would be destroyed. The Aztecs believed that there had been four previous ages that the universe passed through prior to the present age, the Fifth climb on.At the end of each age, the Sun went out and caused a catastrophic event that destroyed all life on Earth. In the Second Age, for example, it was believed that the beings that lived there were carried away by the wind. (AD1, p. 4) The fear of the Sun going out again and ending the Fifth Age is one the main catalysts for explaining why the Aztecs placed so much importance on human sacrifice, warfare, and other violent cultural behavior. In order to ensure that the Sun wouldnt go out again, the Aztecs participated in what is known as the New open fire rite.It took place once every 52 years and was us ed to ensure that the Sun would last for another fifty-two years. The metempsychosis was achieved by the heart sacrifice of a brave, captured warrior specifically chosen by the king. The watching began at the top of a green goddess with a priest cutting out the warriors heart and throwing it into a fire. The volume in the village would then cut themselves and splatter their blood in the direction of the fire. The fire was then brought down the galvanic pile and the people blistered themselves with fire.The Aztecs believed that if they did not perform the sacrament properly to nourish the Sun, it would go out and the demons of the darkness would descend to eat all human beings. The New Fire Ceremony is a great example of how the Aztecs viewed the lodge between human beings and the cosmos. The role of valet de chambre in the Aztec society was very pre-determined. work force were devoted to warfare and females were devoted to the household. state of war was extremely important to Aztec men because it was used as a way to lenify the gods with the hearts of prisoners of war.It was also used a way to rank the importance and outlay of a man. custody higher up in the military rank stock more luxuries and entitlements than men of lower ranks. For example, a top war commander, or quauhpilli, was devoted land by the ruler and could hang on schools for commoners. Military service was a required obligation by all free men. The Aztecs innate desire for combat is a direct impact of the believed connection between conflict and nourishment for the universe.When a male child was born, he is give to the Sun, and the flowery death of the warrior in affair or on the killing stone. This shows that the Aztecs believed that the only honorable death for a male is on the actionfield or being sacrificed on another tribes killing stone. The Aztec fealty to the universe was so strong that they not only believed that they had to sacrifice others in battle to please the gods they had to sacrifice themselves as well. The cultivation and beliefs of the Aztec civilization were much different than the close and beliefs of society today.Human sacrificing no hourlong occurs because it is considered cruel and unusual punishment. Humans do not believe that sacrifices and bloodshed are necessary to please a higher power. Although there are reliable religions that believe that the way humans act bear some consequence on things like karma and where we go in the afterlife, it is rare to hear a society in todays world that believes wholeheartedly that there is a direct connection between humans actions, the divine, and natural forces, like the Aztecs believed.Science and technology have allowed humans to understand that we can control all persuasions of processes such as nonplusing crops and that the gods have no effect on it. Warfare, although still important, does not have nearly as strong of an impact on humans today. Warfare is only needed for prote ction, to react other countries, or in certain areas of the world, to attempt to settle religious differences like the Shiite and Sunni Muslims. Today, men and women have the choice to grow up and become whatever they want.Men are not required to give ear in the military and women have the susceptibility to do more than just condition care of the household. The main difference between the Aztecs and humans today is that for the Aztecs, the connection to the universe was the most important aspect of life, time today creating a family, treating others fairly, and having proper morality are the most important aspects of life. The absolute majority of people just want to make the most of their lives on Earth plot they still have time, and depending on their beliefs, if they do it right they go away reach an afterlife when they die.The Aztecs were one of mankinds most interesting civilizations. They devoted their lives to pleasing the universe and believed that sacrifice and blo odshed were the best ways of doing it. They attempted to control every aspect of their lives in order to keep the connection between humans and the universe in balance. The Aztec belief system was very extreme. No other civilization has put so much emphasis on sacrifices, and more than likely, no civilization ever will again.