THK AZTKCS 



207 



there are special gods, and there are patron gods of 

 trade guilds. Moreover, there arc foreign gods, some 

 recent, some ancient. 



The religion of central 

 Mexico had its objective, 

 ritualistic side, which ap- 

 pealed directly to the under- 

 standing of the masses, and 

 it- more subtle theological 

 or philosophical side seen, 

 for instance, in the poems 

 written by priests and 

 rulers. It was a mixture of 

 spirituality andthegross< -' 

 idolatry. The ceremonial 

 calendar, with a description 

 of the feasts and sacrifices 

 occurring at different times 

 of the year, has been 

 preserved in a number of 

 documents. Pageants, in- 

 cense-burning, and human 

 sacrifice gave a strong dra- 

 matic quality to the relig- 

 ious rites. 



Fig. 77. Analysis of Mexican 

 Record. 1, the year Two Reed, 

 1507; 2. eclipse of the sun: 3, 

 earthquake at place pictured at 

 4; 5, the town of Huixachtitlan. 

 In the temple (6) was held (7) 

 the new-fire ceremony at the 

 beginning of a 52-year period. In 

 thifi year were also drowned in 

 the River Tuzac (8) two thousan* 1 

 warriors (10) which the vultures 

 devoured 9 . 



The conception of a su- 

 preme deity is seen in Ome- 

 teuctli, the Lord of Duality, 

 a vague god-head and 

 creator who is sometimes 

 addressed in some of the 



religious poems as the "Cause of All." In the back- 

 ground of the popular religion was the belief in the 

 Earth Mother and the Sky Father and in the divinity 

 of the Sun. the Moon, the Jaguar, the Serpent, and 



