Thursday 27 September 2012

Symbols of the Aztecs

By Eddie Montezuma


Of all of the Aztec symbols, the Aztec Calendar is viewed as by quite a few historians to be one of the most vital. The cause for this is because the Aztecs worshipped the sun, and they made this clear with the many sun like designs that they placed on their calendar. To understand Aztec symbolism, you will need to initially find out a little about Aztec religious beliefs. The religious method that the Aztecs produced was based on a mixture of animism, shamanism, and polytheism. It's also well recognized that human sacrifice played an vital role in their religious system. Along with the sun, an additional object which was pretty significant to the Aztecs was the planet Venus. The moon was very essential to the Aztecs, because it symbolized Metztili, the god of night and farmers.

Aztec God Symbols

Quite a few of the symbols that are critical to the Aztecs had been those which were made use of to symbolize their gods. Along with gods, the Aztecs also worshipped goddesses, and two prominent goddesses which were worshipped by the Aztecs include Centzon Hutznahua and Chalchiuhtlicue. Centzon Hutznahua was the goddess of the springs, and Chalchiuhtlicue was the Earth goddess. Yet another force that the Aztecs worshipped was the wind, and the god which was most frequently linked with the wind is Quetzalcoatl.

Aztec Maize Symbols

An additional symbol which was incredibly important to the Aztecs was maize. Maize is obviously recognized to the majority of us today as being corn, but it was a staple diet of the Aztecs, and it also had religious importance.

The principal god of maize was Cinteotl. Initially, it was a goddess that represented maize instead of a god, but this was changed as time passes. The male version was named Chicomecoatl.

Earth Symbol

The Earth itself is an essential symbol to the Aztecs, and the reason for this is due to the way they divided the earth. In Aztec mythology, the Earth is divided in three parts, and this is the surface, where humans live, the underworld, which was the domain of the dead, and the sky. In accordance with Aztec mythology, humans could only dwell in either the surface world or underworld, while the sky was reserved for the gods.

Symbols From Nature

It should also be noted that lots of objects in nature were significant to the Aztecs. Caves and mountains were generally important for the Aztecs, and the reason for this was due to the fact the caves had been the areas where you crossed from the surface world to the underworld, and mountains were the location where one rose into the sky as they climbed the mountain.

Aztec And the Symbol Of Death

Death itself was an vital symbol for the Aztecs, and this is precisely why they believed in human Sacrifice. The Aztecs believed that humans need to sacrifice themselves for the gods so that life could continue on the planet.

The Five Suns myth is actually a excellent example of the Aztecs belief in death. While a lot of modern historians see the Aztecs as being bloodthirsty and cruel, their want to sacrifice was closely connected to their desire to survive and prosper on the planet. To the Aztecs, if sacrifices were not made to the gods, significant consequences could result.




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