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Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 30 general entries.
Special Topics
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 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
 Aztecs
| During the fifth month, Toxcatl, there was a ritual involving the most handsome man in the land, 4 girls and then a mass sacrifice. What god was this for? | Beliefs of the Ancient Aztecs
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Tezcatlipoca. The man had his way with the 4 girls for one night. The next day the girls danced all the way to the sacrificial stone where they and the man were slaughtered to the god, Tezcatlipoca.
flesh. This symbolized the eating of the flesh of the gods. They also drank some of the blood. Is it just me, or does this sound a lot like Christianity? A lot of these origins sound alike. It's strange.
Incorporated them into their religion.
A giant serpent breathed on the earth and turned men into monkeys. I don't quite get the monkey thing, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it!
| What was the 'precious water' that the Gods needed to be fed, as a reminder of the sacrifice they made for all of Mankind? | Beliefs of the Ancient Aztecs
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blood. The gods (from the above question), killed themselves, washing their blood all over the earth, and offered their hearts to the sun. This was the sun's fuel and it rose into the sky. This is why Aztecs sacrificed often, so the sun would come up the next day.
Their gods. The short, ugly god, covered with sores called, Nanahuatzin, threw himself into the fire, and rose up as the sun. But then he stopped moving. The Gods had to do something.
All of these (They soon died of diseases brought in from Europe, They were slaughtered by the Spaniards, They were sold into slavery). Oh, what a lovely guy!
| During the symbolic sacrificing of a young child (by means of drowning), what did it mean for the Aztec's land if the child cried? | Life of the Ancient Aztecs
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Rain. This practice is alive and well in remote parts of Mexico. Eye-witness accounts have been recorded.
Misfortune. These were other signs of misfortune: The hooting of an owl or a rabbit entering your house. So beware!
f. Women COULD be priests, as long as they did not marry. But they could leave the temple whenever they wished. GIRL POWER!
Got totally drunk. Well, things never change do they?
a game. This was a game played with a viciously hard rubber ball, on a court shaped like an I. Broken bones, crushed throats, and even death were common on the field.
humming bird . The bird would speak to his people through priests.
A spindle, a washing stone, and a pot. The priest chanted to her, 'Your role will to be the wife and mother of future warriors'. After this ritual, for both boys and girls, and the midwife that delivered them, would place droplets of water on their mouth, chest and head. Then the following would occur: If a boy: She would raise him to the sun four times. If a girl: She summoned the goddess Yoalticitl, the nocturnal healer, to bless the child.
| In the Aztec era, "baptism" was a very important thing which happened within days of birth. For their "baptism", what were little boys adorned with? | Life of the Ancient Aztecs
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A bow, arrows and a miniature chest shield. After they got dressed up (I think they would have looked gorgeous, the little warriors!), the priest chanted to them, 'You have come into this world in order to give the sun the blood of his enemies to drink and to feed the soil with their bodies'.
position in society. A king, for example, wore a long flowing cape, jewelery, sandals, etc., whereas a man of very low standing wore only a loin cloth.
| When Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortés arrived, the Aztecs believed he was Quetzalcoatl, a god who would bring peace to Mexico (some hope!). What did "Quetzalcoatl" mean? | The Mighty Aztecs
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Feathered snake. Hernan Cortés set off for Mexico with 11 ships and 600 men and arrived there in 1519. He didn't bring any peace though, only pain, disease and death. In just 2 years, the Aztecs had been conquered. Mind you, Cortés had help from many of the neighbouring tribes (Zempoalans, Cingapacinga, etc.) who were at war with the Aztecs and hated them. The mighty Aztec empire no longer existed.
| What was the punishment for a poor person caught wearing clothes that only the rich were allowed to wear? | The Mighty Aztecs
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Having their house demolished. Aztecs were supposed to wear status-specific clothes. Only the lords were allowed to wear "rich" clothing. If you were poor and caught wearing "rich garments" you would have your house knocked down ... if you were caught a second time there would be no third as you would be executed!
Beetles. The children collected a specific species of beetle found on cactus plants called the "scale beetle". The beetles were then crushed in order to make a red dye called cochineal. It has been estimated that the Aztecs needed approximately 150,000 of these beetles to produce just 1kg of dye.
Under their house. Strangely enough, they were buried under their own house! This was another custom that the Aztec adopted from the Maya.
Their dead enemies. Aztec warriors never ate dead comrades, but dead enemies were a different matter, though.
| What did poor Aztec families sometimes do in order to get some money? | The Mighty Aztecs
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Sell their children. To be frank, they took this idea from the Maya. Slave traders would buy only fit and healthy children and they were expected to work very long hours. (Similar practice exist in some West African countries early in 21st century).
Gardens. Chinampas were gardens made by piling up mud from the bottom of the lake in the city of Tenochtitlan. These gardens were very rich in minerals and nutrients, and crops flourished.
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