Mayan and Aztec Mythology by Michael A. Schuman

Author:Michael A. Schuman
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9780766014091
Publisher: Enslow Publishers
Published: 2001-01-02T06:00:00+00:00

5

THE CREATION OF

THE WORLD

INTRODUCTION

Because the Aztecs belonged to different tribes and lived in varied locales, they collected many colorful creation myths. Some differed only slightly from one another; others showed great contradictions. However, one element common to most Aztec creation myths was the gods’ desire for human blood. In fact, like the Mayas, the Aztecs demanded human as well as animal sacrifice.

Despite a superior knowledge of astronomy, the Aztecs believed that the sun revolved around the Earth. One of their strongest fears was that the sun might someday stop turning and freeze in place in the sky. If that happened, they reasoned, the unending rays of the sun would burn everything on Earth, thereby making it impossible for the planet to support life. They believed that the only way to keep the sun from stopping in its place was to provide the sun god, Hultzilopochtli, with human hearts and blood.

Many of the sacrificial victims were prisoners of war, and as the power of the Aztecs grew, they captured and sacrificed increasing numbers of people. However, once a year, the Aztecs chose a boy to be sacrificed. For a full year before he was sacrificed, this young man impersonated the great god Tezcatlipoca. He was given servants to attend to his every wish. He wore the best clothes and was trained in music and religion. A month before he was to be sacrificed, the boy was married to four virgins who sang and danced with him around the city. For five days before his sacrifice, the people feasted and celebrated.

The actual sacrifice was part of a solemn ceremony.

Just before he met his death, the boy was rowed in a 75

Mayan and Aztec Mythology

canoe to a temple. He was then led up a series of steps to the temple summit. As he walked up the stairs, he first played, then destroyed, a series of ceremonial flutes. At the top, a group of attending Aztec priests tied the boy to the altar and cut out his heart, which was offered to the sun to keep the celestial body moving through the heavens.

76

THE CREATION

OF THE WORLD

The world we live in today is not the only world that ever existed. At least, that is true, according to the ancient Aztecs.

The Aztecs believed that before our current world was created, there were four worlds, called suns. Although the four worlds were created, none was perfect.

The first world began when the powerful god, Tezcatlipoca (tes-CAHT-li-PO-kah) turned himself into the sun. The people of this first sun were giants who survived the heat of their habitat by living in the shade of massive trees and eating a vegetarian diet of corn, berries, and acorns, with which Tezcatlipoca and other gods had provided them. The giant citizens of this first world were so powerful, it was said, that they could lift trees out of the ground with their bare hands.

Another powerful god, Quetzalcoatl (ket-SAHL-koh-AHTL), who was a jealous rival of Tezcatlipoca, was angry that Tezcatlipoca was ruling the world. Quetzalcoatl took many forms, but was often described as having a light complexion and a beard.

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