Introduction
Central America and the territories of Mexico in particular still preserve the legacy of the Aztecs. These people lagged far behind in development compared to other civilizations on Earth. The first cities in Mesoamerica emerged around the 12th century BC, all of which were created by the Olmecs (Bowstead, 2022). The Aztecs and other representatives of Mesoamerican culture had their own distinct characteristics, which have had a lasting influence on the present.
History
The Aztecs were a community of people inhabiting the Valley of Mexico until 1521. It is known that the ancient Aztecs made numerous migrations before settling in what is now Mexico. According to legend, the people, during their nomadic journey in North America, encountered the god of the Sun and War, Huitzilopochtli (Bowstead, 2022). He told them their settlement would be marked by an eagle sitting on a cactus and holding a snake in its claws (Bowstead, 2022). As a result, the Aztecs wandered for about 130 years before discovering what the god was talking about.
By the beginning of the 12th century, the Aztecs had descended to the south, displacing the Maya, and settled there. They founded the city of Tenochtitlan in 1325 on Lake Texcoco (Andrea & Holt, 2021). The Aztec Empire emerged in Mesoamerica at the beginning of the 14th century, uniting more than 400 cities and a population of approximately 15 million during its zenith (Andrea & Holt, 2021). Politically and economically, the Aztecs assimilated their cultural achievements from other communities. Therefore, the traditions of earlier civilizations became a significant component of the Aztec religious culture.
Approximately five hundred years have passed since the fall of the Aztec Empire, yet its influence remains evident today. Tomato, chocolate, and chili are the products, and their names are of Aztec origin. In the early 19th century, the United States ‘ interest in ancient Mexico led John Lloyd Stevens to travel to Mexico and publish well-illustrated accounts in the early 1840s (Gonzales, 2019). In addition, it can be argued that the Mexicans and the inhabitants of some other countries of Central America are modern Aztecs. Mexicans are direct descendants of the Aztecs, Spanish conquerors, and settlers.
Culture
The Aztecs are considered representatives of the collectivist culture. For example, modern Mexicans who have adopted aspects of Aztec culture are deeply committed to their relationships with family and group members. The Aztecs lived in clans that united into tribes; each tribe had two rulers, one of whom always remained with the tribe while the other was engaged in military affairs (Andrea & Holt, 2021). Competition between people is not welcome, but cooperation, harmony, and loyalty are highly valued (Gonzales, 2019). Even in the business world, it is evident that relationships often take precedence over tasks, and one should take the time to get to know the person better before doing business.
The most famous monuments of the Aztecs are their pyramids. Their architectural style borrows and combines elements found in other commonalities of Central and North America. However, the temples of Tenochtitlan were built by the Aztecs themselves.
Aztec monuments are also concentrated in the city of Teotihuacan. This is the oldest city in the Americas, which was once occupied and inhabited by the Aztecs. The city is located 50 km northeast of Mexico City and was built several thousand years ago. Teotihuacan, in ancient language, meant the birthplace of the gods (Ott et al., 2017). The Aztecs supplemented the architectural ensemble of the city with their pyramids and adapted older buildings to their needs.
Aztec writing is one of the types of writing that existed in Mesoamerica. It was similar to Mayan writing in many ways, but it was not as developed (Stevenson, 2021). Aztec writing was a set of pictograms – small images with a specific meaning. Most likely, it, like many other things, was adopted by the Aztecs from other peoples of Central America; in many ways, it resembles Mixtec writing.
The Aztecs were very fond of music and poetry, and even familiar with drama. The texts of chants were found, which accompanied all religious rites, including sacrifices (Stevenson, 2021). Before the invasion of the Spaniards, among the rulers of cities and among important officials, it was customary to keep musical ensembles and dance groups with them. Their work was revered and well paid, so Aztec music and dance were taught in schools from childhood (Stevenson, 2021). This tradition persisted even after the Spaniards had conquered the area.
Values
The ancient Aztecs were highly religious, so everything related to religion was sacred. Therefore, in the Aztec society, the priesthood had great weight. The priests performed sacrificial rites every day; it was vital for them to feed the gods with blood so that they would not lose their powers (Andrea & Holt, 2021). Aztec rituals differed depending on the gods in whose honor they were performed.
Aztec parents appreciated hard work and modesty and tried to convey these values to their children as their first teachers. They also expected it in their children’s future spouses: the parents looked for and approved a candidate for marriage. Based on this, one can say that the family occupied an important place in the life of the Aztecs. The next significant value for the Aztecs was war. Through conquest, the tribes expanded their borders, which helped them maintain their identity and power (Andrea & Holt, 2021). Moreover, the planners taken up in the war were later sacrificed to the gods.
The above makes it clear that the Aztecs were a religious people and professed a form of paganism, with many gods. Huitzilopochtli was the main god of the Aztecs, the god of war, and war was their primary occupation (Andrea & Holt, 2021). The legend says that this god was born due to an immaculate conception. The eternal struggle of two principles, which became the basis of the Aztec religion, was borrowed from other tribes – the Toltecs, Zapotecs, Mayans, and others (Ott et al., 2017).
Traditionally, there was no confrontation between Good and Evil as in Zoroastrianism. It was about life and death, fire and water, the Sun and darkness. The tradition of sacrifice comes from Aztec myths – the deities of the Aztecs, in their mythological stories, surrendered their blood so that the Sun could burn (Ott et al., 2017). The Aztecs believed that their gods must be fed with the living blood of people every day so that they could remain young and strong, and the world would not suffer a great catastrophe.
Social Context
The Aztec family model was two-sided: relatives on the father’s and mother’s sides were equally considered family members, and inheritance was passed on to both sons and daughters. This meant that women could own property equally with men, and therefore, women had considerable economic freedom from their spouses (Storey & Schwaller, 2018). Aztec society was not highly gendered, with separate roles for men and women.
Men were expected to work outside the home as farmers, merchants, artisans, and warriors, while women were expected to take charge of domestic life. However, women may work as petty traders, doctors, priests, and midwives outside the home. The Aztec society had a third gender, mainly associated with religious practices (Storey & Schwaller, 2018). Interestingly, the community is considered gender neutral and equal.
Conclusion
It is necessary to be imbued with the culture and remember the main symbols to acculturate. For example, the legend of an eagle perching on a cactus and carrying a snake in its claws went all the way through the existence of the Aztecs and has survived to this day on the flag and coat of arms of Mexico. In addition, it is known that the Aztecs were deeply religious, making up a large part of their culture.
For this reason, knowledge of the main gods, and even better, the entire pantheon of gods, will help one become part of the Aztecs. It should be remembered that the Aztecs were warriors and conquerors, so it is necessary to show a friendly attitude. One can show that they are ready to share, for example, to teach something, since the Aztecs often adopted the characteristics of other cultures.
The Aztec culture was the last link in the advanced civilizations that flourished and declined in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. Religion was the primary governing culture of the Aztecs; they built massive pyramids with temples to worship the gods, where the priests performed their rites. Studying the Aztecs and their culture reveals the richness of their traditions and the solidity of the experience they have accumulated throughout their existence.
References
Andrea, A. J., & Holt, A. (2021). Sanctified violence, holy war in world history. Hackett Publishing Company, Inc.
Bowstead, H. (2022). The little book of world mythology: A pocket guide to myths and legends. Summersdale Publishers LTD – ROW.
Gonzales, M. G. (2019). Mexicanos: A history of Mexicans in the United States. Indiana University Press.
Ott, A. F., Storey, R., & Koontz, R. (2017). Aztec twin-temple pyramids as evidence for state religion through shared architecture and symbology (thesis). University of Houston.
Stevenson, R. M. (2021). Music in Aztec and Inca territory. Univ of California Press.
Storey, R. (2018). Aztec History. In J. F. Schwaller (Ed.), The Americas (pp. 401–422). Essay, Cambridge University Press.