Aztec mini-project

As of now, all I have for our Aztec mini-project is what I've written on art and what Ryan Curtice has written on their religion.
Here is what he has done.

"What is the basis of their religion?

The basis of the Aztec religion is to try to avoid chaos and destruction caused by nature and to try to make peace with nature. The calendar played a crucial role in the life of the Aztecs. It measured the time in which agriculture and produce was at its peak, during the year, and gave them ideas of when to best make offerings for the gods. This calendar was called Xihuitl. Among other Aztec beliefs are the thought of the sun prevailing over the moon everyday to bring light to the world and would only be possible if blood was sacrificed as well as the belief in having 9 hells and 13 heavens.

Are they mono- or poly- theistic? What is/are their god/s?

The Aztec religion has some aspects of polytheism, meaning that they worship multiple gods. There are many different gods, most of which represent and, in the minds of the Aztecs, are providers for the necessities of their everyday lives. For example Chicomecoatl, the goddess of food, is responsible for the food and food products in the world.

What ceremonies are practiced around their religion?

Human sacrifice is probably the most widely known ceremony practiced around their religion. The temple in which the Aztec ceremonies took place was called the teocalli. Slaves were sacrificed for the sun and earth god to ensure that the agriculture was doing well and would do well the next year. The process of human sacrifice is quite brutal: the person doing the sacrifice stabs a knife into the sacrifice’s chest and proceeds to remove the heart. Once removed, the heart is lit on fire by the chief and the body is thrown down the stairs of the high-rising temple.

How do they observe their religious beliefs in their everyday lives?

Human sacrifice was not an uncommon thing. They would sacrifice on days that they considered to be important as well as at times when things weren’t all fortunate for them. Sacrifices to the gods were meant to ensure peace in their lives so it was done quite often.

How does religion affect the hierarchy of their society? Do chiefs/priests have special religious importance?

Chiefs and others of equal or near importance are often the ones to perform the human sacrifices. Lessers, such as priests and religious figures, are allowed quarters in the teocalli. Finally, slaves and prisoners are the ones who are sacrificed more often as they are of little to no importance and are ideal people to be sacrificed.

How does their religion differ from Western faiths?

The Aztec religion is very different from Western faiths. The Aztecs themselves worshipped over one thousand gods combined wherein many religions of the west worship one."



My piece on art pales in comparison to what he did, although it's still much better than what the other members of our group did, which would be nothing.
Of course I'll have to write my own piece on their religion and Ryan won't just copy and paste what I did on art, we're both going to put them into our own word and stuff, but now we both have a start. I think I will be able to get this project done on time, and I plan on doing plenty of research today. I feel that this project will go smoothly, and I have decided on making a poster to show everything I've learned about these amazing people.