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world religions Latin America pre-Colobian Amer-Indian religions
Latin America Religion: Pre-Colombian Amer-Indian Religions
Figure 1.--The story of the Hero Twins (Junajpu and Xbalanq)´figures prominently in Meso-Ameriucan, but not Andean relgion, including the Maya and Aztects. It may have originated in Teotihuacán, but this we are unsure about. Their story begins in Xibalba, the place of Fear and Death Meso-American mythology. This was where the Lords of pain, fear, death, and agony, who sent their minions up to the land of the people to torment them. The Hero Twins the their name because they tricked the dark Lords of Xibalba. It is one reason the Lords require so much blood tribute. Source: Popol Vuh, the Mayan Creation Myth taken from a ceramic. Painted by Lacambalam.
Our knowledge of Pre-Colombian Amer-Indian civilizations is incomplete. Next to nothing is known about many Amer-Indian peoples, especially the ancient peoples that no longer existed at the time of the Conquest--none of which had a written language. What we know of per-Colombian Amer-Indian religious beliefs is largely based on the religious practices of the three great empires (Aztec, Maya, and Inca) at the time of the Conquest (16th century). The Spanish described them and two of the these empires (Aztec and Maya) had hieroglyphics writing systems that have been deciphered to a considerable degree. These are only the three most important civilizations at the time of the conquest. Next to nothing is known about the many other civilization at the time or the many civilizations that preceded them. There are major similarities among Meso-American civilizations. This is presumably because these civilizations were in contact with each other and the enduring influence of Teotihuacan. The Inca Empire was larger than the Meso-American Empires and consisted of a large pf conquered peoples whose religions are not well known. These regions all were polytheistic religions, a natural evolution from the animism of pre-civilized societies. Amer-Indians were agricultural societies were affected by natural phenomenon. Thus gods/demons that were created basically were manifestations of those phenomenon and at the center of all those varied religious systems was the sun--understandable as it is the most obvious and powerful of all natural phenomena. The basic religious concept was fundamentally different than the benevolent Christian god. Beginning with Columbus (1492), this all became crashing down. The Spanish and Portuguese in only a few decades destroyed the Native American empires and their religions, especially the Spanish which were the Europeans that came in contact with the great Native American empires. The Spanish were of course horrified with the idols and gore they found in Aztec religion.
What we know of per-Colombian Amer-Indian religious beliefs is largely based on the religious practices of the three great empires (Aztec, Maya, and Inca) at the time of the Conquest (16th century). The Spanish described them and two of the these empires (Aztec and Maya) had hieroglyphics writing systems that have been deciphered to a considerable degree. These are only the three most important civilizations at the time of the conquest. Next to nothing is known about the many other civilization at the time or the many civilizations that preceded them. There are major similarities among Meso-American civilizations. This is presumably because these civilizations were in contact with each other and the enduring influence of Teotihuacan. The Inca Empire was larger than the Meso-American Empires and consisted of a large pf conquered peoples whose religions are not well known. These regions all were polytheistic religions, a natural evolution from the animism of pre-civilized societies. Amer-Indians were agricultural societies were affected by natural phenomenon. Thus gods/demons that were created basically were manifestations of those phenomenon and at the center of all those varied religious systems was the sun--understandable as it is the most obvious and powerful of all natural phenomena. The basic religious concept was fundamentally different than the benevolent Christian god. The Amer-Indian god/demons had to be constantly placated and human sacrifice was an important part of how that was accomplished. Meso-American theology was not that the gods willingly crated man, but than man stole his existence, tricking the gods/demons. This largely explains why human sacrifice was so important. The gods/demons were unhappy and had to be appeased for their losses. The religions of the great civilizations of Meso-America, but less so the Andes, were some of the most violent and bloody if not the most barbaric religious traditions in human history. Human sacrifice was prevalent throughout Meso-America. We know of nothing like this in ancient civilizations around the world. Just why this was the case we do not know. It is sometimes attributed to the austere environment in which the Aztecs developed, not all of Meso-America was such a harsh environment. The general pattern was that instead of sacrificing members of their own community, Pre-Columbian Amer-Indian peoples conducted ritual wars to obtain sacrificial victims, almost always captive male adults. Often this was warriors, but with the Aztecs the sacrifices were so numerous that it was not only warriors that were captured. This all affected battle tactics which were designed to wounded rather than kill. This permitted the captives to be sacrificed in public ritual ceremonies. Subject people paid part of their tribute in the form of sacrificial victims. Of course the three great empires were only part of American-Indian population. There were other civilizations as well as many people of varying levels of cultural development, other agricultural, semi-agricultural, and hunter-gather civilizations. We know most about North American tribes, many of which are well-studied. This included a range of tribes, some of which were agricultural, but none of which reached the level of civilization of the three great empires. The advent of the Europeans drove the North American Native Americans West and began a shift from agriculture to hunter gathering. A major factor here was the acquisition of horses which allowed them to hunt buffalo on the Great Planes. As far as we can tell they retained their religious beliefs. There was a substantial degree of cultural diffusion. The major crops were the three sisters (corn, beans, and squash). These are all crops developed in Meso-America and spread throughout the Americas, both North and South America.
Of course the three great empires were only part of American-Indian population. There were other civilizations as well as many people of varying levels of cultural development, other agricultural, semi-agricultural, and hunter-gather civilizations. We know most about North American tribes, many of which are well-studied. This included a range of tribes, some of which were agricultural, but none of which reached the level of civilization of the three great empires. The advent of the Europeans drove the North American Native Americans West and began a shift from agriculture to hunter gathering. A major factor here was the acquisition of horses which allowed them to hunt buffalo on the Great Planes. As far as we can tell they retained their religious beliefs. There was a substantial degree of cultural diffusion. The major crops were the three sisters (corn, beans, and squash). These are all crops developed in Meso-America and spread throughout the Americas, both North and South America. (This was not the case for the potato developed in the South American Andes.) These less civilized tribes varied tremendously. There were war-like and more peaceable tribes. These less civilized tribes, however, do not seem to have adopted the deities of the Meso-Americans and Andeans. Rather these less civilized tribes appeared to have adopted the basis animism prevalent among primitive people around the globe. And interestingly the more primitive tribes had less violent religious orientations.
The Conquest
Beginning with Columbus (1492), this all became crashing down. The Spanish and Portuguese in only a few decades destroyed the Native American empires and their religions, especially the Spanish which were the Europeans that came in contact with the great Native American empires. The Spanish were of course horrified with the idols and gore they found in Aztec religion. For a long time, the scholars saw the Maya as less war-like and violent than the Aztecs to the north. More modern scholarship suggests that this was not the case and there was ceremonial human sacrifices, although on a smaller scale than the Aztecs. And considering the fact that they were horrified with Luther and Protestantism, one can imagine the reaction to Native American religion. And the Conquistadores and padres in short order destroyed the temples and religious artifacts on which they could lay their hands. The Native American religions were not entirely rooted out, but any open practice was. The exception was the primitive tribes in the Amazonian basin. But these wee not the developed if often bloody religious systems of the great Amer-Indian empires. Here the primitive animist religious beliefs have survived to this day, but missionaries are active in many areas.
