Leiden University Student Repository

Holswilder, Xynthia (2025)

The Role of Animals in Aztec Ritual Context: A literature review of the use and importance of animals in Aztec rituals and religious context

Bachelor thesis | Archeologie (BA)

This thesis examines the importance of animals in Aztec rituals and religious context. The main question of the research is: What was the role of animals in Aztec ritual context? In several chapters will be explained what animals were important to the Aztecs in general, how they were used in Aztec rituals, and examples of this will be provided by the case study of the Templo Mayor in Tenochtitlan. The aim of this thesis is to provide an understanding of the relationship between the Aztecs and animals in daily life and in ritual context, and to clarify the importance of animals in rituals and other religious activities. This research is conducted by a thorough literature review, supported by a case study which provides examples. It appears that the importance of animals in rituals is different per animal species. For some animals the importance really lies in their use during the ritual, while other animals were only important due to their symbolism or importance in mythological...Show moreThis thesis examines the importance of animals in Aztec rituals and religious context. The main question of the research is: What was the role of animals in Aztec ritual context? In several chapters will be explained what animals were important to the Aztecs in general, how they were used in Aztec rituals, and examples of this will be provided by the case study of the Templo Mayor in Tenochtitlan. The aim of this thesis is to provide an understanding of the relationship between the Aztecs and animals in daily life and in ritual context, and to clarify the importance of animals in rituals and other religious activities. This research is conducted by a thorough literature review, supported by a case study which provides examples. It appears that the importance of animals in rituals is different per animal species. For some animals the importance really lies in their use during the ritual, while other animals were only important due to their symbolism or importance in mythological stories. This research focused in particular on the jaguar, the dog and birds. The importance of the jaguar can be seen in the symbolism as well as the ritual itself. The jaguars symbolism lies in its association with social status and warriors, in ritual context the jaguar’s connection is found in shamanism. The dog’s importance can be noticed in funerary practices. When its owner died, the dog was buried with them as well, since it was believed that dogs were the guides of the deceased souls and bring them to the underworld Mictlan. The eagle is important in its symbolistic use as well as ritualistic use. Eagles are associated with the Aztec military force and were also sacrificed with ornaments that symbolized this association. Furthermore the eagle is considered as the symbol of Tenochtitlan, the capital city of the Aztec Empire. In the case of macaws and quetzals, the ritualistic meaning is not found in the birds themselves, but in the use of their feathers. The feathers were used to create religious objects, like headdresses or jewellery, which were then used during the performance of the ritual. The hummingbird only showed symbolistic importance. These birds have an association with the god of the sun and warriors, Huitzilopochtli. The quail’s importance is only found within the ritual itself, since it is the most sacrificed animal within the Aztec society. Animal sacrifice is suggested to be a valuable aspect of the Aztec ritualistic scene, which can be supported by the great amount of animal remains that are found at the Templo Mayor in Tenochtitlan.Show less

Author

Holswilder, Xynthia

Faculty

Faculty of Archaeology

Supervisors

Geurds, A.

ECTS Credits

10

Language

en