Aztec Culture & Religion CH 12, Section 2

Do Now: Aztec Creation Myth nglish/2_aztec_full.htm Hootz-il-o-pocht-li

Religion Aztec culture was based in religion. Life revolved around the religious calendar and rituals. Tenochtitlan contained hundreds of step pyramids dedicated to the Aztec gods.

Religion The most important god was the sun, who needed human blood to have the strength to rise and cross the sky each day. If the sun did not rise, the crops would not grow, and the people would starve to death.

Religion As a result, many Aztec religious ceremonies included human sacrifice. Prisoners captured in war often served as human sacrifices.

Religion Religion, government, and politics were tied together in Aztec society. Many times wars were waged to capture human sacrifices.

Religion To schedule festivals, Aztec priests created a calendar based on the Mayan calendar and their own knowledge of astronomy. The Aztec calendar has 20 months, each with 13 days.

Government The Aztec lived in city-states called altepetl. Each altepetl was ruled by a supreme leader, a supreme judge, and administrator from the noble class. The supreme leader of Tenochtitlan served as the Emperor and ruled over the alteptels. The emperor was selected by noble relatives of the last leader. They were required to be of the noble class, over 30 years old, educated, an experienced warrior, and just.

Government The emperor was seen as a representative of the gods. He made decisions with the help of four advisors elected by the nobles. Laws were created to keep social order, and punishments were severe.

Society Education  School was compulsory. Boys and girls were educated, though boy received more schooling than girls. Sons of nobles became priests, teachers, doctors, and politicians. Sons of commoners could become farmers, merchants, athletes, soldiers. d warriors.

Society Girls were taught to crafts and ways to run the household economy. This gave women “behind the scene” power within Aztec society. d warriors.

Society/Culture Adult life  By their mid-teens adult life began. Girls would marry, serve in temples as priestesses or take on an occupation. Weaving was an important industry to the Aztec.

Society/Culture Boys would join the military or take on a trade. Males over the age of 15 served in the army. They were trained to use swords, & bows and arrows. Armor was created from heavily quilted cotton.