Aztecs religion

Aztec Gods. The Aztecs had great respect for their many gods and goddesses and were convinced that natural disasters were caused by the godly emotions.

The Aztec Religion

The Aztecs had great respect for their many gods and goddesses. Convinced natural disasters, such as drought, were caused by the emotions of Aztec gods, they had good reason to make sure to always keep these gods pleased, especially those most powerful within the complex hierarchy of divinity established by the Aztec religion. This hierarchy ranked gods as higher or lower largely based on their function. The Aztecs worshipped over 100 Gods and goddesses, and each one of these represented the functions and elements of nature such as the sun, the moon, the rain, maize, fertility, etc. A favorable relationship between humans and the gods helped maintain the fragile balance found in nature and necessary for harmonious existence.

The Aztecs also had great respect for the sun. Many of the most important Aztec myths and religious beliefs involve the life giving power of the sun. One of their creation myths recounts the 5 ages of human history, known as the 5 suns. We are currently in the fifth sun, an age doomed for total destruction (like the previous 4 suns), were it not for the sacrifice of Nanahuatl, a low ranking god whose sacrifice turned him into the sun itself.

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