Title: How Did the Culture of the Aztec Reflect Their Worldview? Author: Levin, Moline and Redhead Activity 8.5 Key
Source: Our Worldviews: Explore, Understand, Connect
Pages: 283-290
I can statement: I can show how the culture of the Aztec reflects its worldview.
Instructions:
Pre-Reading – Identify and define the key terms in your reading in the section provided.
During Reading – Using a highlighter and a transparency identify the key information
from each of your reading selections.
After Reading – Summarize your key facts into the provided sections and answer the
Reflect and Respond questions from page 290.
Key Terms
Eurasia – a term
used to describe
the joined Europe
and Asia land
mass
Impersonate – to
act like someone
or something else
in order to amuse
or trick
Deities – gods or
goddesses
thought to be
divine
Hearth – the
medicine bundle
of an altepetl
How Did the Culture of the Aztec
Reflect Their Worldview?
A society’s worldview is shown
through its religious beliefs, its
architecture and its arts. Without
any concept of the Eurasia or Africa
and isolated from northern and
southern societies, the Aztec shared
many common beliefs with other
Meso-American cultures. For
example, they believed that
Tenochtitlan was the center of the
universe. Ultimately, this Aztec
cultural isolation left them without
the knowledge shared between
Europe, Asia and Africa.
Religious Beliefs and Practices
The Aztec, as Huitzilopochtli’s chosen
people, believed it was fated that they
would practice human sacrifice to keep
the world in balance and prevent the
Sun from dying. They believed in many
gods and goddesses that they felt were
neither purely good nor evil but held
clearly defined roles. The gods could
transform themselves into human or
animal figures. During religious festivals
humans were chosen to impersonate
the gods. Three gods dominated their
religion Huitzilopochtli, Tezcatlipoca
and Quetzalcoatl however, the Aztec
would have neighbourhood deities that
they would erect shrines to pray to in
their homes.
Ritual and Sacrifice
The Aztec practice of human sacrifice was a
reflection of the sacrifice made by the gods,
first Huitzilopochtli’s sacrifice to become the
sun and then other deities’ sacrifice to
ensure that it move across the sky. The
Aztec’s sacrifice would ensure the
continuation of the Fifth Sun. Without it,
they were afraid that the Earth would dry up
and that the heavenly bodies would not be
able to travel across the sky. Human
sacrifices were performed on altars and the
most significant were the still beating hearts
of warriors offered at Tenochtitlan.
Medicine Bundles
As a sacred object, medicine bundles
contained objects that referred to an
important event or episode. Altepetls had
their own sacred bundles that were linked to
their patron god and was called a hearth.
These bundles were used in religious
ceremonies and rituals. The Aztec believed
that the hearth contained the essence of
their Gods and were treated with utmost
respect and given a place of honour in their
temples.
Medicine
The Aztec concept of medicine was a
blend of religion, magic and medicine.
They believed gods caused and could
heal illnesses or that black magic could
cause a person to become ill. Healing
sorcerers had a strong sense of the
healing power of plants and minerals.
Title: How Did the Culture of the Aztec Reflect Their Worldview? Author: Levin, Moline and Redhead Activity 8.5 Key
Source: Our Worldviews: Explore, Understand, Connect
Pages: 283-290
Key Terms
The Arts
Codices – Aztec
manuscripts or
books consisting of
pictographs,
ideographs, number
and calendar
symbols
Books and Codices
The Aztec scribes and priests would
record poetry, history, moral
lessons, rituals, tribute lists,
government and business records in
codices. Codices were accordion
styled books usually made up of
deerskin, cloth or fig tree paper
read by the elite to remind them of
the stories told in the oral tradition.
Sculpture
Often religiously themed sculptures
were found in Aztec temples and
were used to demonstrate the
importance of being in balance with
the natural world. Sculptures were
usually placed below ground level in
recognition of the underworld. The
Aztec would work with wood, stone
and fibre cords in the production of
their detailed carvings.
Architecture
Building on the temple designs of
the Teotihuacan, the Aztec added
the two temple feature at the top of
the pyramid. The Tempo Mayor in
Tenochtitlan faced west so that
during the equinox the sun would
rise upward and eastward between
the two temples dedicated to
Huitzilopochtli and the rain god,
Tlaloc.
Featherwork and Luxury Items
Feathers were worth more than
gold to the Aztec as they were
primarily used for ceremonial
costumes, headdresses and warrior
shields. During official ceremonies
dignitaries and all statues of the
gods were costumes in feather
clothing. Luxury items such as
jewels, ceramics and mosaics were
produced to satisfy the desires of
the pipiltin.
Tempo Mayor –
Huitzilopochtli’s
divided temple in
Tenochtitlan
Equinox – the two
days that officially
begins the spring
and autumn seasons
Dignitaries –
Officials, rulers, and
warriors in Aztec
society
Xiuhtlapohualli –
the main Aztec
calendar based on a
365 day cycle
Tonalpohualli – the
secondary ritual
calendar of the
Aztec
The Importance of Time to the Aztec
The Aztec used two calendars: xiuhtlapohualli, the main 365 solar day calendar and a ritual
calendar base on a 260 day cycle called tonalpohualli. The xiuhtlapohualli corresponded to
seasons and was used to determine when to plant and harvest groups as well as when
market days occurred. The tonalpohualli was an astrological calendar used to name Aztec
children and was thought to define their life’s fate. It was also used in determining the
dates for religious rituals such as sacrifices. The Aztec believed in 52 year cycles where the
two calendars would coincide and possibly could mark their destruction.