Latin America Religion: Pre-Colombian Amer-Indian Religions--The Great Empires
Figure 1.--This is a depiction of Aztec human sacrifices, on a small acale. These ritials were actually carried out on a much larger scale. This is a page from the the Codex Tudela compiled sometime after the Conquest by Spanish-trained Indian scribes (probably about 1540). Which is probably why it survived. Virtually all Aztec documents were destroyed by the Spanish as the work of the devil. This and other related codeci are based on an earlier unknown codex which is assumed to have been the prototype for the Magliabechiano Group. The groups are named after Antonio Magliabechi, a 17th-century Italian manuscript collector.
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.
Amer-Indian Polytheism
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.
Meso-American
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 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.
Andean
The Inca Empire was larger than the Meso-American Empires and consisted of a large pf conquered peoples whose religions are not well known.
