The Teotihuacan religion Was one of the cultural references of one of the Bigger cities And influential of the New World. This one was in the basin of Mexico and its society arose in the golden era of Mesoamerica, during the first millennium of the Christian Era.
The Teotihuacan civilization developed at the same time as the Mayan culture (250 AD) and preceded the Toltec civilization. The elements of this civilization, architecture, art and religion, influenced all the other Mesoamerican cultures .
Great Goddess of Teotihuacán
The deities of the Teotihuacan religion
The inhabitants of Teotihuacán practiced the polytheism , Which means that they believed in several gods. The most important deity of Teotihuacán was female: the Spider Woman of Teotihuacan, also known as the Great Goddess of Teotihuacán.
The fact that the Great Goddess of Teotihuacan is the most relevant deity of this society represents an unusual element, since much of the greater deities of Mesoamerica were male.
The Spider Woman of Teotihuacán was worshiped as the creative deity; She was also the goddess of the underworld, the darkness, the earth and the water (in fact, it is because of her relationship with water that she is credited with being a"creator"). This goddess was represented in murals and sculptures with a mask that resembles the mouth of a spider.
Other gods relevant to the Teotihuacan civilization are: the water goddess, also called Chalchiuhtlicue, who is represented with a statue of three meters, carved in stone; And the god Tlaloc, who represents rain and war.
These two gods are related by the fact that they were taken by the cultures that arose after Teotihuacan; In addition, both gods emphasize the importance of water, an element that is more than essential in the arid lands of Teotihuacán and which constituted the"life giver".
Also, Quetzalcoalt, the feathered serpent; Xipe Totec, the god of agriculture and corn; And the god of Fire, creative deity are deities worshiped by the civilization of Teotihuacán and that were later taken by the Aztecs.
Quetzalcoalt, the feathered serpent / Photo retrieved from www.britishmuseum.org.uk
The calendar and the rituals
The buildings are perfectly aligned with astronomical events, such as equinoxes, solstices and eclipses. These events were considered sacred messages from the gods.
The position of temples and pyramids built in Teotihuacan, which are aligned with the solstice sun (in June) and with the Pleiades, implies that the dates of the calendar had some relevance at the time of religious rituals.
Human sacrifices
The Teotihuacans practiced human sacrifice. In the excavations of the constructions human and animal remains have been found, which were offered in sacrifice.
Some scholars consider that these were sacrificed to demonstrate dedication and commitment in expanding or building a pyramid.
Likewise, the victims were considered to be enemy warriors who were captured during battles and who were subjected to sacrificial rituals to ensure the prosperity of the city.
The methods applied varied from ritual to ritual: some men were beheaded, others were severed, some were beaten on the head, and finally some were buried alive.
With regard to animals, those who were sacred to the aborigines and those who represented mystical powers were buried alive or caged. Some of these animals were the wolf, the eagle, the falcon, the owl, the jaguar and some poisonous snakes.
You may be interested in learning more about Prehispanic Offerings .
Architecture and religion
Most of the architectural constructions had a religious character, since they were used to worship the gods.
The two main pyramids of the city were the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon, which represented monuments in honor of these stars. Also highlights the temple of Quetzalcoalt.
View of the Avenue of the Dead, the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon / Photo retrieved from www.wikipedia.org.
The pyramid of the sun
The Pyramid of the Sun has five levels and was built on a sacred tunnel. At the top of this, formerly there was a small temple. Inside the pyramid, there is a 100 meter tunnel leading to a burial chamber.
The Pyramid of the Moon
This pyramid is similar to the one of the Sun, however, does not present inner chambers. In spite of this, in the bases of the pyramid are offerings for the gods, between which they emphasize stones of obsidian and felines and eagles sculpted in green rocks.
Also, this construction is the resting place of human sacrifices, among which stand out three noble Mayan men. The remains of slaughtered animals, such as pumas, rattlesnakes and birds of prey, are also found.
The Temple of Quetzalcoatl
The temple of Quetzalcoatl is decorated with sculptures of the feathered serpent and the god Tlaloc.
In this pyramid, rests more than 200 men and women who were sacrificed to celebrate that the work was completed. Also within this temple are obsidian knives and objects of religious character.
Religion center
It is believed that the city of Teotihuacán was begun to build in the year 100 a.C. However, it was not until the year 250 AD. Which completed the main buildings of the city.
It was at this time that Teotihuacán was transformed into a religious center of the highlands of Mexico, thanks to the multiple constructions of religious character; In fact, the word"Teotihuacán"means in Aztec"the place of the gods".
References
- Teotihuacan: Ancient City of Pyramids. Retrieved on April 27, 2017, from livescience.com.
- Teotihuacan. Retrieved on April 27, 2017, from britannica.com.
- Cartwright, Mark (2015). Teotihuacan. Retrieved on April 27, 2017 from ancient.eu.
- Teotihuacan. Retrieved on April 27, 2017, from teotihuacanyear11ancienthistory.weebly.com.
- History of Teotihuacan. Retrieved on April 27, 2017, from uncoveredhistory.com.
- Teotihuacan. Retrieved on April 27, 2017 from ancient-code.com.
- Teotihuacan. Retrieved on April 27, 2017, despirituality.knoji.com.
- Teotihuacan. Retrieved on April 27, 2017, from quetzal.asu.edu.