THE AZTECS 207 
Aztecs. Warriors killed in battle go to the House of the 
Sun, in one of the upper worlds, as do women who die 
in childbirth. Tlalocan, the lowermost heaven, is a 
sort of terrestrial paradise for others. Mvctlan is, 
however, the common abode of the dead, and the 
wretched soul can reach it only after a journey set with 
horrors. 
The cult of the quarters is intimately associated with 
the concept of the universe. With the four cardinal 
points a number of others are sometimes taken includ- 
ing the zenith, the nadir, and the middle. ‘The sacred 
numbers 4, 5, 6, and 7 may thus conceivably be derived 
from the points of space, but it would be very unsafe 
to assume that they are necessarily so derived. ‘The 
general concept of a universe divided into quarters, 
fifths, or sixths is a powerful conventionalizing factor 
in mythology, religion, and art. Prayers, songs, and 
important acts are repeated in identical or in system- 
atically varied form for each point of space. In 
Mayan and Aztecan codices the symbolism of the 
four directions is often manifest. 
Ceremonies. Ceremonialism was intensely devel- 
oped in Mexico and the dramatic quality of many 
Aztecan rites of human sacrifice has probably never 
been equaled. We are apt to think only of the grue- 
some features of human sacrifice and to overlook the 
spiritual ones. ‘The victim was often regarded as a 
personification of a god and as such he was féted, 
clothed in fine garments, and given every honor. 
Efforts were made to cause the victim to go willingly to 
his death uplifted by a truly religious ecstasy. It was 
considered unlucky that he should grieve or falter. 
The religious calendar was given over to fixed and 
movable feasts. The fixed feasts were eighteen in 
