(8) AZTEC

 

I only have the usual superficial knowledge of Aztec mythology characteristic of its lurid image in popular culture – that is to say, the closest mythology comes to a horror film or the Cthulhu mythos, both of itself and of its ritual practice of human sacrifice. Yes – I know that is unfair to the nuances of Aztec mythology, particularly in the context of just how horrific other mythologies can be. I mean – have you read the Bible? Some of that stuff’s straight out of slasher horror.

However, it is hard to resist seeing Aztec mythology as horror film mythology. For one thing, there’s its deities with their tongue-twisting Scrabble-winning names. The messianic plumed serpent Quetzalcoatl might be one of the few good guys (and I have always have a soft spot for love goddesses like Xochiquetzal) but then you have gods like Xipe Totec, the flayed god – whose priests would flay the skin from a sacrificial victim and dance around for days wearing it. Although admittedly I’d go to church to see that.

For another thing, you have its ritual practice, infamous for human sacrifice on a grand scale – with the archetypal image of hearts being torn beating from the chests of thousands of victims on stepped pyramids slippery with blood on sacrificial days.

And finally for yet another thing, there’s that Aztec mythology is a post-apocalyptic mythology – with the present world being the fifth such world, after the apocalyptic destruction of four previous worlds. Indeed, one might even call it a zombie apocalyptic mythology – with the gods continuously, to the point of constantly dying and returning to life, giving their blood and their hearts to power the sun (fuelled in turn by the literal blood and hearts of human sacrifice), while they literally grew humans from bones smuggled out of the underworld. Or one of many underworlds, since the Aztecs had nine levels of its underworld (and thirteen heavens).

Also, I sometimes like to joke my middle initial Q stands for Quetzalcoatl.

 

SACRED SPACES & CHTHONIC BLUES

 

One of the most chthonic mythologies, since the Aztecs had those nine levels of its underworld known as Mictlan. Although it sometimes seems hard to distinguish the Aztec underworld from the Aztec world, what with those pyramids slippery with blood and hearts from human sacrifice.

 

APOCALYPSE HOW

 

And how!

As I said, Aztec mythology is a post-apocalyptic mythology – or post-post-post-post-apocalyptic mythology, with the present world being the fifth such world, after the apocalyptic destruction of four previous worlds. Or indeed, a zombie apocalyptic mythology – with the gods continuously, to the point of constantly dying and returning to life, giving their blood and their hearts to power the sun (fuelled in turn by the literal blood and hearts of human sacrifice)

 

EQUAL RITES

 

While the male deities tended to steal the sacrificial limelight, Aztec mythology had its share of goddesses – like its love goddess Xochiquetzal.

 

DIVINE COMEDY

 

Well, perhaps comedy horror along the lines of the Evil Dead franchise – or perhaps splatterpunk

 

TWILIGHT OF THE GODS

 

Yes and no – although in fairness you can’t say the Aztec gods faded away into twilight but were burnt out thrashing and screaming by the Spanish conquest.

However, while I have little knowledge on the topic, I can’t help but feel Meso-American religious belief persisted whether absorbed into Catholicism (as much of classical or Roman paganism had been absorbed by the early Church), disguised or hidden within it in the style of the Afro-American religions (particularly by the more indigenous elements of the population) or just existing parallel or side by side to it. I understand that may have been more the case for Mayan religious belief than Aztec. And certainly the cultural influence or impact of Aztec mythology has persisted well beyond any residual religious belief.

 

RATING: 4 STARS****
A-TIER (TOP TIER)