2. Gods and Everyday Life
• To the Aztecs, religion was an extremely
important part of their culture.
• The gods played an integral part in everyday
life from household tasks to farming.
• They controlled all of the elements and
preserved the balance of the natural world.
• Because of this order they valued the most
precious thing, life.
3. Worship
• The Aztecs, like many other cultures, celebrate
their gods through feasts, ceremonies, and
traditional worship at a temple.
• They gave away what was most precious, their
life.
• Though they mostly sacrificed prisoners of war
and children, they believed that the gods grew
stronger of the blood and hearts of those
sacrificed.
• Because of their religion, the Aztec priests were
skilled astronomers and mathematicians
4. The Gods
• In Aztec Mythology, there are over 99 deities and
many with more than one name.
• The Aztecs believed that all of the gods should be
respected for fear of their wrath or other
problems that could ensue.
• While some were benevolent, others had ability
to cause grave misfortune.
• Numerous amounts of temples and places of
worship were raised in order to please all of
these gods
5. QUETZALCOATL
• Known as the Feather Serpent, Quetzalcoatl
was the god of civilization and learning.
• One of the oldest gods, known even to the
Mayan, he brought science, agriculture, and
all that is good in civilization.
• He is said to have created man by dripping
blood on bones, and therefore we are are
seen as his children.
6. Huitzlopochtli
• The most important Aztec God
• He was the sun god and the deified ancestral warrior-
hero.
• He was also seen as the par for excellence in Aztec
Society.
• His is considered the reincarnation of the sun and night
and therefore has the constant struggle of keeping the
night at bay and keeping human civilization alive
• He must have blood sacrifice in order to maintain his
daily battle of keeping humans alive.
7. Other Gods
• There are gods for virtually every facet of life
and culture of the Aztecs
• Each god has a specific duty either as acting as
an object ( Metztli – the moon good) or a
certain overseeing certain actions
(Chalchiuhtlicue - The goddess of running
water)
• Religion played a key part in the culture of the
Aztecs as well as their everyday duties
