Thesis Statement: Aztec and Mayan religious practices were unique and sometimes barbaric. From daily rituals to elaborate ceremonies dedicated to the worship of deities the Aztec and Maya were ensconced in their religion.

B. Structures Built towards Devotion

III. Religions effect on Aztec and Mayan Society

A. Similarities and Differences between the two societies

Central America is a continent rich in culture as well as history. Inhabitants of Central America are comprised of a mixture of Indian and Spanish decent. The best known of the Central American Indians is the Aztec and Maya. The society of the Aztec and Maya held religion to the utmost highest priority. Aztec and Mayan religious practices were unique and sometimes barbaric. From daily rituals to elaborate ceremonies dedicated to the worship of deities the Aztec and Maya were ensconced in their religion. Aztec and Mayan religious zeal indirectly contributed to their demise.

The Aztecs were always at the demands of their gods. Aztecs became so obsessed with appeasing their gods through sacrifice that at one time a mass sacrifice was held which lasted four days and killed approximately 10,000 people. The gods always wanted more offerings. This gave way to more and more battles. It was thought that the more the sacrificed captives there were the happier and stronger the gods would be (Conrad and Demarest 47). When the Aztecs started to lose different battles they thought their gods were angry with them. This only made them fight more and capture more of their enemies. The most gruesome sacrifice was the sacrifice of children. Children were sold by their parents, taken to a canoe on a particular river and drowned. In other instances children were brought to caves in-groups of four at a time and left in those caves to starve to death (Brundage 213).

During the demise of Aztec society these Indians were so engrossed in their religious “ideology” that when the Spanish came to conquer their land all they saw were “two states destroying themselves from within” (Conrad and Demarest 4). Even though the Aztecs were an advanced society they let primitive values and superstitions get in the way. Although the Spanish had a distinct advantage over the Aztecs this advantage was overshadowed by the religious zeal their society portrayed.

Not only were the Aztecs infamous in they’re practice of sacrifices, they practiced cannibalism also. This hideous act appalled the Spanish when they arrived in Central America. In one account of a sacrifice by heart extraction the body was thrown down the steps, torn to pieces, then roasted in ovens and eaten as a delicacy (Conrad and Demarest 29). Many primitive cultures practiced cannibalism. This most cruel and vicious act was a normal occurrence in Aztec life. The Mayan Indians were said to be one of the most advanced civilizations ever to thrive in Central America. Just like the Aztecs the Mayans had several deities that they worshipped. The Maya worshipped a primary Zeus-like god his name was Itzamma (Spinden 99). Al Puch was the lord of death. AL Puch was a principal malicious god that had a grotesque disfigured figure. Yum Kaax was the maize god. He was supposedly at the mercy of the evil gods when the friendly gods weren’t present. One last god that had some importance was Ek Ahau, the god of war. Ek Ahau was called the black captain (Spinden 103). Many Mayans prayed to him before as well as after battle.

One of the most amazing aspects of Aztec society was the calendar. There were actually 260 days in a year on the calendar. Aztec calendars were based on eighteen feasts a year, which corresponded, with each month. The Aztecs constructed intricate calendar stones that had the schedules throughout the year on the stone itself. These schedules depicted times of religious ceremonies, sacrifices, and yes-even work. There were five days that were extra per-se on the calendar.

Some topics in this essay:
Americans Spinden, Conrad Demarest, Aztec Mayan, Ek Ahau, Microsoft Encarta, Huitzilopochtli Tlaloc, Multimedia Encyclopedia, Central America, Aztecs Depending, Aztec Maya, aztec mayan, central america, aztec mayan religious, aztec maya, worship deities, aztec society, conrad demarest, religious practices, mayan religious, elaborate ceremonies, dedicated worship, mayan religious practices, worship deities aztec, dedicated worship deities, elaborate ceremonies dedicated,