Aztec Religion

The Aztec religion was one based in Mesoamerica. It was one based of polytheism, shamanism, as well as animism. A large frame of Aztec religion was based upon astronomy as well as calendrics. The steriotype that Aztecs were violent people who made human sacrifices is actually true, as it corresponds with the different holidays of their calendar. The Aztecs divided the world into what we today would call different levels of heaven and hell, all based on cosmology. The sun, moon, and Venus all play a large role in Aztec religion, for they all have symbolic and religious meaning. 

The Aztec religion had adopted many different aspects from some of the previous Mesoamerican civilizations. Important deities in the Aztec religion were Tlaloc (god of rain), Huitzilopochtli (patron god of the Mexica tribe), Quetzalcoatl (cultural hero and god of civilization and order), and Tezcatlipoca (god of destiny and sorcery). Each of these deities have their own place of worship inside of the Aztec capital. Previous rituals to honor the gods include someone dressing up as the god and being worshipped heavily.