Aztec Social Cohesion Analysis

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“Religion is an expression of social cohesion” as it unifies people together in a variety of ways such as a common goal or behaviour. It brings together people from all social classes to celebrate religious ceremonies such as sacrifice. It also allows societies to work in relative harmony by ensuring morals and principles according to the religion are evident in society. These features are both eminent in Nordic and Aztec communities.

In Nordic society, religion played a significant role in bringing together the whole community at sacrificial times. The occasion attracted all the Nords as it was instrumental in appeasing their gods such as Odin and Thor. The Nords sacrificed a variety of animals which includes chickens, goats and dogs. The
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The temple was usually located in the middle of Aztec society. It brought together people from all social classes to celebrate rituals as well as to educate young children in subjects such as religion, dance and public speaking. The Aztec society was also one of the first communities where gender equality was present. For instance, both females and males were allowed the right to education. In fact, women were allowed to run their own businesses without the need for their male counterpart. In essence, the temple was a significant place for the Aztecs as it united them in both rituals and education as well as gender …show more content…
It labelled the times of the year where they should worship their gods such as Tezcatlipoca and Huitzilopochtli. It also identified when the world might end. An example of this is the 52-year interval that was labelled on the calendar. This told the Aztec people the day the gods might decide to destroy humanity. As a result, this was the most important ritual and religious occasion for the Aztec people. It attracted all the Aztecs from all social classes in order to mourn together for the end of the world thus creating ‘cohesion’. Once the priests find that the world is not ending then there is a huge celebration with sacrifices, feasting and phlebotomy. To sum up, the religious calendar for the Aztec people contributed heavily to social cohesion as it attracted the Aztecs to celebrate and mourn together to the gods.
In conclusion, religion was an intrinsic part of both Aztec and Nordic culture. It defined their quotidian lives hence influencing how they lived out their lives. Although this was true, it was the way a person died that ultimately determined their fate in the afterlife. It also allowed the community to have a common goal in life which is to appease the gods and gain favour from them. These factors allowed the Aztec and Nordic communities to have

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