Beliefs in Ancient Aztec Religion
The Aztecs believed in many different things. They believed that the sun fought darkness every night and rose to save mankind and they believed that the earth was flat. It was also said that if they fed the sun blood, that it would rise. The Aztecs also believed in 13 Heavens and 9 Hells. According to Aztec religion, the Aztecs thought that the gods ruled both nature and human personality. It was important that the gods of nature were kept happy, as the province relied upon farming and if the gods were angry, that could mean drought or other disasters which could potentially harm the Aztecs. They believed that if they didn’t nourish the gods that the sun may not be able to continue rising.
The Aztec empire believed they owed a ‘blood-debt’ to the Gods, so many human and animal sacrifices took place to avoid endless debt. Some estimates clam that 20,000 people were killed a year.
It was believed that after they died they would carry on living in another world. They would be buried with all sorts of goods that would be of use to them. The way of which the Aztec died decided what would happen to them in the afterlife. If a person died a normal death, his or soul would have to pass through the nine levels of the underworld before reaching Mictlan, the realm of the death god. However, if an Aztec died in battle or if a woman died in childbirth, would join the sun god in the sky. [Baquedano 1993]
The Aztec empire believed they owed a ‘blood-debt’ to the Gods, so many human and animal sacrifices took place to avoid endless debt. Some estimates clam that 20,000 people were killed a year.
It was believed that after they died they would carry on living in another world. They would be buried with all sorts of goods that would be of use to them. The way of which the Aztec died decided what would happen to them in the afterlife. If a person died a normal death, his or soul would have to pass through the nine levels of the underworld before reaching Mictlan, the realm of the death god. However, if an Aztec died in battle or if a woman died in childbirth, would join the sun god in the sky. [Baquedano 1993]