Mexicas

Facts learned today at the excellent museo de anthropoligia. First off one of the best museums I have ever visited. The section on the history of anthropology was fascinated and explained the story of our evolution in very clear terms using dioramas and life size models to get the picture across.

I was happy they had a life size model of our universal foremother, Lucy the austorolopithicus on display.  I took a photo of c beside Lucy but her focus was on the fact that Lucy should consider buying a good razor.

By The Way I am Spelling words correctly but the tablet has the worst auto correct problem

the section on the sun and moon pyramids 50 k from here were very well done. But go into the hall focused on Aztec mexica society and prepare to be gob stopped. Because the great Aztec empire was only destroyed starting in 1521 much of their art still remains in very good condition.

beautiful serpents, conch, toads and turtle sculpture sit alongside massive statues of goddesses and gods who lived interwoven in everyday Aztec life..

the Aztec were superb warriors who conquered large areas of Mexico today by their force of arms or by strategic subjugation of client states based on trade or threat. Or both.

they were a pretty bloodthirsty bunch, think ancient rome, who exalted sacrifice as a means to ensure the continuation of the sun, rains and therefore life.

Now before you get the idea the Aztec dispatched only those saps who were captured and then trucked up some hundreds of steps to their doom, there is another side to this.

like so many people of faith from the vikings to Christian martyrs many warriors and high status people got the honour of having your beating heart ripped out and offered as blood to renew the world as the gods originally did to create this beautiful world.

to the god who was patron to warriors one lucky potent and vigorous kid under 20 was appointed stand in god for the year and was adorned in all the gods finery and treated to his station in heaven until on the 5th month he was sacrificed in a rather gritty fashion and went to his resting place with great honour.

as a person from 21st  century canada I find it takes work to get my head around such a different world.  But then I ponder.  So I am a hot 18 year old spoiled rich warrior, let,s think like he's a star football player in a US college. I expect to go off to war in any event join the SEALS or Marines and gloriously sacrifice my life for my country. That's the best way to die and people love me

 But unlike frat boys I am not necessarily allowed to partake in the pleasures of the flesh anytime  soon because of weird keeping young men virgins.

Then they tell me. Hey kid. You become an actual god.  You dress like him and everyone treats you exactly as we treat him. And you get to do everything a potent hot warrior god gets to do for an ENTIRE year.! Then we rip out your beating heart in front of thousands cheering in adoration and you go and meet the actual god and you were toast anyway.

if you think of it that way, it makes some sense..






























































































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