Maya_Religion

Aztec Religion The Aztecs believed in gods that controlled every aspect of their daily lives. They believed that they had to give the gods gifts to please them. The most precious gift was life, so that’s what they gave. When the Spaniards came in 1519, the Aztecs were sacrificing about 20,000 people per year. The Mayans had many gods controlling different aspects of life, such as creation and death. They made human sacrifices to their gods in three different ways, Well, Arrow, and Heart. Suicide was common among the Mayans, because they believed they were giving their lives to the gods and would go to heaven. The Aztecs believed that war was essential for the Empire. The Wars made the Aztecs rich and supplied them with prisoners to sacrifice. The Aztecs sent ambassadors to the Empires before they attacked them. The Mayans were a peaceful group of people. The most violent time in Mayan history was during the Mayan Period, when civil wars swept the nation. These wars divided it into four states. The Spanish fought the Mayans and eventually conquered them in 1524. The Aztecs wrote in glyphs. The glyphs showed the objects they represented. They were written in order of importance. They also used phonograms, which were sounds put together to make words. Only a few Aztec scribes knew how to read and write. The Mayans language system used pictures and phonetic sounds. Their language was rich in synonyms and homonyms. The pictures or glyphs were made up of a sign and additions to the sign. Aztec number system was based on twenty. Fingers were the symbol used to represent 1-19. 20 was a flag, 400 was a feather, and 8,000 was a bag of cacao beans. The Mayan number system was based on twenty (fingers and toes.) Sticks and dots were used to represent the numbers. The Mayans had a concept of addition, subtraction, and of the number zero. The Aztecs had two calendars, the solar calendar and the sacred calendar. The two calendars met once every 52 years. The Mayans used three calendars, the Long Count, the Tzolkin, and the Haab. The Mayans knew when solstices, equinoxes, and planetary movements would occur. The Mayans thought the Earth was flat. The Aztecs built many magnificent pyramids. These included, the Temples at Tula, Pyramid of Tenayuca, Pyramid of the Sun, Pyramid of the Mood, and the Great Temple. The Great Temple was rebuilt six times. The Mayans built two different types of pyramids. Sacred pyramids for the gods. These pyramids had very steep steps and doors leading to nowhere to keep people out. Sacrificial pyramids which were used for human sacrifices. The Aztec emperor was highest in the hierarchy. Next was the Snake Woman, generals, and the council. Below them, were the nobles and their families. Then came the common people. And finally, the slaves. The Mayan ruler was the highest in social structure. Then, the aristocrats and nobles came in the hierarchy. The lesser aristocrats, and skilled workers were next. The commoners followed. Finally, the slaves. The Aztecs splinted bones, used softening plasters, and obsidian lances for bleeding. Bloodstones were used to cure nosebleeds, fever, and fright. The Aztecs knew about the medicinal uses of plants and animals. Mayans believed that diseases were an evil punishment. Hmens were doctors who prayed, chanted, and made potions. They knew about some of the medicinal qualities of plants.