Religions

Aztec religion is the Mesoamerican religion practiced by the Aztec empire. Like other Mesoamerican religions, it had elements of human sacrifice in connection with a large number of religious festivals which were held according to patterns of the Aztec calendar. It had a large and ever increasing pantheon; the Aztecs would often adopt deities of other geographic regions or peoples into their own religious practice. Aztec cosmology divided the world into upper and nether worlds, each associated with a specific set of deities and astronomical objects. Important in Aztec religion were the sun, moon and the planet Venus—all of which held different symbolic and religious meanings and were connected to deities and geographical places.

Large parts of the Aztec pantheon were inherited from previous Mesoamerican civilizations and others, such as Tlaloc, Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca, were venerated by different names in most cultures throughout the history of Mesoamerica. For the Aztecs especially important deities were Tlaloc the god of rain, Huitzilopochtli the patron god of the Mexica tribe, Quetzalcoatl the culture hero and god of civilization and order, and Tezcatlipoca the god of destiny and fortune, connected with war and sorcery. Each of these gods had their own temples within the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan--Tlaloc and Huitzilopochtli were both worshipped at the Templo Mayor. A common Aztec religious practice was the recreation of the divine: Mythological events would be ritually recreated and living persons would impersonate specific deities and be revered as a god—and often ritually sacrificed.

Human sacrifice

Human sacrifice was practiced on a grand scale throughout the Aztec empire, although the exact figures are unknown. At Tenochtitlán, the principal Aztec city, according to Ross Hassing "between 10,000 and 80,400 persons" were sacrificed over the course of four days for the dedication of the Great Pyramid in 1487. Excavations of the offerings in the main temple has provided some insight in the process, but the dozens of remains excavated are far short of the thousands of sacrifices recorded by eyewitnesses and other historical accounts. For millennia, the practice of human sacrifice was widespread in Mesoamerican and South American cultures. It was a theme in the Olmec religion, which thrived between 1200 BC and 400 BC and among the Maya. Human sacrifice was a very complex ritual. Every sacrifice had to be meticulously planned from the type of victim to specific ceremony needed for the god. The sacrificial victims were usually warriors but sometimes slaves, depending upon the god and needed ritual. The higher the rank of the warrior the better he is looked at as a sacrifice. The victim(s) would then take on the persona of the god he was to be sacrificed for. The victim(s) would be housed, fed, and dressed accordingly. This process could last up to a year. When the sacrificial day arrived, the victim(s) would participate in the specific ceremonies of the god. These ceremonies were used to exhaust the victim so that he would not struggle during the ceremony. Then five priests, known as the Tlenamacac, performed the sacrifice usually at the top of a pyramid. The victim would be laid upon the table, held down and then have his heart cut out.

Gods

• Acolnahuacatl, or Acolmiztli - a god of the underworld, Mictlan
• Acuecucyoicihuati (see Chalchiuhtlicue)
• Amimitl - god of lakes and fishers

• Atlacamani - goddess of oceanic storms such as hurricanes
• Atlacoya - goddess of drought
• Atlatonan (also Atlatonin) - goddess of the coast
• Atlaua - water god
• Ayauhteotl - goddess of mist, fog, vanity and fame

• Camaxtli - god of hunting, war, fate and fire
• Centeotl
• Chalchiuhtlatonal - god of water
• Chalchiuhtecolotl - a night owl god

• Chalchiuhtotolin (Precious Night Turkey) - god of pestilence and mystery Chalchiuhtlicue (also Chalciuhtlicue, or Chalchihuitlicue) (She of the Jade Skirt). (Sometimes Acuecucyoticihuati) - the goddess of lakes and streams, and also of birth; consort of Tlaloc.

• Chalmecatecuchtlz - a god of the underworld, Mictlan and sacrifices
• Chalmecatl the underworld, Mictlan and the north
• Chantico - the goddess of hearth fires, personal treasure, and volcanoes
• Chicomecoatl (also Chalchiuhcihuatl, Chiccomeccatl, or Xilonen) - goddess of new maize and produce, wife of Cinteotl.

• Chicomexochtli - a patron of artists
• Chiconahui - a domestic fertility goddess
• Chiconahuiehecatl - associated with creation
• Cihuacoatl (also Chihucoatl or Ciucoatl) (Woman Serpent) - an aspect of Ilamatecuhtli and consort of Quetzalcoatl

• Cinteotl (also Centeotl or Centeocihuatl) - the principal maize god, son of Tlazolteotl

• Cipactonal - god of astrology and the calendar
• Citlalatonac (see Ometeotl)
• Citlalicue - a creator of the stars
• Coatlicue (She of the Serpent Skirt) - legendary mother of Coyolxauhqui, the Centzon Huitzahua, and Huitzilopochtli

• Cochimetl (also Coccochimetl) - god of commerce, bartering, and merchants
• Coyolxauhqui - legendary sister of Huitzilopochtli, associated with the moon, possibly patroness of the Milky Way
• Cuaxolotl - a goddess of the hearth

• Ehecatl (also Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl) - the god of the Wind and creator of the earth, heavens, and the present race of humanity. As god of the west, one of the skybearers

• Huehuecoyotl (also Ueuecoyotl) - a trickster god of indulgence and pranks. A shapeshifter, associated with drums and the coyote
• Huehueteotl (also Ueueteotl, Xiuhtecuhtli, Xiutechuhtli) - an ancient god of the hearth, the fire of life. Associated with the pole star and the north, and serves as a skybearer

• 
  Ilamatecuhtli (also Cihuacoatl or Quilaztli) - aged goddess of the earth, death, and the Milky Way. Her roar signalled war Huitzilopochtli (also Mextli, Mexitl, Uitzilopochtli) - the supreme god of Tenochtitlan, patron of war, fire and the sun
• Huixtocihuatl (also Uixtochihuatl) - a goddess of salt and saltwater

• Itztlacoliuhqui-Ixquimilli - god of stone, obsidian, coldness hardness, and castigation. Aspect of Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli
• Itzli - god of sacrifice and stone knives.
• Itzpapalotl - Queen of Tomoanchan and one of the Cihuateteo (night demons) and tzitzimime (star demons)
• Ixtlilton - the god of healing, dancing, festivals and games. Brother of Xochipilli.

• Macuilcozcacuauhtli (five vulture) - one of the Ahuiateteo (gods of excess)
• Macuilcuetzpalin (five lizard) - one of the Ahuiateteo (gods of excess)
• Macuilmalinalli (five grass) - one of the Ahuiateteo (gods of excess)
• Macuiltochtli (five rabbit) - one of the Ahuiateteo (gods of excess)
• Macuilxochitl (five flower) - the god of games and gambling, and chief of the Ahuiateteo (gods of excess)
• Malinalxochitl - sorceress and goddess of snakes, scorpions and insects of the desert
• Matlalceuitl (also Matlalcueje) - goddess of rainfall and singing. Identified with Chalchiuhtlicue.
• Mayahuel (also Mayahual, or Mayouel) - the goddess of maguey, and by extension, alcohol
• Metztli (also Metztli, Tecuciztecatl, Tecciztecatl)- lowly god of worms who failed to sacrifice himself to become the sun, and became the moon instead, his face darkened by a rabbit.
• Mextli - a god of war and storms
• Mictecacihuatl (also Mictlancihuatl) - goddess of death and Lady of Mictlan, the underworld
• Mictlantecuhtli (also Mictlantecuhtzi, or Tzontemoc) - the god of death and Lord of Mictlan, also as god of the south, one of the skybearers
• Mixcoatl (cloud serpent) - god of hunting, war, and the Milky Way. An aspect of Tezcatlpoca and father of Quetzalcoatl

• Nanahuatzin (also Nana, Nanautzin, or Nanauatzin) - lowly god who sacrificed himself to become sun god Tonatiuh

• Omacatl
• Omecihuatl
• Ometecuhtli
• Ometeotl (also Citlatonac or Ometecuhtli (male) and Omecihuatl (female)) - the god(s) of duality, pregenator(s) of souls and lord/lady of heaven

• Ometotchtli (two rabbit) - drunken rabbit god, leader of the Centzon Totochtin
• Opochtli - left-handed god of trapping, hunting and fishing
• Oxomoco - goddess of astrology and the calendar

• Patecatl - the god of medicine, husband of Mayahuel
• Paynal - the messenger to Huitzilopochtli

• Xipe Totec - the god of the seasons, seed germination and renewal, considered the patron of goldworkersXilonen - the goddess of young maizeTecciztecatl (see Mextli)
• Temazcalteci (also Temaxcaltechi) - goddess of bathing and sweatbaths
• Teoyaomicqui (also Teoyaomiqui)- the god of dead warriors
• Tepeyollotl - (The jaguar form of Tezcatlipoca) god of the heart of the mountain, associated with jaguars, echoes, and earthquakes
• Tepoztecatl (also Tezcatzontecatl) - god of pulque and rabbits
• Teteoinnan - mother of the gods
• Tezcatlipoca (also Omacatl, Titlacauan) - omnipotent god of rulers, sorcerers and warriors; night, death, discord, conflict, temptation and change. A sinister rival to Quetzalcoatl. Can appear as a jaguar.
• Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli - destructive god of the morning star (venus), dawn, and of the east. One of the skybearers
• Tlaloc (also Nuhualpilli) - the great and ancient provider and god of rain, fertility and lightning
• Tlaltecuhtli - goddess of earth, associated with difficult births
• Tlazolteotl (also Tlaelquani, Tlazolteotli)- the goddess of purification from filth, disease or excess
• Tloquenahuaque - a creator god or ruler
• Toci (also Temazcalteci) - grandmother goddess, heart of the earth and mother of the gods. Associated with midwives and war
• Tonacatecuhtli - the aged creator and provider of food and patron of conceptions
• Tonacacihuatl - consort of Tonacatecuhtli
• Tonantzin - a mother goddess
• Tonatiuh - a sun god and heavenly warrior, associated with eagles and with the Maya
• Tzitzmitl - aged grandmother goddess

• Xiuhcoatl (fire serpent or turquoise serpent) - embodiment of the sun's rays and emblem of Xiuhtecuhtli
• Xiuhtecuhtli -(also called Huehueteotl)
• Xochipilli - the young god of feasting, painting, dancing, games, and writing. Associated with Macuilxochitl and Cinteotl
• Xochiquetzal - goddess of love, beauty, female sexuality, prostitutes, flowers, pleasure, craft, weaving, and young mothers
• Xocotl - star god associated with fire
• Xolotl - canine companion of Quetzalcoatl and god of twins, sickness and deformity. Accompanies the dead to Mictlan

• Yacatecuhtli (also Yactecuhtli) - the god of merchants and travellers