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Aztec Creation Myth Essay

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The ideas of the Sacred Place and the Center can be linked to one another when looking at the Aztec by looking at one of their most sacred and central placed. This place is both a center and a very important sacred location, connecting the two ideas immediately. The Center in question is located within the ancient city of Teotihuacan, which for the Aztec at the very least is where the current world was created by the Aztec gods whom sacrificed themselves to bring about the 5th sun. Before going any further it is important to know about the Aztec creation myth, as it plays a key part into why this is both a center and a sacred place for them. The Aztec believed that there were four worlds before the current one, and that we live in the world of the 5th sun. …show more content…

Each of these Suns went on for a 52 year period before they ended, but with each new creation the Aztec gods tried learning from previous mistakes. When creating the world of the 5th sun two hills were created for the gods Tecuciztecatl and Nanahuatzin to reside on as they had been chosen to bring about the new world. As said by Karl Taube “Two hills are made for Tecuciztecatl and Nanahuatzin to fast and do penance while the sacrificial pyre is prepared, and these can still be seen today as the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon.” (Aztec and Maya Myths, page 41) ; which shows the significance of the two pyramids to the Aztec, as the supernatural power that comes for them is the point in which heaven, earth, and hell met. The two gods jumped into the pyre with one becoming the sun and the other becoming the moon. Besides the Sun Pyramided and Moon Pyramid there are other sacred locations of great importance to the Aztec. They are powerful places that can also act in simulation as a

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