What did the Aztecs use sacrifice for?
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The Aztecs sacrificed for their gods. The Aztecs were very religious and had many gods. The Aztecs worshiped 40 major gods over 10 lesser ones. Some of the major gods are HUITZILOPOCHTLI, the god of the sun and of war, TOLTECSNWAS, the god of fertility who brought life-giving rain to the Aztecs crops, QUETZALCOATL, the God of arts, crafts, and learning, and Huehuecoyotl, the God of trickery, CENTEOTL, the corn god, CHALCHIUHTLICUE, the goddess of running water, CHANTICO, the goddess of hearth fires and volcanoes, CHICOMECOATL, the goddess of corn and fertility, CIHUACOATL, a goddess whose roaring signaled War, EHECATL, the god of wind, TEOYAOMQUI, the god of dead warriors, TEZCATLIPOCA, (god of night and sorcery) "Smoking Mirror" (obsidian), characterized as the most powerful, supreme deity, was associated with the notion of destiny, TLALOC, the rain deity, belonged to another most memorable and universal cult of ancient Mexico, TONACATECUHTLI, the creator and provider of food, TONANTZIN, "honored grandmother," was among the many names of the female earth-deity. XIPE TOTEC, the god of springtime and regrowth. XIUHTECUHTLI, the fire god, XOCHIPILLI, the god of feasting and young maize, TLAHUIZCALPANTECUHTLI, lord of the star of the dawn, and YACATECUHTLI, the God of traveling merchants.
The Aztecs sacrifices consisted of food, precious goods, animals, and human beings. They did this to celebrate notable events and also because they believed that it would ensure plentiful crops, stave off natural disasters and, assure that the sun kept moving through the sky. In the book, The Ancient Aztecs by Liz Sonneborn, it said that "The Aztecs believed that the universe was fragile. At any moment, supernatural forces could become unbalanced, sending the world into chaos. The only way to keep the universe in balance was to nourish the gods with offerings of human blood". The Aztecs believed that the gods were nourished only by human hearts and blood so without wars where the Aztecs could get lots of captives for sacrificing, the gods would go hungry. This would mean that the sun wouldn't rise in the morning and Tenochtitlan, their civilization, would fall from power. The main sacrifices were for Huitzilopochtli, religious life centered around him. This God had fought for his chief position in the sky. When he was born he had to go to war with his siblings, the moon and the stars. Every dawn, to allow the sun to rise, Huitzilopochtli reenacted the battle. After his victory he sent the moon and the stars away; then he traveled in his victory up into the sky. As the sun slowly set the warrior spirits would carry him back down to earth again. Huitzilopochtli needed special food to gather new strength to make each new day, only the heart and blood of a human, Chalchihuatl, would satisfy him. They also believed that they had to keep the sun alive every day to keep the Earth alive. In the previously mentioned book, The Ancient Aztecs, it says,"Heart sacrifices were performed during complex rituals performed high atop temples, where they could be seen by crowds of onlookers. Amid clouds of incense, priests lay the victim down on a sacrificial stone and held down his arms and legs. In one swift move, the priest cut into the victim's chest... and when the priest had seized his heart, he dedicated it to the sun".The Aztecs would also drown children to sacrifice to the gods. One of the greatest accomplishments for an Aztec was to give himself up to the gods. Most Aztecs at some point in their lives engaged in blood-letting. To ask the gods for help they would cut their flesh. Most often, they pierced their earlobes with cactus thorns, though sometimes they cut their legs, arms, or chests, pulling a reed through the hole.
The Aztecs and the Greeks religion are both alike and different in many ways. The Aztecs were very religious. They had many gods that they worshiped. The Greeks had many gods that they worshiped as well. The Greeks had many gods but had usually a couple main gods that they worshiped, for example, Zeus. The Aztecs were the same, they had lots of gods but they had more main gods as well. According to the webpage titled, The Ancient Aztecs, "The principle form of religious worship that the ancient Greeks participated in were the sacrifices made to the gods. Sacrifices were, in fact, the central event around which festivals, athletics, oracles, and all other worship events were focused. It was here, in the ritual sacrifice, that humans and gods came together." The Aztecs did the exact same things. Life centered pretty much around religion and sacrifices. Both the Greeks and the Aztecs built temples to honor and worship their gods and held festivals to honor their gods. The Greeks and the Aztecs both were very religious, had many gods, and believed in sacrificing to nourish and please the gods.
The Greeks were also different from the Aztecs. The book, Human Heritage says, "Although most Greeks held similar religious beliefs, there was no single Greek religion. Each city-state worshiped its own gods." The Greeks did have many gods but not all Greeks worshiped the same main gods. The Greeks had 12 main gods that each had to carry out a certain duty. The Greeks didn't sacrifice humans as much as the Aztecs but they did believe in sacrificing food and valuables. Most ancient people feared the gods, these people thought they were put on Earth only to serve and obey the gods.
Unlike the Greeks, all Aztecs worshiped the same gods and believed in the same things, they weren't split up into groups that worshiped different gods. The Aztecs respected the gods very much and sacrificed, and worshiped them everyday. The Aztecs had 40 Major gods that they worshiped. The Aztecs believed that the gods were all good and that they were meant to help them in times of trouble. They didn't believe they had to serve the gods but only willingly pay them back for their deeds by sacrificing food, valuables, ect. In conclusion the Aztecs and the Greeks were different and similar in many ways.
The Greeks were also different from the Aztecs. The book, Human Heritage says, "Although most Greeks held similar religious beliefs, there was no single Greek religion. Each city-state worshiped its own gods." The Greeks did have many gods but not all Greeks worshiped the same main gods. The Greeks had 12 main gods that each had to carry out a certain duty. The Greeks didn't sacrifice humans as much as the Aztecs but they did believe in sacrificing food and valuables. Most ancient people feared the gods, these people thought they were put on Earth only to serve and obey the gods.
Unlike the Greeks, all Aztecs worshiped the same gods and believed in the same things, they weren't split up into groups that worshiped different gods. The Aztecs respected the gods very much and sacrificed, and worshiped them everyday. The Aztecs had 40 Major gods that they worshiped. The Aztecs believed that the gods were all good and that they were meant to help them in times of trouble. They didn't believe they had to serve the gods but only willingly pay them back for their deeds by sacrificing food, valuables, ect. In conclusion the Aztecs and the Greeks were different and similar in many ways.