Kevin Thomas
2/23/09
Carrasco has already proved that Tenochtitlan was more than a city, but a living symbol
of Aztec dominion, and the center of both their cosmological universe and their empire. In
chapter 2, he focuses his attention on Aztec religion, sacrifice, and how they are related to the
city and civilization as a whole. The main temple was, in turn, the absolute centerpiece of the
city and the universe. Half of the temple was dedicated to Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec patron god
(and god of war). The origin myth for Huitzilopochtli laid out the pattern for Aztec sacrifices: In
the myth, he first defeats his sister by decapitating her and then throwing her hacked-apart
remains down the mountain. He then sets upon the 400 warriors she brought with her, and
sacrifices all of them. Traditional Aztec sacrifices ritually transformed the victims into the
goddess, reinacting the event that let their patron god (and thus their whole civilization) become
dominant. The sacrifice of captured warriors was also part of the reenactment. Carrasco also
points out that these myths establish two patterns—that those on the periphery are to be used to
fuel the cosmos, and that sacrifices escalate as time goes on, from a single victim to many at
once. This, he says, is why Aztec sacrifices had reached a high point when Cortez arrived. They
had slowly been increasing them over the years. Another important practice—that of tribute—
was likely established by the origin myth, as Huitzilopochtli took the dressings and items of the
defeated warriors and made them his own, and part of his power. The Temple Mayor was found
to contain huge caches of treasure, 80% of which came from outside of the immediate
Tenochtitlan area. These items were a symbol of the Aztec dominance over peripheral polities;
they held their treasures, their unique items, their gods. The other half of the Temple Mayor was
dedicated to Tlaloc, an old god of the former empires from which the Aztec were birthed, which
they incorporated as a symbol of their rightful cosmological dominance.
Carrasco also points out that the Aztecs were aware of the fragility of their empire, and
given the cosmological importance of the city they always needed to be reinforcing their rightful
dominance. The many lavish and brutal sacrifices served to intimidate other colonies, and as a
clear sign of Tenochtitlan as a powerful empire, and helped preserve stability. This was also
why coronations were celebrated with a war; the new king had to show the continuation of the
cosmological order.
Other readings we’ve done have suggested that certain structural violences can in fact be
necessary for a civilization to flourish. Carrasco draws a vivid portrait of how human sacrifice
was completely central to Aztec civilization. They live in a state of constant war, struggle,
varying alliances, and conflict—much like the Shang. The intersection of this reality with the
origin myth of their patron god meant that they had to constantly reaffirm their claim to empire.
The ending of chapter 8 drives home a very important message—that the wealth of the Aztecs
was not build on the sum of gold and jade contained in Tenochtitlan, but by the cosmological and
physical existence of the holy city itself. It’s very being created the wealth and power, through
the flow of tribute and expansion of control. The rituals and sacrifices kept the city alive, in their
eyes. Violence and sacrifice may have been an important tool for many early civilizations;
sacrifices involve dominance, wealth, prayer, power, and also establish an “us” and “them”.
Considering how easy it would be to quickly go from conqueror to victim, such reinforcement
was perhaps vital to maintaining the structures of power, and the unity of the whole.
In my reading, the biggest whole in Carrasco’s discussion was everyone else. His theory
about the intersection of Aztec mythology and the policies of their city was very convincing; but
I wonder how the other Mesoamerican states would measure up to this. Did other city-states also
practice human sacrifice? And if so, did it appear to serve similar ends? Strong differences, in
practice or in beliefs, would not refute his claim, but certainly complicate his links and
explanations.
The Aztec concept of “place” and what their city meant both reflected the ideal universe, and
was designed to cope with threats and dangers.
The Aztecs lived in a state of constant balance and worry—much like the Shang. Connection to
sacrifice?
Aztec creation myth: the Aztec sacrifices mimic the destruction of the war god’s sister by his
hand. The war god also sacrifices all the other warriors who fought with his sister. He
incorporates all the other warrior’s symbols into his own and gains their power. The other
warriors came from the periphery
Sacrifice for creation, and ritual combat, were central to the myth and thus Aztec religion
There is a constant battle between being the center of the universe, and dealing with all the
cosmological uncertainties and dangers, even heritages
The sacrifices may have also been a form of political power and expression of dominance to
other city-states and peripheral territories
During the Spanish conquest, the sacred space of the Aztecs became a conflict zone where their
traditional order collapsed