The Aztecs were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521.In the Aztecs mythology, everything on earth came from the body of a goddess who was torn apart by two creator gods, Quetzalcoatl (lightness) and Tezcatlipoc (darkness).
The earth was once complete chaos, with nothing but water and a monster goddess floating on top. The insatiable goddess has mouths on her knees, elbows, and other joints, and she devours everything that Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoc create with her many mouths. Seeing this, Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoc transformed into two snakes, and came down into the water of the earth, wrapped themselves around the goddess’s body, and tore it into pieces. Her organs and different body parts turned into the sky, the land, and other creations on earth. The goddess, however, would not bear fruit for humans to eat unless she is satiated with human blood. In exchange for food and other resources that she provides, the Aztecs had to sacrifice with human blood and heart.
God or goddess?
Interestingly, in the Aztec culture, the ancestry of humans and other creatures traces back to a goddess’s body(although she was fractured by two gods), rather than the creation of a god as illustrated in genesis.
Water
In the creation myth, the earth used to be nothing but water.
Water is a feminine element in many cultures. Just like a motherly figure, water maintains the liveliness of everything on earth, and they provide nutrients that nurture everything to grow and flourish.
Human sacrifice
This is a recurring theme in many of their mythological stories in the Aztecs civilization, and it embodies their value of life in the service of gods. The victims of sacrifices were often captured from battles (as the Aztecs' society was centered around wars).
The unfortunate reality of sacrifice had long been a part of its culture, for, in their religion, gods were not always benevolent. The gods can be cruel without the gory ritual of cutting open a victim's chest and sacrificing their heart or blood.
A more important and interesting reason for the Aztecs'
human sacrifice was that they considered themselves to be part of the natural cycle. In other words, the importance of lives faded in comparison to the connection with nature.
Reference:
“Aztecs.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 15 June 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztecs.
Picture Source: Pinterest
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