The Aztec Empire, with its capital of Tenochtitlan and its population of approximately 200,000, was constructed on an island on the western side of Lake Tetzcoco. The people of the empire were, however, both diverse and widespread throughout the region, with a collection of more than 300 city-states and perhaps more than 30 provinces, in the valley of Mexica by the 14th century, many of whom came from a variety of sociocultural backgrounds. While most, if not all, Aztecs likely spoke the Nahuatl language, they were in fact an amalgamation of different peoples, both those from the far north of what is now Mexico as well as those native to the central valley. To this end, it can be said that the Aztec religion was also an amalgamation, drawing
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As the Aztec society became more complex over time and grounded in agrarian concerns, earlier versions of these gods transmuted between representing aspects of nature to begin representing natural events aligned with the agricultural seasons. The central concept aligning these ideas was that of Teotl, which was the representation of supernatural energy that could be harnessed by both man and gods. In other words, what drew life together, both that on earth and in the heavens, was the energy that all life possessed, and this could have an impact on human behavior as …show more content…
The reason that this was the case was that there was a connection made between individual behaviors and actions and the way in which weather events would either support or challenge human existence. Drought and the movement of the sun would have an effect on the ability of the community to build their agricultural stores over the short term. The ability to bear and raise children, which was perceived to be affected by the movement of the moon because of women’s fertility cycles, connected with the ability to contribute to the economy of the Aztec state. This is because childraising would similarly have an effect on the support of the population over the long term. Aztec rituals, in this way, were connected with these two fundamental understandings of the importance of supporting the
As the Aztec society became more complex over time and grounded in agrarian concerns, earlier versions of these gods transmuted between representing aspects of nature to begin representing natural events aligned with the agricultural seasons. The central concept aligning these ideas was that of Teotl, which was the representation of supernatural energy that could be harnessed by both man and gods. In other words, what drew life together, both that on earth and in the heavens, was the energy that all life possessed, and this could have an impact on human behavior as …show more content…
The reason that this was the case was that there was a connection made between individual behaviors and actions and the way in which weather events would either support or challenge human existence. Drought and the movement of the sun would have an effect on the ability of the community to build their agricultural stores over the short term. The ability to bear and raise children, which was perceived to be affected by the movement of the moon because of women’s fertility cycles, connected with the ability to contribute to the economy of the Aztec state. This is because childraising would similarly have an effect on the support of the population over the long term. Aztec rituals, in this way, were connected with these two fundamental understandings of the importance of supporting the