Cosmology: According to Aztec cosmology, the universe is in a very delicate equilibrium. Opposing divine forces are competing for power. This equilibrium is in constant danger of being disrupted by shifting powers of the gods, of the elemental forces that influence our lifes. This struggle cannot be won by any god.
Sacred Symbols: Symbolism was a part of every day life for the people of central Mexico. Symbols were used in writing, in keeping time and dates, in names and titles, on buildings and in artwork, and even in clothing. It identified and explained the gods, showed social level, and foretold good and bad fortune.
Sacred Locations: Coatepec or Serpent Mountain was one of the most sacred places of Aztec mythology and religion. Some of the common features of Maya sites are the north-south orientation, the paved ceremonial plazas in the center of the pyramids with small temples on top, palace structures on lower platforms, and at least one ball court. The commonalties within these structures have roofs decorative by masonry and plaster vertical projections whose sole purpose was aesthetic beauty and power.
Major Gods:
Ah Kinchil
In Maya mythology, Ah Kinchil is the sun god.
Ah Puch
In Maya mythology, Ah Puch is the god of death.
Ahau Chamahez
In Maya mythology, Ahau Chamahez was one of two gods of medicine.
Ahmakiq
In Maya mythology, Ahmakiq is a god of agriculture. He locks up the wind when it threatens to destroy the crops.
Akhushtal
In Maya mythology, Akhushtal is the goddess of childbirth.
Bacabs
In Maya mythology, the bacabs are the canopic gods. They stand at the four corners of the world supporting the heavens.
Centeotl
In Aztec mythology, Centeotl was the corn god. He was a son of Tlazolteotl and the husband of Xochiquetzal.
Chalchiuhtlicue
In Aztec mythology, Chalchiuhtlicue was the goddess of running water. She was the sister of Tlaloc.
Chantico
In Aztec mythology, Chantico was the goddess of hearth fires and volcanoes.
Shamanistic Practices: Shamans are specialists in the state of ecstasy, a state of vision that allows them to move freely beyond the ordinary world, beyond death, beyond the real world to deal directly with gods, ancestors, or anything within the spirit world. Shamans will perform ceremonies as a plea for assistance from that supernatural world. To the Mayan, the shamans call for rain for relief from drought that could threaten life itself. They were the do-ers or h-men could communicate the needs of the people. They were blessed with their ability to perform the rituals effectively and bring rain. The ancient Mayan, shamans were not only those individuals who could enter a portal into the other world; they were the kings of cities.
Rituals: The Mexica world was full of omens, both good and bad. One had to constantly be alert for signs and pay strict attention to daily routine and ritual. A bird singing, a stone overturned, the sound of the wind - every aspect of nature was speaking and the Aztec had to listen, intently. There was one religion and the earth was doomed. Melancholy, pessimism, and dread engulfed the Aztec mocking life itself. Human sacrifice was a religious practice characteristic of pre-Columbian Aztec civilization, as well as of other mesoamerican civilizations such as the Maya and the Zapotec.
Images of Art
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