How did the Aztecs Honour the Huitzilopochtli?

The focal point of worship to Huitzilopochtli was at the Aztec capital where he had a wooden statue and shrine alongside that of Tláloc atop the Temple Mayor pyramid or Hueteocalli. As Huitzilopochtli was such an important deity he was the beneficiary of human sacrifices whose blood would feed and strengthen the god.

What was the Aztecs favorite god?

Huitzilopochtli (pronounced Weetz-ee-loh-POSHT-lee) was the patron god of the Aztecs. During the great migration from their legendary home of Aztalan, Huitzilopochtli told the Aztecs where they should establish their capital city of Tenochtitlan and urged them on their way.

What is the purpose of Huitzilopochtli?

According to Aztec cosmology, the sun god Huitzilopochtli was waging a constant war against darkness, and if the darkness won, the world would end. The keep the sun moving across the sky and preserve their very lives, the Aztecs had to feed Huitzilopochtli with human hearts and blood.

Why was tezcatlipoca important to the Aztecs?

Tezcatlipoca was one of the most important gods of the Aztecs of central Mexico. Like other Aztec deities, he could be both helpful and destructive. As a god of the sun , he ripened the crops but could also send a burning drought that killed the plants.

What did the Aztec game patolli symbolize?

Patolli (Nahuatl: [paˈtoːlːi]) or patole (Spanish: [paˈtole]) is one of the oldest known games in America. It was a game of strategy and luck played by commoners and nobles alike. It was reported by the conquistadors that Moctezuma Xocoyotzin often enjoyed watching his nobles play the game at court.

What did the Aztec believe in?

The Aztecs had many gods but worshipped Huitzilopochtli, the god of the sun and war, above all others. The Aztecs believed that they lived in the era of the fifth sun and that any day the world could end violently. In order to postpone their destruction and appease the gods, men performed human sacrifices.

Who was the Aztec god Huitzilopochtli?

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Huitzilopochtli, also spelled Uitzilopochtli, also called Xiuhpilli (“Turquoise Prince”) and Totec (“Our Lord”), Aztec sun and war god, one of the two principal deities of Aztec religion, often represented in art as either a hummingbird or an eagle.

What did tezcatlipoca do?

TEZCATLIPOCA (“the smoking mirror”) was one of the four Aztec creator gods who arranged the universe and set the cosmic ages in motion through periodic celestial battles. His many forms reflect the omnipotent character of numinous forces in Aztec religion.

What is Huitzilopochtli and why is it important to the Aztecs?

Huitzilopochtli was one of the most important Aztec gods. He was the sun god as well as the god of war. His name means “Hummingbird of the Left.” The Aztecs believed that warriors who were killed in battle returned to life as hummingbirds. They also thought that lands in the south made up the left side of the world.

How did the Aztecs honor Tezcatlipoca?

After the Fourth Sun was destroyed by flood, Ometeotl commanded the two brothers to work together to make the current world, the Fifth Sun. The Aztecs honored Tezcatlipoca by selecting a young man as his incarnation each year, his Ixiptla, showering the man with gifts before sacrificing him in an annual ritual.

Why was Tezcatlipoca worshiped?

In the month of Tóxcatl, the sixth month (or 5th) of the Aztec solar year, Tezcatlipoca was worshipped in special ceremonies. As with other Aztec religious rites an important part of the ceremony was the impersonation of the god, most often by a prisoner of war, typically the best looking and most courageous one.

What did the Aztecs offer to the sun god?

The Aztecs believed that the sun god needed daily nourishment (tlaxcaltiliztli) in the form of human blood and hearts and that they, as “people of the sun,” were required to provide Huitzilopochtli with his sustenance.

Who was the Aztec sun god?

Tonatiuh Codex Borgia. In Aztec mythology , Tonatiuh (Nahuatl: Ōllin Tōnatiuh [oːlːin toːˈnatiʍ] “Movement of the Sun”) was the sun god. The Aztec people considered him the leader of Tollan, heaven.

Who was the Aztec goddess of Love?

Xochiquetzal is the Aztec goddess of love, fertility, flowers, vegetation, arts, weaving and prostitution. She has a twin brother named Xochipilli, who was also the god of fertility and agriculture.

Who was the Aztec goddess?

Aztec Goddesses: Tlazolteotl. Tlazolteotl, in Aztec mythology , was the goddess of purification, midwives, and steam baths. She was also the patroness of the adulterers and the goddess of filth and sexual misdeeds. But she also purified and forgave the sins and disease caused by misdeeds.